mounting dbox

[wildblue 4]

got a mindwarp, dbox, and chin cup all sitting here.... anyone ever mount this stuff before? Any tips before I start poking holes in this thing?

[jayhfx 0]

you'll need another person to sight it. When marking the holes on where to drill use a liquid paper pen.(easy to see and comes off easy) Also a drill press is better than a hand held as you can better line up the bit and keep a better grip on the helmet. Also use some smaller bits at first and work your way up to the proper size this prevents chipping and stuff. contact the helmet maker and ask them. Some companies provide templates as well.
later
jay

[Gravitymaster 0]

Make sure you use plenty of gaffers tape to position the D box. Put the camera in it without the outer shell and have someone site it. If you plan on using a ring site, this would also be a good time to install it so you can make sure everything lines up correctly. Once you have the camera positioned right, take the camera out and tape the box up real well with the gaffers tape. Mark the hole with fingernail polish. Use clear fingernail polish in the hole to insure the carbon fibre is sealed up. (it is a good idea to take the camera in another room while you are drilling B/C if any of the fibers get into the heads of the camera, you are gonna ruin them.Take your time drilling the hole on at a time, sealing the hole with nail polish and rechecking the siteing. Tighted down all screws and there you are. Hope this helps

[JeanJeanie 0]

Prior to beginning, recruit a friend. It will make things much easier, quicker, & accurate.
Let’s begin…
1. Remove the screws from the box.
2. Look at the side of the helmet. The body of the camera box should come just about as far forward as it can, where the lens is over the edge. Looking under the lens, you can still see the trim of the helmet. It should go as far down so the bottom RIGHT corner of the box is just above the trim.
3. Put on the helmet and have your assistant hold the camera in the box. Turn the camera on to ‘camera’ mode. Hold the camera in place with the bungee and have your assistant point the camera at the object that you are looking at.
4. Put some masking tape on the side of the helmet where the edge of the box will be so you can clearly mark the position/angle of the box as well as behind the box where the screw holes will be drilled.
5. Center the box on the helmet in this location and eyeball it so the top of the camera is parallel with the top plate.
6. Mark the hole for the top front mounting screw. Put the camera in a bag or away from the work area where you will be drilling to prevent any carbon fiber dust from contaminating the electronics of you camera. After drilling, be sure and remove any dust before putting the camera back in the box.
7. After drilling this first mounting hole, attach the box to the helmet at only this location using one of the slab (flat) fastener. Be sure and tighten the screw down well enough so the box does not pivot.
8. Place the camera in the box, secure it with the bungee, but leave the lid off. Open the view screen, put the camera in camera/stand-by mode & put the helmet on.
9. RELAX & look at a few different objects (pictures, light switches, etc…) on walls, up and down. Make sure you are trying to feel (rotate your head) naturally & not just moving your eyes. After each ‘LOOK’, have your assistant adjust the camera box and center the object VERTICALLY. The object may not be centered from left to right, but we’ll deal with that later. At this stage, concentrate on the vertical (up & down) direction.
10. When satisfied with the setting, have your assistant mark the outside of the box on the masking tape, which was placed on the helmet earlier. Remove the camera, take the helmet off and drill the other two holes. (Remember: Be sure to isolate your camera during the drilling and clean up any dust before putting your camera back in the box.)
11. The other two fasteners, top rear & bottom one, should be a ‘T’ type. If this is NOT done, and a ‘T’ type is place at the top front loation, the fastener will not tighten down properly and there may be unwanted play or slop at the front mounting location.
To adjust the horizontal (left-right) angle, just add washers between the box and the helmet.
12. If the up & down angle needs some fine tuning, you can elongate the two top holes on the inside of the box, using the third hole on the bottom as a pivot. This way you can film tandems at an angle and keep Freeflying at 0 degrees.

Thanks & Safe Filming
Chris & Jeanie
Thank you for purchasing a Bonehead Mindwarp skydiving helmet. We pride ourselves on making a quality product which evolves/changes as the needs of our customers does. Included you will find some frequently asked questions as well as some instructions/guidelines on mounting chin cups & camera boxes to your helmet.
CUSTOM FORMING DIRECTIONS:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 deg F.
2. Place your helmet on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.
3. Close the door & TURN THE OVEN OFF.
4. Wait 10-15 minutes for the shell to heat up and resin to become flexible.
5. Remove the helmet from the oven and place on your head.
6. Place pressure on the outside of the shell in such a way that it provides a snug, comfortable fit.
7. Keep applying pressure until the helmet cools. You now have a helmet formed to YOUR head.
8. This process may be repeated, just be sure and allow the helmet to cool COMPLETELY after each trial.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. Previously, the Mindwarp had a Velcro locking strap that provided a snugger fit; why doesn’t my new helmet have this?
If properly sized, the shape and design of the new shell will provide a better more comfortable fit without the need for additional fastening straps.
2. I’ve purchased a DBox for my camera and the finish of the inner housing doesn’t have a smooth carbon fiber finish, but looks like it’s coated with tar. Why is this?
When the DBox is made, the mold has a positive and negative side. One of these sides has a smooth carbon fiber surface and one does not. Since the outer cover of the DBox is the side/surface that is primarily seen, it’s been made with the smooth finished look. The inner shell half, that fits against the helmet, was left smooth on the inside, providing a clean, solid surface to attach the foam to which protects your camera. Because of this, the outer surface was left with the ‘tar’ appearance. It could have been sanded & smoothed down, but to improve the value & minimize the cost to the customer, it was left as is.
3. I’m mounting my DBox and one of the fasteners is different than the other two. Did you just run out or give me the wrong one?
The flat/slab fastener was included with your DBox on purpose. Due to the close fit to the helmet at the forward most mounting screw, a flat mounting screw is needed to provide ample clamping force so that the box doesn’t move around at that location.
MOUNTING A CHIN-CUP:
1. Locate the washer that is below the velvet of the standard chin strap.
2. Go UP/BACK about a ½” from that and drill a hole large enough to fit the mounting screws.
3. Peal back the foam padding inside the helmet, attach & tighten the screws and you are ready to go!
NOTE: if the cup does not fit comfortably on your chin, you can place it in the oven with your helmet when you are heating it up. Leave the chin cup in the oven while you are forming your helmet. After you are finished with the helmet, take the chin cup out. Using your hands, apply pressure to the sides of the cup to spread or compress it to the desired level of comfort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bonehead Composites is not responsible for accidents or injuries occuring while using our products. The wearer uses our products at their own risk with full knowledge of the risks involved in their activities. At the moment of purchase the user accepts all risks and responsibility for their own well being and property.

[PalmettoTiger 1]

Thank you so much Jean!! Detailed information from people who know is why these forums were created (and validate the excessive hours I spend here).
Blues, Squares,
PTiger
*insert sub-100 character sig here*