mohawkALSE Posted December 5, 2014 Share #26 Posted December 5, 2014 Im surprised the styro impact liner came out so easily. I thought they used a little dab of contact cement at the top area to keep it secure in the helmet. I could swear I remember reading that in regards to removing it and replacing the suspension liner with the TPL kit which uses a different impact liner which would be held in place by velcro, That styro liner is easy to remove with a tongue depressor separating the velcro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share #27 Posted December 5, 2014 Yeah I pulled it right out. There is a brown residue all around it, I'm sure from whatever was used to glue the liner to the shell. I imagine that over time it weakened enough to come loose. -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share #28 Posted December 12, 2014 Hi, Well it's been a slow week here, sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy at work and I've just been taking my time smoothing out the shell, repairing the many scratches and gouges. Multiple sessions of Bondo/sand/prime repeat!! Not much to see really. Today I applied the final primer coat. I was happy with the shell, it was looking good. I wet sanded it after the final primer coat and dried it off. It was time to paint. Here are some photos after my wet sanding session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share #29 Posted December 12, 2014 One more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share #30 Posted December 12, 2014 Once the shell was dry and dust free, I proceeded to paint. I added the first coat, and then applied a second a few hours later. I am very pleased with the results. Here are some photos. -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share #31 Posted December 12, 2014 And a final photo. The paint looks different than the first two shots, I guess because I took the photo in a different location. I'm going to let the paint dry/harden over the weekend. Then next week I will start the reassembly process. I have been gathering bits and pieces of the missing comm parts thanks to some generous collectors and also eBay Stay tuned... -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 12, 2014 Share #32 Posted December 12, 2014 Looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share #33 Posted December 12, 2014 Looking good! Thanks Matt! I think so too. The "after" pictures will be much better than the "before" ones I think for sure... -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share #34 Posted December 24, 2014 Hi Guys, I wanted to post a few updates on my SPH-4. Here's some more photos, I've been working on putting it back together. Here's couple of shots of the wiring in place along with the suspension liner: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share #35 Posted December 24, 2014 I also have some boom parts now. I'm combining them to make the proper boom mic. More to come! -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkALSE Posted December 26, 2014 Share #36 Posted December 26, 2014 The black colored boom assembly is the correct length for a size XL helmet. The silver one is for a regular size. Difference is in the forward half of the boom as shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share #37 Posted December 26, 2014 Thanks for the tip! I have it together now. I have been working on the ear cups and the wiring. Here are some photos: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share #38 Posted December 26, 2014 And the backside: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 26, 2014 Share #39 Posted December 26, 2014 Looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share #40 Posted December 27, 2014 Thanks Matt. The head phones are installed and the foam is in place. Not much left to do now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share #41 Posted December 27, 2014 All set! -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 27, 2014 Share #42 Posted December 27, 2014 Looks like the visor is all that's left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #43 Posted December 28, 2014 Hi Guys, Well my "new" helmet is all finished up! Thanks for everyone's comments and encouragement here. It was really appreciated. This was a fund learning experience for me. I really didn't know a thing about SPH-4s. The only thing I would still like to do to this helmet is remove more of the old gray paint off of the edge roll. I tried acetone and lacquer thinner. They both worked to a degree but that paint is so old I am worried about harming the rubber edge roll and the new paint. Someone here suggested MEK, that may be my best option. On to some photos - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #44 Posted December 28, 2014 More photos - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #45 Posted December 28, 2014 Boom mic close-up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #46 Posted December 28, 2014 I also bought a styrofoam head this weekend at Hobby Lobby. This is how it's going to look on my shelf. Thanks for following this thread, this was really fun! Now to look for more flight helmets for my collection... -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FtrPlt Posted December 28, 2014 Share #47 Posted December 28, 2014 Excellent job, Derek! Glad to see it returned to its proper look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted December 28, 2014 Share #48 Posted December 28, 2014 Great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlegto Posted January 2, 2015 Share #49 Posted January 2, 2015 Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking73 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share #50 Posted January 2, 2015 Thanks guys, I appreciate all the kind words. I just bought what I think is a vintage USN SPH-3 with the dual visor. It appears to be complete. I'll be sure to post some photos of it when it arrives. Maybe someone will be able to I.D. the tape job on it for me. Happy 2015 to everyone! -Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now