By Chuck Gray AKA navarre1095

I could not find and endor Commando Donut anywhere so I decided to build one from scratch. I went to the outdoor section at Walmart and got the Italian style planter with base for about 10 bucks. For this project you will need:
1 planter, any color will do.
Tin snips
Scissors
Foam insulation scraps
Liquid nails
Pocket planer or cheese grater file
posterboard
lighter
sharpie
Tape

Step 1:

Start with the 12-inch planter. Get the kind that has the detachable base.

Step 2:

Rather than try to sketch the lines all the way around the pot, I use tape to lay the basic
shape out .

Step 3:

Cut the basic shape from the planter with the base detached.

Step 4:

These are the measurements for the cutout in the back.

Step 5:

Iíve skipped several steps here. Remove the base. Cut an oval out of the base and set
aside. Cut the bottom 1 to 1-1/2 inches from the planter then glue the two pieces together
with liquid nails. Clamp the pieces together and go do something else for 24 hours. When
24 hours have elapsed you may begin filling in the gap between the planter and the base.
In the back, cut a 6- inch wide strip from the planter portion. This will be that depression
in the back. Do not cut into the base portion. From the unused planter leftovers, cut a
piece just large enough to be glued to the inside of the donut. Cutting pieces of
posterboard as patterns to fit will really save time and plastic. When youíve got a piece
that you can live with, liquid nail it and clamp it for 24 hours.
Take some scrap and a lighter at this point. Practice heating the plastic from the backside
until it gets soft. Take the back end of a Sharpie and make dents in the plastic. When you
can do this without wrecking the plastic, make some dents in the donut. Remember, the
ones in the movie are beat all to Hades.

Step 6:

Start on the helmet core. This is an important part because it gives you something to glue
the rest of the plastic to. Cut 3 pieces of 2-inch styrofoam insulation the width of the donut.

Step 7:

That thing on top is a cheese grater file. This particular one is called a pocket planer. In
about 20 minutes you can shape the foam to look like this. Youíll definitely want that
angle for later. Notice the angle on the bottom?

Step 8:

I used a hand saw to get the angle right.

Step 9:

When the foam core fits inside the donut perfectly, put a heavy coat of Liquid Nails
inside the donut shell and put some weight on it.

Step 10:

Take pieces of posterboard and begin making templates for the bottom section.

Step 11:

You can cut the plastic with scissors but be warned. The plastic is fairly soft but will
break.

Step 12:

Glue the pieces on with Liquid Nails and tape like crazy!

Step 13:

When the glue is dry, you are ready to cut the center out for your head. I donít have any
way to tell you how to do this, but remember, your head is ROUND so the space inside
will have to be curved. Make sure that you allow for the soft part when hollowing out the center. Do a little at a time. They used an ANH-15 fighter pilot's headgear in the movie. I don't have an instructable for that .

Step 14:

I finished the inside of this one with a water-based varnish and newspaper. Spray paint
will dissolve the foam so be careful or you'll have holes! Now all you have to do is sand
and fill, sand and fill. Buff it with steel wool and prime. Then fill, sand, buff and prime
ad infinitum until itís perfect!
Put several layers of silver paint down next. As the helmet gets taken from event to event,
it will get scratched. When it does the silver will be exposed.
When you've painted it with an olive drab paint, dry brush it in spots to weather it.

Step 15:

Here it is, the finished product. It was used as a model for a chap that who made vaccuum formed versions of it. It looks good, I
made it myself, and it only cost me about 10 bucks and a buttload of sweat. Let's go burn
some holes in a bunch of Stormies!