How to make a cardboard costume helmet

Step 4 Filling in the dome

Now cut some long triangular cardboard wedges. Start by bending these as close to the curve of the dome frame as you can. Start by gluing the wedges to the frame first with the hot glue gun, then working your way gradually to the middle of each frame section. There will be a lot of trimming and adjusting involved so take your time. Getting the curve of the dome right will make finishing the helmet much easier. After the dome is filled in smear all the seams on the outside of the helmet with white glue. You can see that I've also cut out the opening for the visor at this time. Now drop that bucket on your head and make sure it fits the way you want it to.

Comments

[Jaden Vynark]

I don't exactly know where to cut the hole for the visor. Do you think you could reply and tell me?

[Honus]

It's the "T" shaped section on the front of the helmet.

[ferralll]

I am currently trying to do this...
I am finding this step almost impossible.
It seems like you must have a plate or something on that dome so that you can attach the wedges one by one.

Any tips and trick on how to do this part. I am having a real problem with it.
(also, I am doing it with out hot glue... so that is a problem)

[Honus]

Try using masking tape to hold the wedges together until the glue dries.

[ferralll]

That works!
I used a small nail to put a 1 inch plat form on top of the inner dome thing. Then started taping the wedges together 2-3 at a time.

After that I slathered the inside with glue and glued in strips of brown paper bag. I hope that will be enough to hold it together. I will try taking off the gobs of scotch tape that I put on it tonight. And then spackle and sand the helmet.

(Just for a bit of usage information, I am only using the domed top, I am trying to make a Bender Costume. This method works pretty darn well. And I can say that it is not to hard to do, even with corrugated cardboard.)

Thanks for the tip!

[Honus]

Cool- glad that worked out!

[Thereisnoend01]

Did you use the Wizardofflight templates for the dome triangles? Or did you create your own triangles for the dome?

[Honus]

I cut my own triangles- he made newer dome templates after I did my tutorial.

[hailxhorror]

do you cut out the back and put the inner surface in there?

[Honus]

Yep!

[BigChingadero]

you could also make it the way they make the cardboard for forming globes (there's a YouTube movie at the factory out there somewhere); essentially 2 large star shapes that overlap one another's seams. The more petals, the fairer the curve of the helmet.

[rookie13]

Hey Honus, I was wondering do you have to use wedges for the dome. I mean can you use quarters of circles instead?

[Honus]

Wedges work pretty well. Quarter circles would be pretty difficult to form to that shape- you would have to make some kind of rigid mold to press the cardboard into.

[stresser03]

its easier than the instructions ive got so thanx, thx alot