Tutorial: Helmet paint fitting details visor lining electrics

[marshon]

If you want to know how to get from this..........

To this .........

Read on ......

Righto, I thought I'd post this tutorial as I build my helm.
I've never done one before but I have made LOTS of props and helmets over the years for other things.
This is not the only way, the right way, the best way or the cheapest way. But it is MY way and it's my suit so take it or leave it.

The tutorial is broken down into parts, so if you need to check out just one part feel free.
Questions and comments welcome, just don't make them too senseless eh?

Part #1: Detailing the helm

Part #2: Base painting the helm

Part #3: Fitting the visor

Part #4: Sealing up and finishing the paint

Part #5: Electrical work

Part #6: Lining out the helm.


Part 1 - Detailing the helm

So you've covered the helm in Bondo right?

You've spent 3 days with the sander for company right?

.... and now you're wondering what to do next. Right?

OK, here's one of my methods.
Start by giving the helm an undercoat of matt paint, you can use grey primer, red oxide primer, even white will do it. I'm using a black undercoat in this case, just make sure it's MATT, otherwise the subsequent painting operations won't work correctly.

Next find your references. I have to give mention here to Forgedreclaimer for his excellent work on references and the nice PEP I used to make this helm.

Next we need to decide what's going where and if we need holes for LEDs, wiring etc. Also we need to know if there are any panel lines to add. As usual all the references have differing bloody details, so I went for the minimum of panel lines and decided to add more with paint if required.

To cut my panel lines i used a strip of masking tape, the Dremel and a pointed burr. You will be amazed at how easy it is to follow the edge of the tape with the Dremel.

Carefully go around all the lines until you are satisfied that you have done all you need to.

.

Next decide if and where you need to drill holes for LED's , switches, wiring or connections and drill them now.

Next we need to add details, I've used foamies for mine since I like working with that material, but you could use card, sintra or plasticard instead. It's entirely up to you.

Finally check everything over once the glue has set, and then give it another coat of matt base colour (black in my case).

 

[marshon]

Part 2 - Base painting the helm

The only reason I have decided to base out the helm colours at this stage is that I could only afford a single visor (wish I could have done the two visor thing but thems the breaks). I didn't want to mark the only visor I had and was a afraid that masking it might have damaged the reflective surface.

I will write a better tutorial on painting systems when I get around to it, but for now I will just give a basic outline.
I use variations of a technique that has been around since before the last war. It's based on a three shade base scheme, then weathering. I won't go into too much explanation, except to say that in 35 years of doing this sh*t I have NEVER used anything except matt paint!
The reason is very simple, matt paint has 'grain' or 'tooth' which means that other paint will stick to it better. If you need a glossy finish, then over-spray it with gloss varnish. Also, in regard to Halo, combat situations cover EVERYTHING in dust, dirt and grime almost from the minute the kit is unpacked. I have never seen a screen shot of anything 'shiny' except for chrome and glass / plexiglass.

Anyway, I had decided on a three colour scheme of grey, green and khaki. I'm going to use an airbrush for my bases, but you can also use the sponge technique if you don't have an airbrush.

I began by blowing colour into each panel, but deliberately not masking off, or going right up to the edges. You'll see why later.

I have only sprayed in a very basic scheme, this will be enough so that i can be fairly confident of not over spraying the visor (famous last words).

 

[marshon]

Part 3 - Fitting the visor

Now it comes time to fit the visor, it seems that a lot of people have asked about this so here's what happened to me.

I wanted to do the double visor thing, but being unemployed I was unable to afford that. So a single gold visor it was. I simply bought the cheapest one I could off Ebay. I didn't measure up or worry too much about what model it was. It cost me £8.00 plus postage (about $15 USD in total).

The first thing I noticed was a small 'tab' at the bottom side of the visor (marked in red below), this needs to be removed with the Dremel.

Once the tab was removed I pushed the visor (still with it's protective plastic cover) into the helm to see what sort of fit we had.

With the visor held in place with hand pressure I used a CD/DVD marker pen to carefully draw the outline of the visor cut out onto the visor. I then removed it from the helmet.

Next, allowing plenty of overlap (about 1/2") I cut the excess material from around the marker line using a Dremel and a cutting wheel. You could use a razor saw or other small accurate saw instead.

I then pushed the visor back into the helmet forcing it as far forward as it would go. There were problems at the rear of the visor where the two ends refused to lay flat against the sides of the helm. Bummer.

I removed the visor again, took off the protective plastic cover and refitted it into the helm taking care not to scratch it too much. I forced it into the helm using hand pressure only and then started to run a bead of hot melt glue round the lower front edge where the fit wasn't too bad. This will then hold it in place while we try and fit the rest.

When it came to those pesky rear ends, I gently and carefully heated them with a small gas torch until they began to soften, then force them down with my thumb. A word of warning - the difference between 'soften' and 'blister' is very small, the left side of the visor just started to blister but I caught it just in time. Be very careful if you try to heat treat the visor this way. Too easy to end up in the ER!

Once it was bent down into shape it was back to the hot melt glue gun to seal around the edges. Try working on small sections at a time. Let them cool the move on. Take your time people.

Work carefully all the way around the visor until it is sealed in taking care not to allow glue to run down on to the visible part of the visor. The allowance of 1/2" of extra material round the edges helped greatly here.

Once the glue has set, turn the helmet over and marvel at your work. It completely changes bot the 'look' and 'feel' of the helm.
Next we'll look at tidying up the edges and voids.

 

[marshon]

Part 4 - Tidying up and finishing the paint.

From this point onwards I will be jumping around and re-editing the posts. There are three reasons for this, firstly stuff is taking EONS to dry, secondly stuff I have on order hasn't arrived yet and thirdly I will need to go back and re-touch here and adjust there.

Anyway, the next thing I wanted to do was finish out the visor bits. Because I only had enough money for a single visor system I had left in place the upper and lower recesses of the PEP where the bits of the 'second' layer would have gone.
I used the off-cuts from the original visor and the small panels from the PEP and I cut out sections to fit the recesses. Hopefully it will look sort-of like the double visor.

The two smaller ones cut out. Then added to the helm along with the thinner upper ones. I simply hot melt glued them in.

Now what to do about the voids around the edges of the visor? I wanted to use a silicone caulking used for guttering. It's black and would have looked like a rubber seal. Only trouble was, when I went to use it it had gone solid in the tube - 'best before end of 2007' - so much for keeping stuff in case it comes in handy!

I toyed with using black foamies, or even hot melt glue, but I didn't trust my abilities with the hot melt gun not to get it all over the visor.

In the end I used PVA paste. I use this a lot as a card glue, knew it dried clear (eventually), had just enough 'run' to allow it to bed itself into the voids, but not so much that it would run out all over the place. Downside is that although in thin layer it dries in about 20 minutes, in deep sections it would take days to fully cure.

I did it anyway.

I will also caulk the edges of the 4 little inserts I made out of the visor spares once the first lot has cured properly, then I'll brush paint them matt black.

Once the PVA had cured I went around and lined them in with black - using a brush..

Now, in order to recognise shapes the eye relies on contrast, NOT colour.
If I show you a picture of a blue banana you still recognise it as a banana, even a black and white photo of a banana still looks like a banana.
Contrast is king as far as shapes go.
Therefore, in order to show off our stuff we need to accentuate the highlights and shadows. I've seen loads of truly great work done on constructing armour only to see it then sprayed in shiny metallic car paint. C'mon people, give as much respect to the paint job as the construction and we'll all be in the Elite sections.

Next stage is the highlights. We want to bring up the details, and all edges catch the light (just look at stuff around you). Every facet and corner catches the light and every ridge and furrow shadows the light from us. Let's help our creation along.
I'm using the dry-brush technique to subtly raise the highlights with ever lighter shades of colours.

Here's the side of the helm before I began. Notice the ear panel, the brow panel and the little panel in front of the side nacelles. the detail is there but it's hard to make out.

Here's what the same area looks like after three dry-brush coats of lighter colours ending with an overall skim with a very light grey colour. Remember that we haven't added any shadows yet, but look at the difference in those three detail panels.
If enough people are interested I am happy to do a much more in depth tut on paining and weathering.
By the way, this is NOT weathering yet. This is just the three shade system for the basic colours. Weathering will be done later.

Next we need to help the shadows along a bit. You can use the wash method for this, but I'm going to airbrush mine in to speed up the process. I've used dk grey and some black. The effect is fairly subtle under natural light. Compare this image to the one above.

You can see the additions more clearly under flash, but I want it to be pretty subtle. This is still not weathered, although the paint looks 'faded' this is factory finish.

At this stage you can add any regimental insignia or other markings. You can re-create the proper Halo markings, but I just picked things I liked off the net and cut some paper templates. You can then airbrush or sponge them on.

Weathering out. All things exposed to the elements will eventually become 'weathered'. There are two kinds we are interested in. Natural weathering, the effects of wind, rain, dust, sand smaoke and dirt etc. And unnatural weathering, the effects of dings, knocks, scrapes and bullets.

I have gone for a very simple weathered effect using some burnt umber, raw sienna and yellow ochre. Gravity forces all 'stuff' downwards so the weathering should be heavier towards the lower regions and heavier on flat surfaces that catch it on the way down. I used a light sponge technique and some airbrushing to add the browns. Don't overdo it or it will look unnatural. The helm actually looks much better under natural light, but I've shot it under flash so you can see it better.

For the unnatural weathering I've gone very light touch. Just a few paint scrapes is all I've added. The armour will get much more battle damage than this. Here's a tip, don't use straight silver for bare metal. It oxidises very quickly going dark silver, grey or even black. I've used natural steel colour here, but gunmetal would do equally well. If you don't have any, mix a small amount f black into your silver. I've just done a few edges to bring them out a bit.

That concludes the painting section.

 

[marshon]

Part 5 - electrical work

My helm will carry three simple circuits:

Two 3V circuits for the LEDS running off two 'AA' batteries, the reason for the split circuit is that I wanted to add 'standard' LEDs in the brow and the forward two side nacelles. However I HATED the ear insert things in this helm, so dumped them in favour of two banks of four super-bright white LEDs (I like LEDs). I wanted to be able to switch the white LEDs on and off externally like headlights.

There will also be a 9V circuit run off a PP3 battery for the voice sound system.

I started by scavenging up as much as I could before delving into new stock or ordering new parts. Virtually all the LEDs were 'reclaimed'.

I then set about doing as much soldering and assembly work outside the helm as possible. Less chance of searing off my skin whilst working in the confined space of the helm!

Next it was time to start mounting bits into the holes in the helm I had drilled out earlier. I pretty much used hot melt glue for this. The advantage is that being a thermoplastic, hot melt glue won't affect the electrical circuits if it accidently bridges two wires.

As I added more and more items, the inside of the helmet starts to resemble spaghetti. This is a throw back to my industrial life where the sparks always laid in far more cable than was need, 'easier to cut it back than run in more cable', 'and since we're not paying for the cable who cares?'.
Well I am paying for the cable - sort of - I'm using 7 strand model railway cable, not because it's the best for this job, but because I had miles of t left over from a model railroad commission.

You can see the external switch on the right in the above image. It's a scrap one from an old car.

After about an hour with the hot melt gun the inside starts to look a bit more tidy.

Once the LED wiring is completed the interior is clear of obstructions.

Then re-test everything to make sure it's working correctly.
First off the 'side lights'

Then the full beam lights ......

With the the exception of the 9V system the LED wiring set up is finished.


The 9V system controls the microphone, preamp and voice distortion units.
It consists of a battery, switch, control box with the electronics and the out-feed to the chest armour.

The preamp is that tiny bit of circuit board near the helmet. I actually bought the enclosure for the control box, fancy me actually paying good money eh? Well, actually I bought 10 project boxes as a job lot on ebay about 5 years ago and couldn't find anything to use these really small ones for. They are nice black brushed aluminium with a screw cap section at either end. I mounted a bypass switch in the control box so that it can run straight or distorted speech. There's also a warning LED which I can see inside the helm so I know it's powered up.

The control box is mounted on two Velcro strips and as before the wiring is hot melt glued down, leaving just enough free cable that I can get the box out if I need to test or replace something.

Once everything has been sealed down and in place the circuit is tested one last time. i also checked to see that there were no obstructions in the helm.

That concludes the helmet wiring up.

 

[marshon]

Part 6 - Lining the helmet

Although left until last, for me this is one of the most important parts of any helmet build. The lining out will determine, the fit, position and comfort of the helmet when worn. It will be the part that defines if your head moves inside the helmet when you try to turn your head right or left. It will determine if the helmet will foul on your chest armour and it will define if the helmet is comfortable to wear or not.

The quickest way I know of lining a helmet is to buy a proprietary helmet liner from one of the motorcycle helmet manufacturers. Here's an image of a Master Chief helmet lined out with one:

However that is WAY beyond my budget so I'm going to try and make one instead. I'm not completely stupid though, so I'm going to use the image above as a guide to the pattern they have used. Clever eh?

The main 'weapons' for this part of the build are some old off-cuts of furniture foam I scrounged from a local upholstery factory (free). A pair of my wife's old 'leggings' sort of very thick black material to cover the foam, along with some spray adhesive for use with foam.
An electric carving knife makes short work of major foam cutting, but I will also be using a standard carving knife which I have sharpened and the Dremel with a sanding drum.

Using a Sharpie marker I roughly drew out the layout of the various panels inside the helm. These were loosely based on the images of real helmet liners I found on the net.

Next I used some paper to draw out a template for the central panel. Starting with this panel is important since it will determine how high the helmet will sit on your head.

Next transfer the template to your foam. I'm using 1" thick foam here, to get the height right. The way to do this is to use a test piece of foam and push it into the helm, try it on and see if it's correct. If not use thinner or thicker foam until you get the level that you want to use. If you don't have lots of different thickness's then you can layer them or cut them using the electric carving knife.

I then cut out the panel using the electric knife, and then cut a chamfer all round the sides using the normal carving knife.

Next I used the Dremel to sand off the rough edges and give a nice smooth foam insert.

Next I covered the bench with some plastic sheet, taped out a piece of the legging material and sprayed it with adhesive. This ensures that the material will lay flat while we try and cover the foam in it.

Once covered the panel was glued into place in the helm.

The next section I did was the one immediately behind the first. This is to help establish how far forward / backward your head sits in the helm. Again I used 1" thick foam after testing and I followed exactly the same procedure as above.

Now the next two panels are different. These two are the front upper panel and the rear lower panel. They stop your head from sliding front to back in the helmet. The front one needs a 'step' to hug the top of your fore head and the rear one needs to curve in around the back of your head down to your neck.

I used 2" thick foam and carefully positioned it and tested, repositioned and re-tested, marking the foam with a Sharpie as I went.

Because these two are such odd shapes the covering was added in pieces so that there weren't too many unsightly fold and wrinkles.

With these two panels in place you should find that your head is pretty securely placed in the helmet as far as height and front to back movement is concerned.

Now it's time for a test fitting, this is to ensure that the helmet will clear the chest armour and that your head is placed such that you can see out of the visor.
At this stage there may be some lateral movement and rocking, and the helm may keep trying to droop at the front. this is because the two Jowl sections will be needed to finally position your head. However you should still test at this stage to see if it clears the other armour.

Please see the final instalment in another post since I've exceeded the image limit for this one!

 

[marshon]

Since this tutorial is nearing completion, if anyone is interested in a tutorial on realistic (and simple) painting systems let me know on here and I'll start one with my next project or commission.

 

[Swift]

Thanks marshon, this tutorial has been very enlightening!

The more tutrorials available the better in my opinion, and I personally like to see how different people do their weathering; I would like to see that tutorial made if you had the time.

Thanks!

 

[ventrue]

Since this tutorial is nearing completion, if anyone is interested in a tutorial on realistic (and simple) painting systems let me know on here and I'll start one with my next project or commission.

By all means, do that!

 

[nesbitt101]

Marshon, you're a genius. I can't wait to start painting and detailing my armour (only at the pepping stage now).
Love your tuts, and would love to see more!

 

[Shade88]

Love the tutorial, can't wait to see more.

 

[CoolC]

Your attention to detail is amazing. The painting and the lighting are definitely some of the bests.

 

[marshon]

Final instalment

Next come the two jowl sections. After the top and back, these are the most important and the most challenging to make. They must force your head into the correct position against the top and the back, and prevent your head from moving around or tipping up and down.
I started off in exactly the same way as before with a template of paper. I cut the two sections from 2" foam.

These were then dry fitted, tested, marked up and trimmed on quite a few occasions until i felt the fit was right.
I then sanded them as before.

They were then covered in fabric as before and glued into place in the helm.

Once again I test fitted the helm and was satisfied that it was comfortable and stable. From here on in the final finishing touches are up to you/ I will line out any areas of the inner helm that are still exposed with some black foamies, and I might possibly detail the outer rim with them as well.

The gaps between the large foam area will be left as ventilation. The helmet isn't too hot to wear, but I have noticed that the visor mists up due to condensation from my breath. One way around this will be to fit a cover panel across my nose forcing the breath out below my chin. I think this can be made from foamies and held in place with Velcro.

That concludes the lining and this tutorial.

 

[Brax Lel]

Is it just my computer, or the images just doesnt wanna show?

 

[higdog827]

Is it just my computer, or the images just doesnt wanna show?

Yeah, most of them dont show for me either. My guess is that the images he used were moved or deleted from the site he had them hosted on. But from what I can tell without pictures, this is a great tutorial!