How To: Big Sister, Bioshock 2 Helmet/Lamp

Want an awesomesauce videogame character based helmet and desk lamp!?!?

This instructable will show you how i made my version of a Big Sister's helmet from the popular videogame Bioshock 2.
I do not claim to have made an exact replica because i know i haven't.

I didnt make it to be a costume.. i made it to be a lamp... with a bulb so freaking bright it didnt comeout right in the pictures i took with it turned on.
This was made purely for fun.... and because i wanted a super sweet nightstand lamp.

Step 1: Getting Your Basic Stuff Together

What the lump i used.
a big rubber ball.
wire mesh screens
black fabric or felt
a GE reveal 60 watt DECORATIVE bulb
10 thumbtacks
10 hexnuts
2 4in. dryer vent hose clamps
a black leather belt
some 9/16" staples
2 2in. hose clamps
1 1/4in hose clamp
about 6ft. of rope
a bottle lamp kit
a small Master lock
a 15ft rubber utility hose
a little cable clamp
Gray spray paint primer
"Brown" Rustoleum HAMMERED finish spray paint
Silver Metallic spray paint
Newspaper
Flour
HOT GLUE GUN!!! (it will become your best friend, love it, treat it well.)
a pet food dish
clear plastic (or glass)
red transparent Cello wrap
black acrylic paint
2 tuna cans
4 potted meat cans
cardboard
rectangle wire fencing
flexible metal hose (like the kind you see on removable showerheads)
copper wire

It sounds like a lot i know. it cost me around $43, may cost you more or less depending on what you already have, i had almost none of the stuff.
I bought most of it at my local Wal-Mart, and Tractor Supply. The rest i either had laying around the house (paint, newspaper, wire, cans) or i found at work and simply claimed it from the trash demons. (card board, flexible metal hose).
Before you go out spending oodles on top notch products, remember.. it is just a helmet. None of the parts have to work the way they would have originally been used.
Try checking your local GoodWill for cheaper prices on items, or items you think would work better for you.

Step 2: Paper Mache

First you're gonna take a ball, one atleast larger than your head.
Coat it in paper mache.
To make the goop... mix flour and water until it is the consistancy of normal school glue. Take strips of newspaper and coat it in the stuff, then apply to the ball.
It is best to do it in halves first, like to the top half then the bottom, that way it doesnt stick to the ground or base you have it on.
Let it dry after each layer.
Total layers that should be applied- 5-6.
Sounds easy cause its in just one step but dear load this takes days...

science- do not store ball to dry in a warmer place than the one you covered it in paper in.
the molecules will cause the rubber to expand which will crack the coating of paper. NOT FUN.
i learned the hard way.

Step 3: Neck Hose Part!

Take your garden utility hose and wrap it around your head!
then cut a piece out that would fit snugly around, yet loose enough to go all the way and become a snazzy necklace.
 now that you have the center piece, cut out two more pieces that are slightly larger than the first one.

tie them together with copper wire and ofcourse, hot glue them together, tape.
be sure that the smaller one is in the center.

Step 4: 2 Potted Meat Cans

Take 2 of the 4 needed potted meat cans and cut the bottoms out.
Then take some wire mesh and cut out a circle that is atleast 1/2in. larger than the circumference of the bottom of the can.
Bend it to the cans will!
Then take the two 2in. hose clamps and wrap them around the potted meat can, covering the excessive wire mesh.
Tighten and hot glue.
Paint black and then before the paint dries, wipe it off with a rag, so the paint only stays in rough areas and corners.

Take some clear plastic cut into circles and cover it in the red cello.
then input the red lense into the can and hot glue it  in.
Do this for both of the potted meat cans.

Step 5: 1 Tuna Can

as with those 2 potted meat cans, cut out the bottom of it first.
then take a couple links of rectangular wire fencing and bend it to the can.
take a 4in. hose clamp and tighten it to the can, holding the fencing in place.
glue it and tie the excess metal from the clamp down with copper wire.
paint black and then rub away with a rag.

take a clear plastic circle cut out and cover it in the red cello.
glur inside can.

Step 6: Face Port

For the face prt, take the pet food bowl i mentioned and draw on the bottom the design seen in picutres below.
Then cut out the 5 pieces along the lines.
once that is done take 6 hexnuts and hot glue them in a hexigon shape on the border of the bottom of the bowl.
then fill each of the 6 hexnuts and fill them with hot glue, then place a thumbtack in each.
these act as bolts.
its neat.

love it!

upon completion of crafting, simply paint black and then wipe away, again. except make sure all visible hot glue is covered in paint. it makes it look like welding marks.

Then as before  cut out a circle befitting the bowl out of clear plastic and cover the circle in red cello wrap.
then hot glue it into the bowl.
once that is accomplished, paint the edges of the lense itself and wipe away, this makes it look worn out and darkens the edges.

Step 7: 2 Back Meat Cans

Take your two remaining potted meat cans, cut the bottoms out of them.
instead of placing in a red transparent plastic circle, cut out a piece of black fabric or felt.
glue the fabric into each of the cans.

Then take your 4 remaining hexnuts, glue 2 of them to each can on the border, fill them with glue, place in the thumbtacks. Just like with the face port.
Paint them black and wipe away surface color.

Step 8: Drawing the Design

take yourself a big ol sharpie marker and draw the basic design youd like on the newly made and hardened globe.
to get a good reference for how to shape and place everything, you can check images on the web, or for PlayStation HOME users, i know that in the store called Threads, you can view a 3D model of the helmet.
This model helped me out a lot.

Step 9: Cut!

Now that you have your design down, and all cans traced, cut out the holes of the face port and the 5 other can ports.
once youve done that
hot glue the 5 cans and the food bowl into the holes.
cut out a hole that would be the same size as that middle ring in the hose
this is the neck hole.
then hot glue the hose pieces to the neck hole.
NOTE- DO NOT CUT ANY OF THESE HOLES OUT UNTIL THE SHELL IS 100% DRY AND HARDENED. I SUGGEST YOU CUT EITHER THE "FACE" OR THE "NECK" HOLES OUT FIRST. ONCE YOU GET YOUR 1ST HOLE CUT OUT, POP THE BALL AND PULL IT OUT GENTLY.

Step 10: Cardboard

Now it is time,,,,,,,...,.,
upon looking at the images or 3D model you should notice that there are certain areas of the helmet that stick out farther than the rest.
for those areas simply cut out some cardboard and hot glue it on.

With the thing that sorta looks like window blinds on the top right of the helmet, cut little rectangles and layer then starting from the back until you get to the face port.
Cover all edges with a large amount of hot glue. This will eventually give it the illusion of welded metal.

There are 3 parts outside of the main face port that have cardboard.. i only made the two bottom ones (pictures should help you understand)
in my opinion the 3rd one just looked silly.
anyway once you get those pieces of cardboard on, go over the edges with either a rope or more hot glue.
i used the rope because it allowed me to pressure the cardboard down at the edges, which i found to be rather neat.
When gluing the rope, try to keep the hot glue out of visibility. Otherwise itll end up look like welded welding job. Its redundant and silly.

Step 11: Wrap It Up... and Paint

ok now we gotta paint this puppy.
so cover up all the ports, you know, the 6 things you worked super hard on and cherish with all your being.

Lets take this outside. Spray paint on some gray primer. this is important. prevents the normal spray paint from becoming sticky on the rubber hose.

Then go over it with the brown hammered spray paint giving it a couple full, even coats.
Then lightly go over it, once the brown is dry.. with the silver metallic spray paint.
Then a very very light coat of the brown hammered again.
once it all dries and the horrid smell is gone, take off the plastic or whatever you wrapped around the ports.

Step 12: Let There Be Light!

Now youre gonna have to put together a bottle lamp kit!
Due to the fact that this is electrical and possibly lethal if done wrong, i reccomend you buy a new kit and follow the instructions provided by them.

Except!
there are a couple things you can take off once assembling the kit.
theres a washer type thing that looks like a cover, a rubber gripper and a hollow bolt.
Take those out. they are only for support and looks.

Cut out a circle at the back of the window blinds looking cardboard layers the size of the bottle lamp kit.
From the inside stick the socket thing out from the hole about a half an inch.
Hot glue it in.
 (remember this step is only necessary if you wish to make it light up, i originally started the project wanting to make a lamp so yeah)

Then take the last tuna can and an old black belt and the last 4in. vent clamp.
Cut the bottom out of the tuna can, only cut it a little further in, not at the very edge.
cut a portion of the black belt to fit perfectly around the can. Glue it on ofcourse, then tighten on the vent clamp.
looks neat huh?
its my favorite part.

Now place the can over the part of the helmet wehre the lamp socket thing is sticking out.
HOT GLUE THAT SUCKAH!       
By now your hot glue gun has tried to leave you... it claims you see it only as a tool. You try to love it, resistance... you swallow pride and hope it comes back...

Paint the light port black, rub away...
Screw in the lightbulb, if it doesnt fit, you may need to make the hole in the tuna can a tad bit larger.

Step 13: Metal Hose Thing.

size it to where itll wrap around the face port and to the light port.
Seal clamp the ends together with the mini hose clamp
Hot glue the hose to the helmet and then poke holes on each end of the hose in a few locations of the helmet and tie it to the helmet with the copper wire.

Go over with black acrylic and rub away...

And yes , your hot glue gun has come back to you.. rejoice.

Step 14: Master Lock

Get that cable clamp.
take the hex nuts off the end and keep them for another project if you wish.
Cut 2 holes in the hose rings in the very front of the helmet.
one in the top ring and another in the middle one.
put the metal base over the 2 holes then input the hook.
make sure the hook goes in both of the hose holes.

now hot glue it.
Add in the master lock...
paint black and take it away.. but as always keep the paint on the glue.

And There you have it! a Big Sister helmet... with a TimTheScarecrow twist.