How to make a cosplay helmet!

Always wanted to make a helmet from Halo, Daft Punk, Gears of Wars, or any other iconic character that you like a lot? This instructable is for you! (And it works for armor too!) 

Obs: This is my first instructable, and if there is any grammar mistake, sorry, english isn't my first language! and the .PDO for Guy's Helmet is in step 2.
Obs²: Gloves tutorial are now on page 10!

Step 1: Materials

FIRST: If you don't have patience, just leave, you need A LOT OF PATIENCE!
*Pepakura Viewer 3
*.PDO file of your desired helmet (.PDO for Guy's Helmet is in step 2)
*Printer
*Paper (Of any kind, but I use cardstock)
*Glue
*Scissor or X-acto knife
*Fiberglass and Fiberglass resin
*Bondo (Car Body Filler)
*Sandpaper
*Paint
*Primer

Step 2: Paper model!

Print out your paper template in Pepakura Viewer, cut out and start gluing everything in place! (How to do this is theme for another instructable)

Here's a tip for gluing the parts togheter: http://www.instructables.com/id/Pepakura-armor-making-quick-tip/

Update: I've uploaded the pepakura files for people that wants to make the same helmet!
http://www.4shared.com/file/GjlA4-nw/Guy_Manuel_Helmet.html?

Step 3: Fiberglass!

Apply your fiberglass mat or cloth and resin over your paper helmet or armor, let it dry and it will be hard as a rock!
(TIP: Fiberglass the inside, not the outside as I did)

Step 4: Bondo!

Apply bondo to the places you need to get smooth! (Normally round or curved places, straight parts don't need to be "bondo'ed")

Step 5: Sanding! (And lots of it)

Take your various grit sandpaper, and start sanding from 150 grit, until 600 or even 700 grit! Get everything nice and smooth or you may regret it in the future!

Step 6: Painting!

Take your spray paint and put a layer of primer on this helmet! Sand off any imprefection and primer again if needed! Then, your final color and a layer of clear laquer!

Step 7: Visor!

Next you need to add a vior, and you can buy plastic, plexiglass, a motorcycle helmet visor, but in my case I needed to vaccumform a visor! And attach it with superglue or hot melt glue!

Step 8: Last Details! (Optional) (LEDS)

Depending of the helmet you're making, you can weather the painting, or in my case, I added the LED lights in the helmet!              

Here's a video of the LEDs:
 
For those interested in the electronics things, I simply used a 555 timer and a 4017 decade counter to drive 16 leds boards with 4 leds each, and two more differents boards, with 8 leds each, and two other boards that are not connected to the 555 circuit, but still, have 4 leds each, with ~90 leds in total! Everythings runs out of 8 AA batteries (12v)

Step 9: Be happy!

You have now completed a helmet or armor for a cosplay! Goodbye and be happy! See ya' in another instructable xD

Step 10: Quick Uptade! GLOVES!

So, I've found the photos I took when making the gloves, so why not show how I made it for you guys?

Step 11: Make a "Blueprint"

Draw your hand in a piece of paper, just like you did when you were a kid, and draw the little pieces on each finger! You just need to make one side, because both sides are the same, but the big hand piece, this one, you need to make one normal, and one mirrored for the other side! Remeber to leave your pieces between two finger joints, or else, you won't be able to flex your hand!

Step 12: Cut'em all!

Take some type of hard plastic, that is slightly curved, and use your patterns you made before and cut them, every piece will have a duplicate! And sand the sides smooth with some fine grit sand paper!

Step 13: Painting!

Primer all of them and use the same paint you used to paint your helmet, so the colors will match! There is no need to sand between paint coats, but some hard work will be worth on the end! Again, remember, PRIMER, COLORED PAINT, ENAMEL!

Step 14: Glue them!

Find some nice gloves, all black if you can, and use some hot melt glue to glue them in place! Wear the gloves, and ask someone to help you glue the pieces in the gloves! You don't need too much glue, just a little drop is sufficient!

Now you have your beautifull pair of gloves! Now go be a Daft Punk!

Comments

[degomag]

Boa japa!

[FabiojapaXD]

Valeu!

[o__o]

What did you use to stick the peices onto the gloves? Nice work btw. :)

[FabiojapaXD]

Thank you! I used simply hot glue gun! It works wonders actually!

[o__o]

Cool thanks! I'm making a daft punk costume. This helped alot. :D

[FabiojapaXD]

And that is very nice to hear! You may ask anything you want, someone to help is very useful! (

[ikendall]

vai Brasileiros/as no Instructables!!!!!!!!

[FabiojapaXD]

Woooooo! Brasileiros dominando a internet! \o/

[thealerosenbaum]

lol, parabens cara, já tinha ficado fod@o, mas agora....xD!

[FabiojapaXD]

lol valeu xD

[Shonswer]

It's like Daft Punk style! Nice tutorial bro!

[FabiojapaXD]

Thank you very much!

[PeckLauros]

Da para colocar o esquemático ou pelomenos um esboço do circuito eletrônico?

[FabiojapaXD]

Pronto! Coloquei o circuito na pagina 8!

[PeckLauros]

Valeu! Ficou Fda!

[ThunderDrums]

When you put the fiber glass mat/cloth on how did you keep the paper structure from collapsing on itself?

[FabiojapaXD]

Here's a tip: First, I glued the fiberglass cloth in the helmet, with normal, white glue, and then I brushed the resin over it, so it wouldn't collapse or distort so much! But, try to fiberglass THE INSIDE, and put some wooden pieces on the sides, so it won't distort! (If some distortion occurs, take a heat gun and gently heat the warped part and try to bend it in place)

[DoctorWoo]

Don;t suppose you have the file for Guy's DaftPunk helmet, do you...?

[FabiojapaXD]

No, I lost my file and the link I used to download was on Megaupload. Sorry man. If I find one similar I'll post the link!

[DoctorWoo]

Drat. Been looking for those for some time. But this is a great find none the less! Really helpful for any sort of prop making!

However, I got one more question...you said you vacuumed formed the visor..do you have a vacuum form machine, or do you have some sort of a nifty trick of the trade?

[FabiojapaXD]

I did try to make a Vaccumformer, but it didn't worked as suposed to. (It was simply a box with a hole for a vaccum cleaner hose and a lot of small holes on the top)

One visor I made with the vaccumformer looked great, but it was too smal do install on the helmet, so I made one by simply heating the PETG plastic in the oven and putting it over the mold, simple like that!

PS: I've uploaded a file that I found, it's not mine, I'm only uploading it!
http://www.4shared.com/dir/wvwjyYAJ/_online.html

[DoctorWoo]

Oh! Thats clever! I used one a few times when doing some 3D modeling in school. Very nice machines to have, and from the looks of it, easy concept to clone!

I'm actually planning to make a helmet here soon, and the visors *always* threw me off. I've seen and heard of some people actually getting a thin plexglass and using a heatgun to form the visor...have you ever tried that...?

[FabiojapaXD]

Yes, because the visor that IS mounted on the helmet was made somehow like you said, but instead of a heat gun, I used a oven xD But eventually, I'll buy a heat gun, very useful for me!
And sadly yes, the visor is the worst part of the build, but when you start to get it right, you will feel awesome! So, if you do make a helmet, send me a picture!
And I didn't used plexiglass, but PETG, a plastic that was 0.75mm thick!

[DoctorWoo]

Ah! PETG, that's what I was thinking of! I've vaguely remember another plastic people have used for visors, but my memory failed me XD
But I will certainly upload some pics when the project gets underway! Hopefully I can find a good model here soon!

[FabiojapaXD]

For the guy manuel helmet? Didn't you see? I said I uploaded it!
http://www.4shared.com/file/GjlA4-nw/Guy_Manuel_Helmet.html?

[DoctorWoo]

:O I didn't! Oh, man...your my new best friend! Thank you TONS for that!

[FabiojapaXD]

Your welcome man! I found the file hidden in some part in my computer and thought that would be useful for a lot of people! And don't forget, I want to see the pictures! xD

[DoctorWoo]

I defintaly will!!
But, before I do..I got one finally question: how'd you tint the visor? Did you buy the PETG pre-tinted, and if so, from where?

[FabiojapaXD]

My visor, I bought the normal PETG, and used a paint, but I can't tell you the name because I'm from Brazil, so you wouldn't be able to find, but it was a paint used to tint tailights of cars, the American one I think is VHT Nite Shades, it should work just like mine!
PS: The image below shows the visibility of the visor :D
Good luck with your build, any question just ask me!

[DoctorWoo]

Oh! Alright, perfect! Thanks for that!
And I think I lied...I need one last bit of info for this...don't supposed you have the wiring schematic for the lights, do you...?

[FabiojapaXD]

Actually, I do xD The Controller was this one: http://www.eleccircuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/led-chaser-by-ic-4017-ic-555.jpg (Connected to 8 AA batteries, resulting in 12v) and the led boards, I simply used 4 5mm ultra bright leds in parallel, with one 470 ohms resistor for each one!
The design for the controller board, sadly, I can't upload for you because it isn't mine, but for the leds I'm attaching a print screen for helping you!

[PeckLauros]

Ficou bom p/ caramba!

[FabiojapaXD]

Opa, um Brasileiro no Instructables! Valeu cara, é sempre bom ouvir coisas assim!

[toezar00]

Nice Helmet.
Nice Gloves.
Nice Job.
Looks Awesome.

[FabiojapaXD]

Thanks a lot man!

[mikeasaurus]

Looking good!

[FabiojapaXD]

Thank you! That was my first helmet, so I'll try to improve more and more!