FIRST (kinda) cardboard scratch build!

I started makin a bucket but ignored all instructions and did it my own way! paper mached it like a fool cuz i was bored and it looked terrible lol so i'm currently working on one the RIGHT way using wizardofflight's templates, and i'm somewhat satisfied

here's pics of the first one though lol :P take a good look for a good laugh



terrible, i quit right there lol so here's a step-by-step of my new current one



so i've done all this in one day and it was a little rushed, but for using mediocre cardboard that i stole from my work (with permission of course) i think i've done an alright job for a first-timer i joined TDH about a week ago so go easy on me, and any constructive criticism would be nice!

If you can get it use non-corrugated cardboard. It curves much smoother. Just use a spray mister or sponge to lightly dampen it, bend to shape, and let dry like that. Also, it helps to leave the inner layer T-visor uncut for as long as you can to help the helmet keep its strength and shape while you build

haha yeah those first pics are of my prototype testing-the-waters model, but i used non-corrugated on my next one. and thank you sooooo much for the t-visor tip! unfortunately i already cut it away, but i think i can restore it temporarily for now haha

Ok so here's the current update (as if anyone cares) lol but i'm 2/3 finished with cuttin out the dome and i've almost finished the right cheekplate.



so yeah, i bought the bondo, hopefully after i finish the dome and do the ears, i can apply it and start finishin this! haha i estimate 1-2 more weeks, i haven't been as diligent as before. oh well.

You're gonna wanna mold the dome over the criss cross cardboard on top of your bucket. That point you have should be a flat slope XD no amount of bondo is gonna fix that. You may have to scrap the dome (unless your photos are very misleading). Check out this tutorial... it saved me hundreds of dollars and about 10 hours. http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showt...ghlight=antman

wooo just finished the back part of the dome... went crazy with the glue and now it's in place i'm gonna take some advice and redo the other sections cuz they're a little warped, but after the bondo i'm hopin it's not too bad! oh and the white in between the cracks is all on the surface, it's nothing major and it can easily be sanded away hahahaha



yay... not bad for mah first time i guess lol my only problems are my dome tips are overlapping the cross support of the dome, but if this becomes a problem later on i'll just cut 'em to fit :P

yop . dome is a bit pain in the a** to make , i had same problem overlaping tips , or big gaps betwen segments , it came up nowhere near what it should be , hell lot of filler ( just all purpose , easy to sand of ) save me from make it it again :] , carry on dude , good luck

So i've bondoed the whole thing up, sanded it down about as smooth as i possibly can, and put the infamous dent in and i'm proud. Still having issues with shaping as I (in my naivety) cut the visor out and now it's protruding with nothing to support it lmao

I'm confident it'll all come together once I install the visor, but I've just got a little question: WHAT KIND OF VISOR DO I NEED?? i just did the WoF template 100%, and I plan on just ordering a cheap protective faceshield, but I've looked around and I need someone's expertise on the matter, eg. what shade do I need, from what supplier, etc

I'm dreading the painting, especially cuz i'm n00bin it up and using rattlecan colors that aren't exactly ESB perfect, but close enough for the star wars amateur (which I happen to NOT be) lmao

SO yeah also should I start painting the thing before installing the visor, or installing the visor to keep its shape, then coverin it and start painting??? I currently can't post pics as my phone's bluetooth won't work (stupid LG shine...) so I may hafta use my comp, and progress has been MUCH slower since summer's ended and I've moved off to college haha but if I get a visor in here, then maybe I'll pick back up and get this thing finished

I just ordered 2 of the polycarbonate faceshields for my two buckets.
RJsafety
about halfway down the page, even annotated on their website which are to be used for Boba Fett.
both faceshields are the same but the dimensions vary so measure your visor area + overlap and pick the one closer to the measurements.
that or get one from Tvisor.com i believe its called, ebay might have some too.

Ok so my phone's bluetooth hasn't been working, so i've been using my computer to take pics of the progress haha it slowed a lot but now i'm pickin back up for halloween! :O can i do it?! oh well i'm not gonna rush myself... thanks to everyone for the advice! ghostwalker for the visor, thank you!! now here's some updated pics:



my roommate wanted to be in the last one hahaha but anyways... so far i've been doin the scratches as seen by covering the primer with a silvery-chrome paint layer, then coverin bits of that with pieces of scotch tape (i can't find my masking tape so i'm REALLY ghetto-ing it up) haha and then spray painting over that, so far i'm not upset with how it's turned out i'm likin this technique, but i've also seen the scratches painted on AFTER instead of just lackin paint, if there's someone with experience on this, can i get an opinion on which is better?? coverin the paint for scratches or paint on the scratches?

oh and the scratches actually look a lot more detailed in real life than in the picture, so i'm pretty satisfied with what i've done for using the rattlecan and bein a first-timer haha

So i got sick of my unstructurally sound helmet having the mandibles just flowing in the wind wherever they wanted, so i put the visor in anyways. when it come to painting, i'll just cover it up to prevent gettin stuff on it haha anyways i took a picture and here's what i've got so far!



coming along nicely with my limited college kid budget any painting tips, please provide!

WELL... here's a bump so people can view this thread! haha :P since i lack the necessary advice for painting this thing, i decided to test a previous method i used of applying tape and using the rattle can over, then removing the tape revealing the chrome layer underneath. i'm very hopeful for this! cross your fingers!

One method you can use for exposing the chrome base layer and making the helmet look weathered is to put mustard on the helmet where you want the chrome to show. Once you have the mustard applied go crazy with your top coats. Once all your top coats are dried, wipe the mustard off and rub the excess mustard off with a damp towel. It should look like the paint has been weathered and chipped away.

Also, did you take the picture with your helmet on in a mirror? It looks like your dent is on the opposite side, unless you're making a custom Mando.

well unless there is a college called Retsilloh that spells it's name with mirrored letters...

I'd say it's a safe bet it's a mirrored shot.

hahaha good observation, but yeah photobooth on my mac flipped the shot for some reason. it's on the correct side. may not be the correct size or in the correct place... BUT a star wars noob will never know so i did my tape method and here's what i got... now i'm considering using the mustard method cuz it sounds like a lot of fun! (only thing is i can't stand the smell lmao)



so that's what i've done so far, it's midterms so i hafta study a lot! :/ haha

try toothpaste (>.>);
should work the same, logically speaking.

Yeah, toothpaste would definitely work and would also have a much more agreeable aroma.

The tape method actually looks really good though!

thanks refestus! i'm actually surprised/impressed myself with how it turned out. This being my first helmet, i think i'll be satisfied

If you make another I'd recommend using sheet styrene. I'm getting it from US Plastics, paying something like $14 shipped for a 4' x 8' piece. Less bondo to use except on the dome, but even then it's more durable and you don't have to worry about waiting for cardboard to dry.

after this, i plan on makin a MILLION dave! hahaha i actually had fun building this so i'll look into making a more sturdy scratchbuild.
and on a side note, i'm doin my paintjob, when i realize my main green looks wayyy too bright. but when i compare it to the movie, it looks pretty similar. is it just in real life it looks really bright or do i need to go buy a slightly darker paint?



this one's shaped awkward for some reason


i added these two for different lighting/angles so i don't receive too much **** for the shape lol


also is there a way i can make my helmet look more weathered? i've heard of sandblasting but idk how expensive that is (remember i'm on a tight college budget lol)

ALMOST DONE just gotta put some minor details on it, do the back, then acrylic finish it (oh and work on the rangefinder, then the circuit grille in the back :/ but for what i want right now, i'm almost done

(sigh) so with school, it's been tough squeezing in time to work on the helmet. Also, I've ran into a brick wall mentally.

Long story short, I took it home for the holidays to show the family, and my brother through his carelessness cracked it. A huge six-inch crack along the brim of the helmet. @%#%$!. So I plan on sanding off the paint in that area, re-bondo-ing the brim, then repainting the !$#$^@%$# helmet. BUT, out of general concern for me and my roommates, I won't bondo it here in my dorm, so I most likely won't be working on it until the semester is over. And I was so close to the end too... :/

It's been sad really how much I've deviated from completing my bucket :/ but I leave for Argentina in a week and I won't be back for another two years, but I plan on finishing this helmet and creating much more original ones when I get back! So thank you all for the tips and help I received while making my first helmet! Adios!