Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
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DYSTORTED INC
Well-Known Member
"work is...never over"
roguespartan
Jr Member
this is just INSANE! has to be one of the sickest build ive seen! awesome work dude.
Thanks for all the compliments guys! And Dystorted is right... work is never over.
The main question I do seem to get a lot of is "how will you see out of it?" and "how are you making the visor?" Just remember that this isn't the helmet itself, I'm sculpting this as a master. Plans go as follows:
1) Finish sculpt of helmet
2) Create silicone mold of helmet
3) Pull resin copies from mold
4) Cut front visor and rear rounded parts from helmet frame, send frame off for gold plating
5) Use the cut visor portion from cast to make a vacuum-former mold, vac-form in PETG plastic
6) Tint plastic visor
7) Add electronics to helmet (simple step, right!?)
8) Celebrate 2012, 'cause at the rate I'm going, it won't be done until then...
I'm nearly done with sculpting, can't wait to get this thing in the goo and pull some copies.
The main question I do seem to get a lot of is "how will you see out of it?" and "how are you making the visor?" Just remember that this isn't the helmet itself, I'm sculpting this as a master. Plans go as follows:
1) Finish sculpt of helmet
2) Create silicone mold of helmet
3) Pull resin copies from mold
4) Cut front visor and rear rounded parts from helmet frame, send frame off for gold plating
5) Use the cut visor portion from cast to make a vacuum-former mold, vac-form in PETG plastic
6) Tint plastic visor
7) Add electronics to helmet (simple step, right!?)
8) Celebrate 2012, 'cause at the rate I'm going, it won't be done until then...
I'm nearly done with sculpting, can't wait to get this thing in the goo and pull some copies.
LastSpartan
Sr Member
Compared to me, you're working pretty fast 
Remember this thing?:
Yes, so I went back and took a closer look at that, and I have NO idea what I was smoking when I came up with that design. I think I was burned out from looking at and thinking about schematics, because there are about a million flaws and a design thats way too complicated right there.
I decided that, since both "chin boards" are going to be running off the same IC, I could move the transistors off-board and onto the board with the ICs on them. The IC will direct output to a transistor array chip (if I can find one that can sink the amount of amperage I'm looking at here, probably 180mA max per channel) and then to a plug which will distribute the power to the LEDs.
Also, I've decided to cheat a little and cut down on the number of LEDs I'm going to use in the chin. There will be 3 LEDs per section of the EQ grid, which will illuminate a cut piece of acrylic to simulate the individual lights.
You know, in theory....
The new board look like this:
Cheaper, easier to build, easier to install, requires less power, and also thinly slices this tomato!
Yes, so I went back and took a closer look at that, and I have NO idea what I was smoking when I came up with that design. I think I was burned out from looking at and thinking about schematics, because there are about a million flaws and a design thats way too complicated right there.
I decided that, since both "chin boards" are going to be running off the same IC, I could move the transistors off-board and onto the board with the ICs on them. The IC will direct output to a transistor array chip (if I can find one that can sink the amount of amperage I'm looking at here, probably 180mA max per channel) and then to a plug which will distribute the power to the LEDs.
Also, I've decided to cheat a little and cut down on the number of LEDs I'm going to use in the chin. There will be 3 LEDs per section of the EQ grid, which will illuminate a cut piece of acrylic to simulate the individual lights.
You know, in theory....
The new board look like this:
Cheaper, easier to build, easier to install, requires less power, and also thinly slices this tomato!
So now shouldn't at least this part of the project be *in tune* Cheaper, easier, less lights, saner?
<ramble>Seriously. This is the reason I joined this forum. Watching people like you who know their stuff and come up with sketches/designs/PCB layouts for the rest of us mere mortals. I go to bed at night now and lie there and think of ways I could solve a particular conundrum to do with my build before coming in here to find a solution. It's awesome. For instance, if I was ever to build that PCB, my step-father is an electrical engineer (retired) so he would draw it up for me no problem at all but that's no the point, it's gathering resources on my own and wherever I can coming up with my own solutions.</ramble>
Kudos mate and I cannot wait to see your Daft Punk helmet finally finished.
<ramble>Seriously. This is the reason I joined this forum. Watching people like you who know their stuff and come up with sketches/designs/PCB layouts for the rest of us mere mortals. I go to bed at night now and lie there and think of ways I could solve a particular conundrum to do with my build before coming in here to find a solution. It's awesome. For instance, if I was ever to build that PCB, my step-father is an electrical engineer (retired) so he would draw it up for me no problem at all but that's no the point, it's gathering resources on my own and wherever I can coming up with my own solutions.</ramble>
Kudos mate and I cannot wait to see your Daft Punk helmet finally finished.
woah, those schematics still look way of, for example the first column of the eq section won't light up, the resistors aren't connected to anywhere.
you know, if this is a one off job I suggest perfboard/stripboard. it's leass error prone/easier to correct and faster than etching your own PCB.
you know, if this is a one off job I suggest perfboard/stripboard. it's leass error prone/easier to correct and faster than etching your own PCB.
TF_Productions said:
You know pal, if I wanted a well-informed and respectful opinion on how to build my project, I would have posted it on a public forum known for members with technical expertise. Sheesh. Some people....
(obviously, the above is sarcasm)
On a related note: CRAP! Thanks for the heads up; I need to look at these things more closely. I'm using CAD's Eagle schematic software, which is a little finicky about what it considers a "junction" in your schematic. Just because 2 lines are touching doesn't mean it will recognize they're on the same circuit. bah.
To that end, I went back and took a closer look, yet again. I managed to shrink the PCB layout from 4.25"x2.75 to 3.65"x2.65" which will make fitting it into the helmet much easier. Also, I took a look at my component layout and noticed that would be a bitch to solder, so I revised that layout as well.
As for etching vs. perfboard, these are going out to a board company to be made as "prototypes." There's several manufacturers who will do up to a 2-layer PCB as "prototypes" for larger runs at $25-45 a board, depending on size/complexity. I need to make 4 of these (technically, 2 of 2 sides, since left and right are mirrors of one another) and I'd rather not build this whole thing on perfboard 4 times if I can avoid it. If it costs me $200 (I'm hoping more for the $100 option) then so be it.
That being said, thanks a million for all the advise you've given me so far TF. Its been invaluable! Here's the working schematic for the "chin" board above, in case you (or anyone else) is interested in taking a look.
Edit: for those wondering, the lines going to the "controller" in the schematic above are actually going to the collector pin of the transistors, which will provide ground.
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salival462
Member
Can't wait to see the finished product!!
Yeah, no problem, you know I'm just jealous that I could never do something like this ^^ Seriously though, it's a crime not to help a beautiful project like this, and this is an area where I actually know what I'm doing, so yeah, I do try and help where I can!
Anyway, I agree, EAGLE is very finicky, but that PCB deal is unbeatable, at least here in Germany, I know no professional service near me with such an offer.
Anyway, I agree, EAGLE is very finicky, but that PCB deal is unbeatable, at least here in Germany, I know no professional service near me with such an offer.
mchammertime
Well-Known Member
One might ask, what would someone do with a helmet like this? Heres the answer:
Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it,
Charge it, point it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag it, drop it, zip, unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, call it, find it,
View it, code it, jam, unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, switch, update it,
Name it, read it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax, rename it,
Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, start, format it,
Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it,
Charge it, point it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag it, drop it, zip, unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, call it, find it,
View it, code it, jam, unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, switch, update it,
Name it, read it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax, rename it,
Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, start, format it,
Pkmnjunky7
Member
Hey, any update on this? I have been really interested and just wondering. I'm currently working on a thomas helmet myself. Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.Darthcalibar said:Hey, any update on this? I have been really interested and just wondering. I'm currently working on a thomas helmet myself.
Still working, not dead yet!
I have been busy with a bunch of commissions and some of my own other work, so Guy had to take a backseat for a while. This doesn't look like much of a change since I last updated, but I have been smoothing things considerably. I'd really like to be in mold soon, but I'm moving to a new house at the end of this week and i'm fairly sure thats going to eat into a lot of my free time... We'll see.
As it sits now:
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TF_Productions said:smooth. oh man, amazing stuff as always (you know I've been lurking for an update
also, nice dagger on the blog!
haha, you must be camping my blogs if you know what I updated a few hours ago! Thanks for the compliments though, and also thanks for your help with the electronics side of things. I'm hoping I can get everything to look as crisp and precise as the portal gun too. I think I'll be sending the PCBs out for production later this week, just want to check them over one more time.
Xenon said:
Man, that's the big question isn't it? I think that's the main reason people don't make Guy's helmet.
To be perfectly honest, its still mostly a theory on my part based on the vac-forming molds I've seen others make. I'm planning on casting a helmet in resin, then cutting the visor out of that helmet. I'll make a support for this section which will turn it into a mold for the vac-former. More or less, I'll be copying this rig: http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html. Also, I'm planning on forming PETG plastic instead of acrylic (again, just a theory.) Should be interesting to see how it turns out.
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