Ironman Helmet and Props

Introduction:
Many of us love Sci-Fi movies.,movies like StarWars,Ironman and many more.And i'm an avid fan of them too!.,And my nephew's son who was at age 4 back in 2013,was an avid fan of Ironman.,Everytime i asked this kid.,who is the superhero he loves most.,He will proudly responded to me "Ironman" and he wanted to be an Ironman too!.,it's funny.,but i know how it feels.,everybody wants to be a superhero! I'm just amazed that he wishes to be a superhero at age 4.,That's how it all started.,it inspired me to built an Ironman helmet for this kid.,but without the suit.,I started this project last November 2013.And i want to share it here.

Step 1: Materials Needed

(For Helmet)
•Polymer Fiberglass mats
•Cardboard
•Exacto knife(stencil cutter)
•Pepakura Templates
•a computer(optional)
•Polymer Resin
•Polymer Hardener
•Putty(body filler)
•Sand paper grit 250 and 800
•at least 2 pcs 1/4 paint brushes
•eyeglass(lens/no grade)
•2 white bright LEDS
•3x1.5 button batteries(or AA)
•some wires
•1 red spray paint
•1 gold spray paint
•1 black spray paint
- and other materials needed for the project such as pencils,rulers etc.

Step 2: The Helmet

Steps:
Ironman Helmet Mark VI
How to build an Ironman helmet.,
1.Start it with pepakura (an art of making things out of paper or cardboard).
2.Get the file( link will be in some parts of instructables)
3.Using a windows computer will be an advantage(optional).,Get the software from Tama Software
a.Pepakura Viewer(for viewing pep files only)
b.Pepakura designer(you can edit the pdo file(pepakura template).,change the sizing of your project,add tabs etc.
(Links of software can be found in some parts of this intructables)
4.Print out the template
5.Start cutting out the template & paste it on cardboard.,Using cardboard is advisable for it's stiffness.
6.After cutting & pasting your templates on cardboard.,Start folding and connecting the tabs.(tabs have corresponding numbers to follow)
7.After combining the parts of templates and succesfully created the ironman helmet shape.,Double check it.,before finalizing it in resinning and fiberglassing.
8.If your sure enough and ready to finalize it.,(it's only one time no turning back on this procedure.,
9.Prepare the chemical needed for resinning
10. I used 1:1 ratio which is 1 drop of hardener per 1 bottle cap of the resin.
11.Just estimate or mix only what you need.,For it dries up very quickly when not attended.(15 minutes grace period to finish all up the mixture.)Use the chemical mixtures as fast as you can.
12.Coat the pepakura helmet you build.,Coat it with the chemical you mix.(initially no fiber mats) ,after coating all of it.,Let it rest for 24 hrs(yes,patience is a virtue here).,24 hrs will help the resin cured itself and hardened the cardboard.
13.After the long wait of 24 hrs.,Same procedure in mixing chemical.But this time coating the cardboard helmet with Fiber Mats.Same approach,it's like painting but with a little force of pushing down the fibers to help the chemical melt the fibers.
14.After coating all the external parts of the helmet.,cure it again in 24 hrs
15.If you find the helmet was hard enough for you.,then its time for patching it up with Putty(use in automotive body filler).,Coat everything that has bumps or gaps.
16.Now everything is done.,next is the funnest part
of all "the sanding time".,Smoothen all the rough surfaces of the helmet using sandpaper grit 250 and finalized it using grit 800 + water technics.(search on youtube how to sand a pepakura )
17.After sanding it and you found it smooth enough.The easiest part is next "the spray painting"
18.Before you spray paint.,make sure to mask all the parts that was not intended to be painted.You can use a primer paint(gray or white"optional only)before painting it with the desire color you want.
19.After the painting ,all is done now.,Ironman helmet was almost done.
20.To be more realistic.An optional of putting Eye Lenses on its eye part and an optional putting LED lights in it to add effect would be great as added cosmetic.Making the Ironmans eye glow with switches.,Electronics connection are pretty basics.Just like a flashlight with power switch housed inside the helmet.
•So that's it.,making a realistic Ironman helmet is fun.,An extra ordinary project that needs focus and dedication and needs more of your time ,compare to your other extra ordinary that only took a couple of days to finish the project.,It took me 63 hrs in total.,staggered work for 21 days finishing it all up.,Because when im Burned Out doing the project i stopped.This was the 3rd pep project i made.,The first one was "Stormtrooper(in 2012)" followed by "Captain America(in 2013)".

Step 3: Pepakura Software Viewer

It's an advantage to use windows pc along with this kind of project.,you can alter things up when needed.,just as i made an error doing the Ear part of the helmet.,No choice but to print another one,cut and assemble it again and patch it where it belongs.

Step 4: Glowing Eye Assembly

You can see in the image how i made the eye glow.,using some eva foam for lens casing (patterns)and used 2 LED bright white powered by 4.5 volts(3 AA batteries)

Step 5: Resinning and Fiberglassing

Be fast but carefully apply the mixtures onto your project.,you had only 15 mins to finish up the mixtures before it dries up.,so i suggest to mix only at least 3 cap bottle for every application.,to avoid wasting chemicals.

Step 6: Patching

Patching gaps and bumps using Putty.

Step 7: Painting

After painting - let it cure for a few minutes.,an hour wait is good.,And check for cracks and chip off paints.,and repaint or repatch it again with putty.

Step 8: Helmet Result

Step 9: Ironman Props(Robotic Arm and Chest Reactor)

Ironman Toy Gadgets
Step on how i build the Ironman Toy Gadgets is not so very technical this time.,Because i build it using only my visuals.Visualizing the images i gather from all over the net,from blogs,fan sites etc.,No particular software.Because i dont intend to replicate it anyway.I just build it for fun and my intention was to make the kid happy to achieve his dream of becoming an Ironman at his age.So the steps in image form shown here can be visualized how i build it.,
•don't forget to measure the kids one whole arm,measure from shoulder to elbow,from elbow to wrist.

Ironman toy gadget(Props)
•Repulsor Beam
•Arc Reactor (Chest Plate)
•Mind Control Headset
•Robotic Arm
•Laser Wrist Beam

2.Materials Needed:
(Ironman Toy Gadgets)
EVA Foam
Rubber cement
Nuts & Bolts
3 1.5 AA batteries
5 Laser pointers
2 Used Flashlight
Some wires
QuickDry epoxy
Transparent (PETE sheet)

Step 10:

Step 11: Mind Control Headset

I used a disposable lighter with built in led flashlight on it.,dismantled it.,and used the led flashlight only.,
•i used eva foam for this project with 12gauge aluminum rod embeded on headband for flexibility.And PETE transparant plastic as screen.

Step 12: Ironman Dogtag

Fixed and revived JBL Digital clock.,and repainted it with gold.

Step 13: Ironman Props Result

Ironman toy gadget
•Repulsor Beam
•Arc Reactor (Chest Plate)
•Mind Control Headset
•Robotic Arm
•Laser Wrist Beam

Step 14: Ironman Images

These are the visual images i used for crafting the ironman gadgets(toys).

•from ironmanwikia

Step 15: The Software

An optional software assistance is a big help on creating Ironman helmet Mark VI.

links:
Get the Pepakura Viewer or Pepakura Designer software here:

http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/


•Ironman Helmet file here:
(Mark VI)

http://www.4shared.com/file/BFktsnvq/Sharkmark_VI_-_Iron_Man_-_Helm.html


http://www.4shared.com/file/VadTbLlm/Sharkmark_VI_-_Iron_Man_-_Helm.html

Step 16:

So that was it again.,Another project i made way back in 2013.,Just got lucky i was able to find and recover the file when i was documenting it.,Hoping you enjoyed reading it.,A heart or vote would be highly appreciated.
•i presented this Ironman stuff as my Christmas present in 2013 and seing the joy in the kids face when i presented this project to him.,is priceless(the ironkid)
"All the efforts and hardship "paids off"