Bo Katan Helmet Build

So here we go with a scratch build of the Bo Katan helmet.

I started with a skateboard helmet from Goodwill ($3).
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk01.jpg

I then used a For Sale sign from Wally World for the skirt.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk02.jpg

Next came figuring out the lines for the face cutouts.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk06.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk03.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk04.jpg

Here was the first face "T" template cutout. I later ended up redoing it because I wasn't happy with the lines.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk07.jpg

This more/less shows the method I used to get a feel for how the lines were coming out. I used a heavy card stock cut out to the size of the front skirt.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk05.jpg

The template transferred over to the FS sign plastic.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk08.jpg

Then I moved out into the shop and started with the actual build.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk09.jpg

Reinforcing the inside with some fiberglass and resin to give it some strength for the construction process.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk10.jpg

In progress shot of the ears.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk11.jpg

Ears ready to get attached.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk12.jpg

Starting to build up the brow
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk13.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk14.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk18.jpg

Removed the graphics from the front skirt. Reference photo in back to get the brow relief figured out.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk16.jpg

More sanding..
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk15.jpg

Cheeks cutout. Note the "beard" at the bottom. This is what i came up with to hold the bottom together while the cheeks were cut out. Since the cheeks essentially get cut to within a millimeter of the base, I needed a way to hold that small thread of plastic together until the back was built up. It worked really well.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk19.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk17.jpg

Card stock taped in the holes as a form for fiberglass backing.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk20.jpg

One layer of glass on the inside against card stock molds.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk21.jpg

Card stock removed.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk22.jpg

Eyes cut out. More sanding and shaping
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk24.jpg

Most of the shaping done. Now just need to get some primer on it to bring out imperfections that need to be fixed.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk25.jpg

Primer coats: 2.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk26.jpg

Primer dried to touch.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk28.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...small/bk29.jpg

So that's where i'm at now. I have some sanding and a small bit of filling left to do that really came out and became easy to spot with the primer on. Molding and casting supplies are on the way. I'm hoping to cast a first run in the next couple of weeks. Still have a few things to do: build the back vent and put it in place, build the rangefinder stalk and greeblies and work out how I'm going to attach. The RF will be servo-ready but not required. Need to fill/smooth the T cut-out also and fix a couple other small things.

Learning quite a bit on my first build. Looking forward to the next one already!

Thanks for looking,
Daryl

awesome job!

Thanks Tony! Can't wait to get my wife all suited up as a new Bo! (pretty sure I'm waaay more excited than she is about this whole thing..)

This is fantastic, thank you for sharing the in-progress photos. What material did you use to build up the brow relief?

Hi Thunderkat, the brow relief and pretty much all the build up in these photos is just plain old Walmart Bondo. I've since upgraded my working materials to Evercoat Rage II and Evercoat glazing putty but that was after these photos. Bondo is pretty good but I received several recommendations to look into a higher quality filler material.

As far as differences between the Bondo and Evercoat, I have noticed some pretty noticeable differences in how well the EC spreads and sands but I haven't decided yet if it's worth the extra $$. One quick note/tip: Since allot of my base is fiberglass [polyester] resin and plastic, I was pretty much relegated to a physical (vice chemical) bond between the Bondo and base that i'm building off of. For that reason, I roughing up the base each time and didn't have any adhesion issues. Also, the EC Rage II has been sticking to the Bondo just fine. Pretty sure they are, chemically, very similar.

Let me know if you need any tips or advice and I'll help out however i can. So far, i'm really happy with how it's coming along. I do have some updated photos I can post up. Mainly just some subtle changes and finishing some items up... nothing drastic.

I've been working on the back vent the last couple of nights. I'm making that separate and will be installing it today.

Daryl

Just a quick update on the helmet build. Made some progress on the back vent. I ended up chopping about an 11mm slice off the end of a squared off piece of 4" pvc pipe. Then I cut that into sections and glued the sections together using plastic pieces as spacers. I did three spacers between each section.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps7492e913.jpg

Then I filled in the gaps between the pipe sections and smoothed with EC Rage II. Next was the bezel. This was just a section cut out of plastic sheeting.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps5587ab3d.jpg

Last thing I got done today was to heat bend the bezel to match the helmet curve.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps77abccea.jpg

Have to run some errands right now. More later..

Now that is some impressive building. Very clean and precise. I will be following this thread. I cant wait to see more!
Darren

Wow, thanks Darren! That's an enormous complement coming from you. It came just at the right time as I'm into the home stretch now and trying to muster the energy to keep pushing through the RF/stalk/earcap build. Back vent is installed but not quite done. I'll try and get some progress photos up once I get a little more progress worth showing.

I have a couple trooping friends here that I can hit up for thoughts and input on the build but, as I'm sure you know, sometimes it's a challenge to keep the creative juices flowing when it's just you in the shop... staring at the thing for hours on end. A little boost is sometimes all it takes to keep pushing forward. Thanks again!

d

This is awesome! What material did you use for your visor and where did you get it?

Hi Walt. For the visor, I picked up a brazing shield replacement at our local welding supply. Then I saw this on Amazon and scooped it so i have two now. The one from the Zon there has at least one comment from someone that used it for a Rupublic Commando costume with good results so I figured it might be a safe bet. The dimensions will certainly be enough to cover my helmet with almost and inch to spare at the top.

Not sure which one I'm going to use yet. The one I got locally here has a green tint and the one from the Zon has a smoke tint so probably that one. I'm going to try to include a template with the helmets that folks can use to trace around and mark whatever visor they end up going with. That might not be all that necessary but I figured it might be a nice time - saver.

Are you doing a scratch build?

Daryl

SWEET! I do have a question though. Was there any reason you used the strand fiberglass instead of the woven mat fiberglass?

I went with the mat because the edges tend to interweave together better. In a flat or even cylindrical application, i lean toward woven cloth but in a dome/curved surface, like a helmet, i find it's easier to get an even and well-interlocked layer going. Also, this is just a plug so I was all about just getting something functional and fast when i was putting in the fg reinforcement.

Cheers! :)

I am doing a custom scratch build. This whole process has been an adventure for me and I'm loving it. I'm using the batting helmet method as well and I just finished my last bondo application. I'm just about to start on the ear pieces and the visor (hoping to get some pics up once I have some progress to show). I've looked around at hobby shops and hardware stores, but I haven't found anything that I like for the visor yet.

Keep up the great work. It's work like yours that guides and motivates me through this process. Can't wait to see your next update!

'That bastard is faster than Walt Flanigan's dog.'

HEY! awesome work!! I got a little excited because your original helmet looks like a roller derby helmet (i'm a derby girl)

Great work btw! so impressed!!

LOL Ash, ya it does look like a derby helmet. It may be, actually.. who knows? It's a Bell that I assumed was for skateboarding that I found at our local Salvation Army store.

Thanks for the kind words Walt. And, likewise, it's posts like the replies here that keep me motivated to post updates, etc. Otherwise I'm just kinda wondering "Is anyone even watching this?, Does anyone really care??" LOL

I have some updates to post but I've started taking the progress pics on a point and shoot so it's one more step to get the pics off the camera and to the computer whereas before I was just emailing them to myself from my iphone. I'll see if I can get some posted up.

So if you're on your last Bondo layer, you should be pretty far along. Do you have any progress pics? You should start up a build thread if so. How are you building the ears?

For the visor, did you check out that link i posted above? That visor I got on the Zon is going to work perfectly for mine and it was pretty cheap. Alternatively, if you have a welding shop near you, check them out.

I guess I should've said 'hopefully' my last bondo layer... I have some pics to post, but wanted to have it ready for paint before I post anything. I did check out the link you posted and I think that's probably the way to go.

As I said before, I'm doing a custom scratch build to test my skills before tackling a legit Fett bucket. I'm on a budget, so I'm experimenting with some things to keep it cheap w/o looking like I built it out of a dumpster. As far as the ears go, I'm using WOF templates. I bought some cheap yard sticks that aren't quite the right size, so I'm gluing them together. We'll see if that works. I have my styrene cut out and ready to go and I found a stake near where the styrene signs were sold that I think will work well for the range finder. Can't decide if I should try to put styrene over it or just paint the wood.

I just bought a Dremel today and hope to have everything sanded and ready for primer by the end of my weekend. Thanks again for all the advice.

ber

Sounds like you're really into the project at this point. Can't wait to see some progress photos. The dremel is a great tool to have around for sure.. one that will see great use in your helmet making endeavors! So is this first build a Bo Katan and the next one will be a Boba?

The challenge with the ears for me on the bk helmet was that they are tapered from top to bottom - thin to thick. I overcame this by running a length of 1/4" pine across my table saw using the sliding guide. I created the taper by 'kicking out' the bottom of the board with a shim against the sliding guide so that the thickness of 1/4" that was cut off, was tapered. Then, i cut the width out, ran the groove up the middle to create the center seam, then cut the top to bottom length last. Once i had the blocks, i used a belt sander to round the edge and then bondo to build up the angles on the base. Not sure if that helps with a Fett ear.

Yeah, I just took a look at the Boba ear and.. my process won't help much if it's a Fett your starting with. I ended up using an electrical box for the ear cap. That will be one of my update photos next on the next round. I just used the corner of a 2 (or 3?, can't remember), station electrical box. Perfect 90 degree angle ready to go. Just had to cut out the shape rough and file it down.

I haven't decided what my next project will be. I kind of enjoy the idea of freedom for my own custom armor. I bought two helmets when I started one for a practice run (my current project) and another once I've honed my skills a little. The practice helmet is actually a girls softball helmet, the only difference being the 'ponytail' extension on the back which I've used in place of the rear vents on a normal Fett helmet. I'm really enjoying the project so far, even though its time consuming.

I think my yard stick idea is going to work for the ear pieces. They aren't wide enough or thick enough, but they're only $.69 a piece so I can afford to cut them up and glue them together. I just bought a fine detail extension shaft for my Dremel and life is much easier now.

Let me go charge up my camera and I'll see about throwing some pics on here.

ber

It took me awhile, but I started a thread w/ photos. I didn't do a very good job taking pics w/ my progress.

ber

Awesome. I'm excited to start watching your progress! I'm heading out right now to get outside and do some CLIMBING!! After working all day yesterday on the dome, I think I've earned it. So, as promised, here are some progress pics. Still a few things to fix but this should give an idea of where I'm at.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psbb3c28bf.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps02f821c2.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps2521d682.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psd6ddb2b5.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps97effbed.jpg

I'll be sure to check your thread out later Ber! Got people waiting on me right now so I have to run.

Later.d

Mold complete:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps885c6646.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psc4f58127.jpg

Now onto finishing the block molds for the greeblies. Almost there..

Been working on wearing it in a little with the steel wool but my painting skills basically stop at primer coats, haha!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps5eb8bd4f.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps6b99c6fa.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psbbd6cb9f.jpg

So far, I'm really pleased with how the first pull came out. I have the visor rough cut and I was really pleased to see how little work I had to do to the inside edge along the "T" cutout to get the visor to lay flat in there. Just a tiny bit of work with some heavy grit sandpaper rolled up and now it lays right in there with no gaps. Now I suppose I need to start looking around for some Clone Wars - specific weathering tutorials.

Also, have to get the greeblies molded here soon... details.. details. 8)..

Amazing how far along this build has come!! Seeing your bucket in person was a sight to be seen. Such an incredible cast and your attention to small detail is amazing. My daughter is looking forward to your sales thread ;)

Terrantula

are the pistachios some molding secret or just for tasty snacks?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zihyer

Mold complete:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps885c6646.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psc4f58127.jpg

Now onto finishing the block molds for the greeblies. Almost there..

Been working on wearing it in a little with the steel wool but my painting skills basically stop at primer coats, haha!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps5eb8bd4f.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps6b99c6fa.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psbbd6cb9f.jpg

So far, I'm really pleased with how the first pull came out. I have the visor rough cut and I was really pleased to see how little work I had to do to the inside edge along the "T" cutout to get the visor to lay flat in there. Just a tiny bit of work with some heavy grit sandpaper rolled up and now it lays right in there with no gaps. Now I suppose I need to start looking around for some Clone Wars - specific weathering tutorials.

Also, have to get the greeblies molded here soon... details.. details. 8)..

---

Great work! You do Deathwatch proud! :)

ecxelente trabajo :)

Posted to the TDH Facebook page for encouragement. Looks great!

Thanks for the very kind words. Stormtrooperguy, you pretty much made my day! Currently, I'm feverishly working to get the greeblies molded. Someone sent me a pm and told me about the TDH fb page feature. That was really awesome to see! Thanks so much for the consideration Tuskantrooper! :D

Gracias por tus palabras complementarias ABE!! :)

Oh and here's some update pics of the paint job (to use a term lightly) on the maiden cast. Painter, I am not.. apparently, i need to stick with building helmets and leave the painting to someone else. HAHA!!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps75297e40.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps5a26b72c.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps4450f4ac.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps605be42a.jpg

WOW, just WOW great weathering there. Im not a huge animated to real life fan...unless its realistic but you did a great job with this. Keep up the good work...cheers

That is a thing of beauty! Great job.

Many thanks for the very kind words. It's been loads of fun learning the process.

Oh, here's the RF block mold completed.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psc4d79960.jpg

First cast came out perfect. Just need to finish stalk and earcap now..

Great work on the molds for the helmet and RF.
Its an art on it self.

Very nice work!

Awesome stuff!

i can't wait for this run

Very nice indeed

I'm just re watching this episode right now and you have nailed it so well.
Great build mate

At CVI this year Dave Filoni came and spoke at our dinner (Mandalorian Mercs). One of the things he said was (paraphrasing here) part of the kick he got out of making the Clone Wars was knowing that we (costuming community) would be turning their art into real life. He was clearly refering to you! Awesome work on this.

Wow, I'm just getting caught up on the comments here and *wow*! Thanks for all the input and very kind words. It's great to hear feedback - good as well as bad. Love the comment about Dave F., Vultana. I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that event. Maybe one day.. Adam, thanks very much for the feedback; especially relating it to accuracy to the recent episodes. I watched the last one about three times so far. The last time was with my daughter and I wore the helmet the whole time.. yeah I know, I'm a dork. :lol

When I see compliments from some of you master craftsmen that just put out some simply incredible stuff (you know who you are!!), it's very humbling. Thank you! :cheers

I might just have to quit my gym membership. This slushcasting business is quite the shoulder workout! First run is almost done. Here's a shot of the girls all in a row.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps077c42a9.jpg

So nice!!!! Awesome

Wow this looks fantastic!

Thanks guys! Just a quick update:

After reading a couple comments about long-term strength of RF stalks I decided to research adding a solid insert into my stalks. From what I've seen, the stalks tend to droop or bend over time so I wanted to ensure that I didn't have any problems with mine.

Here is what I came up with:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psb0f06f50.jpg

...and here it is with the weld ground down to retain a lower profile inside the stalk:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps8b0ace80.jpg

These are a little wonky since I was just playing around with materials and shapes but the next few are straight and much cleaner. After casting a couple into a shore D, 65 resin, I did some strength tests. The results were quite amazing. I'm pretty sure a 20lb dumbbell could be stuck on the end of this will no problems. Very strong and not much weight added at all. And since my RF ends are only about 32grams, I'm thinking there won't be any drooping problems for the long haul. :)

Cheers! :)