How to Make a Cardboard Iron Man Helmet

by sclocher

75K1512

Intro: How to Make a Cardboard Iron Man Helmet

These are NOT my original files.  I found this after about 2 days of looking on both this site, and on the web.  I figured it would put this up here, so anyone else hunting may find this easy enough.  I just wanted to add that this DOES take a lot of patience.  For example, while i was building it i had to CONSTANTLY tweet, cut and reglue several times because of the size difference on each side.  Just remember, it's nothing serious, just for fun :) and keep on it!  If there is ANY info that i missed, you would like me to clarify on, please DO NOT hesitate to message me, i will be MORE than happy to assist you in ANY way i can!!!! :)  After you are done, please send me your pictures, within the next two days (the 14th or 15th on January 2011) I will post my finished product, so you all may see, and judge :D!!!!



What you will need:
Access to a printer (preferrably color)
X-Acto knife (pen style, with the small triangular blades)
Enough NON carrugated cardboard for Six (6) pages of standard printing paper to fit on.
Glue Stick
Hot Glue Gun
Light Spackle (or wall compound, doesn't matter).
A sand block (for the Spackle)
A Putty knife (mine is 4" wide) to apply the Spackle.
Patience!!

STEP 1: Printing Out

the pictures that you see are NOT the ones you want to print out, those are just previews of what you will have.  There were no indicators to tell me where what go, so it was trial and error, so i will do my best without altering the files.  To get the correct pages, please download the .ZIP file below (there will be 6 pages in the folder that you save).  Alright now here comes my words of expirience.....
1)the two side print out not so proportionate (or maybe when i did it i just screwed it up somehow), just a heads up.
2) it's BEST to print it in color.  I know, i didn't waste the ink either.  However, i printed in B&W first, and i couldn't see the little dotted lines that well (these indicate there you will bend").  BUT if you want to, shoot the moon!

STEP 2: Glueing & Cutting

SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE PICTURES.  I didn't decide to make this Instructable until i already sanded the first coat of plaster.

After you've printed out all your pages (6).  You will want to glue them onto NON corrugated cardboard, in other words, thin thin cardboard.  What i did was as i cut them out, i laid them on the table in theway they would go together.  So it would look like a steam roller gone over it.  Remember, those DOTTED lines are fold spots.  You may want to score them with the X-Acto blade, so it's easier to meneuver the cardboard.

STEP 3: Hot Glueng

After you have all the peices cut out, and you are sure of where they go, start glueng.  I started in between the eyes, and went out to the sides, and the last part to connect was the very back, and finally the "jaw" part.  However, start where ever you would like.  Just keep an eye on it, and make sure you are compensating for any size difference (if there is any for you).  Remember, this is a 2-D print, any and all dimensions (I.E. the round "ear" discs will have to be cut out with seperate cardbaord, layered, and tapered down., the rivets "attaching" the plates will have to either A) built up with plaster, or B) made with smaller cardboard peices and glued on.)  I simply added the ears, and will paint the rivets on.

STEP 4: Plastering and Sanding

I used a lightwieght joint compund/spackle, so my process was shorter than yours may be.  What I did is just filled in the seems with the compound, and along the scoring lines.  The compound is not so much to add strength, but moreso to make it look clean, and closer to one peice than anything.  What i did was add about an 1/8th of an inch in depth, waited for it to dry, and sanded.  i did two coats, but feel free to do more until it sits ok with your desires. 

STEP 5: Painting

Congrats!  now all you have to do is paint it.  Just have fun with it :).  It's doesn't HAVE to be Iron-Man, it could be War-Machine, or you could make up your own kind of super-suited hero!  Like i said before, i advocate "just for fun builds", so go nuts,and have some fun!!

12 Comments

zomboss39 7 years ago

I made it! It looks like the real thing and I'm 12.

claytoncormier 10 years ago

I've only got the face and need to know what parts the forehead

sclocher 10 years ago

The "Forehead" part is the gold parts on the very top. The The way they are laid out in the image is the way you would put them together. When putting them together they will naturally curve to make the shape.

burao 11 years ago

Hi,i used the files you attached there and finish assembling it.but i have a question,whats that black thing on bottom of the two faces?

dmcawesome 12 years ago

and i found the th face plate one side is bigger then the other if same for you simply hit rotate

dmcawesome 12 years ago

the part you are not sur about is the chin

tnmomof7 12 years ago

I figured out the sizing problem. The larger pieces on page 4 are too big. I used my picture editor to horizontally flip page 3 and saved it as an additional page. Then I printed both page 3 and page 3 flipped but page 4 is not needed. Also, I made sure that the "fit to page" was not checked so everything would print in the same scale. I ended up with an extra top forehead red piece but that's okay. I think the unknown piece may go under the chin for supporting the mask against the neck--just a guess.

sclocher 12 years ago

Honestly, I searched for them, found them, and posted them here
I just flipped and printed out one of the side pages and did it from there.

tnmomof7 12 years ago

Can you post where the original files came from for two reasons: 1. That person can get credit and 2. I can see the sizing difference? Thank you so much. I often pick up pictures and put them in a file and sometimes accidentally re-size them to get them to fit on the pages.

Thank you for these because I've been working for a couple months trying to get a good helmet for my 11 year old son.