Painting Tutorial / Procedures

[Walter Spase]

Who's helmet is it, is it yours? (who made it?)

Hey THATS MY HELMET Cast... lol glad to see that of the people that bought castings, some of them are actually building up the helmets.

Looks like he added a detail to the nose, and the 4th vent groove along the top (starry night model). sanded the panel lines a bit...

Looks great, nice paint job. Now post up those Completed pics you sent to my Phone last night, the ones with the visor installed . Great job really.

Glad to see that thick one held up after all. For the record... send anything you want to my phone, I love seeing people's work... It caught me off guard when a phone number I didn't have saved was sending me pictures of one of my helmet castings painted... I was like... wait who is this that I sold a casting too... and who is it that painted it so well....

 

[Serpent ZX]

ALL lines were grooved out further, for deepness. I used the sharp, square end of the file. It's edges were as sharp as glass, and shaved very nicely. I cut vents in, and also added the steps to the nose. Some of the paint hides some of the other details as well... If you held it up to what it was in the first place in person, you would have never known it was the same helmet...

It's cold to the touch from the metal that was put into it, and some level 3 fiber glass, kevlar, and *** was also placed in the top part, and back of the head support. I screwed in stainless bolts through certain areas, and laid the kevlar on it, after I drilled holes in it, and slid it on like I was upholstering it. Then I layered more resin in it so it wasn't so... Toxic (***). It held up pretty good. Believe it or not, but all that stuff took some details away, and I had to almost carve everything back in, and add more resin. That's why only select places were reinforced. Space is tight in there...

Not to mention all the tunneling in the center for wires. What a pain. LOL When it was all finished, I went back over ALL recessed areas with a blunt grinding stone with my dremel, and deepened the details. I left some spots damaged on purpose, like the corrugated tubes in the cheek areas, since it just looked nice... That, and fixing them would be next to impossible with such fine detail, and grooves with more resin, without having to redo the areas... But boy did it look nice.

All, and all... The helmet weighs more then it looks. I'd say 8 pounds, maybe more is a safe bet.

Oh, and I also pitted, chipped around the edges, simulated bullet debris, and rubbed off some of the finish on the outside detailed Visor. I scuffed it on cement also. I left the inside Visor that you mostly look out of clean. It really looked the part. I thought that maybe a severly damaged Helmet with a clean, unscathed visor seemed to look... Weird. But that too also came out looking the part quite nicely. This helmet took a lot longer then I thought, but I can safely say... "Go ahead... Swing at me full force to the face with this bat..."

It comes to a whopping 3/8" - 1/2" thick all around, and all over.

All that's left is design the circuit, and get a liner. I want to make everything run off a recharagable battery pack... Wouldn't be THAT hard... Still haven't decided on what EXACTLY I want to put inside though. I have the LED's... But I might have new ones made... 55,000 mcd is about 8 more times brighter then the ultra brights at radio shacks, or any other electronics store, but I they are so HID like... But they can are so strong, I can light up a stop sign from all the way down the other end of my road. I am still going to order my water proof LED fans probably... Hhhmmm... Anyways. The plan is, to make everything replaceable so I can just change things out, still trying to find the right LED lenses that work correctly, but I have a feeling I have to make my own stuff... That, and trying to find something I can just pull a bulb, and replace with a new one in seconds, without soldering... I made my own connector for loose LEDs, but feels like something is missing... ARGH!

Oh well... I will get more pics of the helmet with a visor sometime today maybe. Still detailing the calves... I am trying to add details into it as well, to match the Halo 3 models. All the buckles, and lines. I am thinking I will line all the armor parts with kevlar, and level 3 fiber glass as well.

I wish I had some pics of a lot of this stuff, but no pics in a Government Defense Yard. No cameras, no cell phones with cameras, no labtops, software, and that kind of stuff. Hell, if you drive by the yard on a public road with a camera, you will most likely get arrested if your out in plain sight. Some stupid guy did it like last month, and got fired, and arrested.

Usually, when I am working on a project I don't stop, and think to document anything, or take pics anyways... I think about it later, and go, "DAMN!" I get into something, and just try to run right through, and don't stop to think sometimes. Wouldn't matter anyways though, most of the stuff I did was at work since the materials are... Free. LOL

Only pics I been taking are some here, and there at home, when I can with this POS camera. Getting a digital camcorder for our baby shower some time this month anyways. Maybe work some over time, and just get a new camera as well...

Sheesh... Sorry, too much COFFEE!!!

 

[Walter Spase]

If you held it up to what it was in the first place in person, you would have never known it was the same helmet...

Ha... RUBISH... I can CLEARLY see its my helmet casting...

Then again I have only looked at my helmets for way to long to not recognize one. I like the detailing you did. Definitely worth the time you took to complete it.

I could PM you or email you... but here is all the same.. Shoot some photos of the visor mounts... people may want to see it in place. again, fantastic completion. Couldn't have done it better myself.

Oh, PS... the tutorial is spot on, great work.

Oh... PS... The better everyone gets at details, the more the details will begin to look like everyone else. Thats the point. Getting the details right.

 

[Serpent ZX]

The only parts I think I didn't really touch was under the visor, back of the nack, and the part of the warp' in the visor where it's slightly raised, or slanted when looking at it straight on... I tried like hell to get rid of it... But it wouldn't go away! LOL

And what I meant by not looking the same, was the paint makes it look totally different. It's such a difference from white to 'that'. The cast you made for me was very, VERY well sturdy. I couldn't have asked for anything better for the specs I needed.

 

[Adam]

un-noobified...

 

[TheSpartanMjolnir]

un-noobified...

What does that mean. does it mean he's not a noob anymore and he is a veteran. i want to be un-noobified. lol. How do you wet sand scott. it sounds hard

 

[Serpent ZX]

There are a few ways to wet sand, or water shape.

1.) Buy an empty spray bottle from most stores, in the cleaning section. Some are found in home improvement stores too. They are cheap, being like around a dollar. Some times like $1.50. They are made for chemicals, water, and soapy water. People use them in their gardens too.
Just fill the bottle with warm water. Spray your object, and spray your sanding block, or sand paper. Then gently sand. Spray your sand, and object while your buffing. Squirt, squirt... Sand, buff... Squirt, squirt... Repeat. Basically spraying them when your object becomes dry from sanding. It keeps your sand from clogging, and makes it last longer. And also makes a much better quality surface.

2.) Another method is to just simply sand under water in a large bin, or under running water. It creates a little bit different effect though. Much softer. Not as abrasive, and slightly rounds things out.

Out of these 2 techniques though, MAKE SURE YOUR SAND PAPER IS WET SANDABLE. Some sand papers will just fall apart when they get wet, and curl up.

 

[TheSpartanMjolnir]

what is the base color you and adam used? Why do you have to sand the helmet when you apply another coat of primer? what spots do really need to get when you're dry brushing In adams video when he use the primer when he had his base color he got every corner. should i do that and spray primer to where i want it to look like it age

 

[Serpent ZX]

what is the base color you and adam used? Why do you have to sand the helmet when you apply another coat of primer? what spots do really need to get when you're dry brushing In adams video when he use the primer when he had his base color he got every corner. should i do that and spray primer to where i want it to look like it age

Ok... I am not trying to be mean now, but please read before asking questions. Not only did I give examples, and directions a retarded monkey can follow, but gave reasons why I did certain steps. Hell, I even threw in facts, and tips. LOL Please... READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TUTORIAL.

And here's another tip... American Accents and Painter's Touch are the same chemistry, same brand, and from the same manufacturer. They are the same paint. So if you can't find one, go for the other. The only difference is that they mostly have different colors available. Basically different color pallettes or sets, that's why they are separated. But there are a few colors that they have the same. One of which is Oregano. Also, both have different spray tips.

 

[irvinelax]

nice thanks cause i am painting tommorow

 

[EliteRouge]

I assume "black washing" is the process that we can visually see in Adams video where he sprays the paint into crevices and fissures then wipes it away. In your tut it sounds to me like you used the Dark Grey Primer to "black wash". Am I correct or should you use a black paint?

 

[Ithica]

Can we get an average list of itmes needed and how much based on the average adult full suit?

Bulldog Adhesion Promoter (if used):
Grey Primer:
(Your Color) Flat Spray Paint:
Flat Black Spray Paint:
Highlight (Chrome/Silver) Spray Paint:
Acetone:
or
Denatured Alcohol:
Flat Clear Spray Finish:

Ithica

 

[rvb18]

Ok... I am not trying to be mean now, but please read before asking questions. Not only did I give examples, and directions a retarded monkey can follow, but gave reasons why I did certain steps. Hell, I even threw in facts, and tips. LOL Please... READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TUTORIAL.

And here's another tip... American Accents and Painter's Touch are the same chemistry, same brand, and from the same manufacturer. They are the same paint. So if you can't find one, go for the other. The only difference is that they mostly have different colors available. Basically different color pallettes or sets, that's why they are separated. But there are a few colors that they have the same. One of which is Oregano. Also, both have different spray tips.

and that manufacturer is rustoleum? i like the krylon satin Italian olive. it drys in 10 minutes or less and works with most paints.

 

[gloryforixseal]

Back about a month or 2, I was looking into "Dye" rather than paint, and found a few automotive sources that have Dyed HDPE Motorcycle parts, etc...

Something like that could be a better option than painting, as it would physically change the inside color... Although now, doing a Dye job on the ED would cost as much, if not more, than getting the 2-color option available now...

 

[Horgh]

Can't wait to use this!

 

[Darth Favre]

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks!

 

[Serpent ZX]

Sorry, the site that had the pics is acting stupid... I will fix the tut soon, don't worry, also I might be making another, more in depth one for a similar way of painting, but with better effects. MIGHT.

 

[OXM Chase]

This is a really in depth tutorial. Please do the next one

 

[whiteninja1990]

that sets my mind at ease. I cant wait to pant my helmet, after I make it.

 

[bleed man]

Sweet tutorial. I hope my paint job comes out kinda okay. My stuff usually looks like a man tried to paint it while having a seizure.