HD MARK VI Helmet Build WIP

[Crowfeather]

As you may be able to piece together from the location of this thread, my member title and my post count (if you can't find it, I'll give you a hint - it's less than two, and I'm fairly confident that a negative post count is not possible), I'm new to the forum. I'm really not sure how internet social etiquette dictates that I make my introduction, so I'm going to wing it: hey. Howdy? Sup.

(If I've broken some sort of "code of introduction" here, I'm open to critique. Really, I can handle it. I promise.)


So seeing that I recently found myself with a new job and with my college courses starting in four days, I've decided that this would be an excellent time to start a time-and-budget intensive project. And what better project for an utter beginner to start with than the piece of armor that requires the most building experience? If you answered the helmet, you'd be right! On the bright side, I figured that even if this helmet project crashes and burns in a fiery pile of cardstock, resin and broken dreams, it would at least make wonderful entertainment for the other members of the forum So without further ado, let's do this.

I started yesterday on this endeavor. Now before I go on (and as a note to other beginners) Pepakura is an evil, deceptive program. Sure, it has a happy, paper-folded dragon as the mascot. It's even filled with bright, happy colors. But little are you aware that they've already got you; for while you look at that cute little reptile, reminiscing over cut-and-paste art projects in kindergarten, Pepakura is quietly convincing you that cutting out a file for pep work is going to be EASY. I mean, really, just HOW HARD could cutting out little stencils be? Ohhh hoh hoh, don't even get me started. Here's a brief journal of my first encounter with cutting Pepakura templates:


2:00 PM - Just started. This really isn't so bad, making something from nothing, working with accuracy and precision. In fact, I'm actually enjoying this time to relax and get in touch with my inner-self. I should do this more often.

3:05 PM - The clock must have broken, because there is no conceivable way that all I have to show for an hour's worth of work are four, unrecognizable squiggle shapes. That's all right though; I own Spotify, its easy enough to play some Demetri Martin to get me through this.

3:45 PM - Demetri Martin is a funny guy, funny enough that I can almost forget the cramps developing in my wrists and hand. This can't be normal. That Pepakura dragon looked too happy for this to happen to me. Oh well, just need to power through it.

5:00 PM - Demetri Martin isn't funny.

6:03 PM - No comedians are funny. I think pepping is slowly sucking away my capacity for joy and happiness. My hand is also burning like that evil pep-Dragon doused it in Tabasco sauce. How many pages do I have left.... oh. Ooh. Looking was a mistake.

7:00 PM - Damn it, I messed up the piece. I suppose I should make a new one...

8:00 PM - This thing had better fit my head.

9:30 PM - I've started to have deep, introspective thoughts, such as how viable cardstock is for kindling or whether my neck will be permanently stuck like this after I finish the cutting. Luckily, my hand went numb 10 minutes ago - should make its eventual amputation much easier.

10:30 PM - I think I've exhausted the Spotify library of songs, which is a shame because they were the only thing helping me keep track of reality at this point. Man, I made a bad cut there... oh well, that's what Bondo/hot glue/selective vision are for.

11:30 PM - I think I'm finished, but I'm also in denial - there's no way that there aren't more little shapes to cut out of paper. This isn't possible. I should scrounge around in the trash cans and under the refrigerator to make sure there aren't more templates.

11:35 PM - Okay, so I'm actually done. I could use a hug.



Stupid paper.

 

[ViperB77]

Welcome to the pepakura, make your first armor (I'm still in the process of...) and then you're a part of the family.

 

[Chernobyl]

A little tip: try to leave your pieces still on the card, and cut them out only as needed. It'll help you keep better track of them than constantly hunting around several dozens of cut-out pieces for the one you need, especially if you have the file up on-screen to refer to when constructing your piece. Plus, it means you won't lose any pieces, or risk having them bend and warp during storage.

Other than that, it seems to be looking good. I hope your build goes together well and doesn't warp.

 

[cha0skn1ght]

Nice to meet you and welcome to the world of pepakura armor making. Scaling is soooo important and that can't be stressed enough. What I can recommend for your next step is to sort the pieces into groupings and put each group in an individual bag. I would suggest taking a little bit and group them by pages in pepakura designer. That way you can get a piece quickly.

8:00 PM - This thing had better fit my head.

This. When I started pepping it was Rookie from H3: ODST for me and my wife made Dare. My first ODST helmet was too big, the second too small, third times the charm is what they say . After that I really learned how to scale and looked up every tip I could. I got all my wife measurements right for her armor and only had to make it once. But be prepared to make a piece multiple times. Even if you scale it correct sometimes it just doesn't fit right and you need to re-do it.

 

[AussieInk]

Welcome bud. Only new to the artform myself and had a good lol moment reading Ya intro.

Couple of pointers.

As arcanine stated cutting as ya go is definitely a huge help. For my first pep ( iron man helm ) I did as you did and cut everything out first. I'm a fairly organised guy and this method did work, but as you now know the cutting is one of the most time/brain/soul sucking tasks of it all.
When I started my actual first full suit build ( Mk VI MJOLNIR ) I cut pieces as I need them. It makes it not so boring and helps the monotony of it all. They're also in a folder with clear sleeves so I can quickly spot what page I need and get instant access to each piece as required.

And lastly if your doing the high Def flyingsquirrel model then have fun with all the ridge/tiny folds lol.

So welcome bud. And try an have fun.

 

[Crowfeather]

Thanks for the welcomes and the tips guys, I do appreciate it!

I realized two things after completing the pep work: 1) If I do this again, I would definitely do the "cut as you go" method. I really liked the flow of having all the pieces already cut out, but keeping track of everything was a lot more work that way. And, 2) Dried superglue on your fingers provides countless hours of entertainment as you struggle to pick the stuff off :rolleyes

Anyways, here is the completed pep




The next stage in the process will be building supports and coating the outside in resin. Does anyone have any advice on applying the resin that will result in a smooth finish?

 

[Carpathia]

Does anyone have any advice on applying the resin that will result in a smooth finish?

Take you time with it. Use a 1" chip brush and apply in thin coats (don't glop it on). My suggestion would be to do it in three phases. Phase 1, just the top half and let dry; phase 2, flip it over and resin the bottom half and let dry, rest the helmet on the resined part; phase 3, second coat over the whole helmet. Doing it in phases helps the helmet keep its shape. If you resin the entire thing in one pass, the whole thing will be soaked and prone to sagging.

 

[Crowfeather]

Just finished applying resin to the outside of the helmet. I was prepared to apply it with the method you suggested carpathiavh, but as I started working I realized that the resin was actually much thicker than I'd imagined, like maple syrup. Didn't seem to cause the cardstock to sag (the helmet is pretty sturdy with the amount of folds and the extra support beams I put in), so I just coated the whole thing at once. I'm still waiting for it to dry, but I'll post the results when its done.

 

[Crowfeather]

Its been a little while since I've posted an update, but here goes. I finished resining the outside of the helmet, which went all fine and dandy.



Once it dried, it came time to reinforce the inside. Now, I realize that fiberglass and resin is probably the strongest for its weight, but man, it does not look fun. Seeing that this will be a model for castings, I figured that the ease of Rondo was probably the better option. Now, that being said, I may have overdone it with said Rondo.



I'm holding this directly up to the sun, and as you can see, no light is getting through. I'm getting increasingly apprehensive to hold this thing as I realize that for all its strength, its going to pull a rapid Humpty Dumpty if I drop it ^^ Next up on my to do list is the outside detail!


EDIT: I forgot to mention an important tip; I DO NOT recommend holding your helmet up to the sun with one hand while taking a picture with the other. It may go just fine, but the emotional havoc brought on by the thought of dropping it is NOT worth it.

 

[AussieInk]

As last time, your posts are good for a lol. Good to see progress, and yeah dropping it would def not help...and all the Kings horses and all the Kings men would prob laugh their ***es off more than actually help.

Keep up the good work

Edit: Btw not sure if its your first but ya earnt a sub

 

[Crowfeather]

I figured that even if I can't add the greatest helmet in the world to the forum, I can at least try to add a laugh or two. Anyhow, as always, I appreciate it mate. As for the sub... well, not a clue what it is, but I'm not one to turn down something that sounds like a sandwich.

UPDATE: To keep this post somewhat relevant, I figure I should do an update. The inside is completely dry and hard as a rock - working on the outside Bondo layer at the moment. I have to say, its tough and meticulous work. I had a thought while I was doing it though... would it be possible to build a tape wall around an area you want to smooth, then simply pour Rondo into the area? If you were to slush it right, I imagine it would form a smooth, even layer.

 

[RYNO 666]

Most entertaining thread so far. Keep the humor. I wish I was that fast.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 2

 

[entekoh1]

I don't know about taping a wall around the area you want to work on, you can use hot glue and playing cards to make a wall, then pour rondo into the area. Or use a paint brush and brush the rondo onto your helmet. Subscribing to this one, i loled.

 

[OG DRAGON072]

Looks great! I'm still pepping my Mark VI helm. I'm using FLYINGSQUIRL's model, and let me tell you, it's a royal pain. Truly testing my pepping skills, as well as my patience. Keep up the good work man!!

 

[Crowfeather]

Most entertaining thread so far. Keep the humor. I wish I was that fast.

Having a week with no job, schooling, girlfriend or other tedious responsibilities to tend to... it has that effect. Whether it's worth the label of having no life is another question entirely

I don't know about taping a wall around the area you want to work on, you can use hot glue and playing cards to make a wall, then pour rondo into the area. Or use a paint brush and brush the rondo onto your helmet. Subscribing to this one, i loled.

That's good to know, I'm going to have to give that method a shot on my next build. Thanks for the info!

Looks great! I'm still pepping my Mark VI helm. I'm using FLYINGSQUIRL's model, and let me tell you, it's a royal pain. Truly testing my pepping skills, as well as my patience. Keep up the good work man!!

If I could double or triple bold that part of the quote, I swear I would.


I also swear that this is my last update for the day. Real Life© is starting up for me again tomorrow, which is going to make progress a good bit slower. In any case, I learned a few things from my Bondo work for those who are about to start the same:

1) Use small amounts of Bondo to work with at a time. Like, the size of a golf ball as it suggests on the back. The stuff dries quick.
2) Go with thin coats. If you're anything like me, you'll see this advice in twenty places around the forums, then disregard it anyways. DON'T. Using thin coats allows you to better preserve details and saves you a lot of sanding time. Don't start out like I did and apply baseball size globs of Bondo. Makes it look like Gumby hawked a loogie at your beautiful piece.
3) Bondo seems directed towards athletes. I mean, look at the back. All the size comparisons are made to sporting equipment. Really Bondo? We're not all jocks (or golfers). Cut the less physically-inclined of us some slack and tell us to make a small circle 1.68 inches wide (golf ball), or a big circle 2.92 (baseball). Simple words, AND you can measure that sh** with a ruler.

Also, if while mixing Bondo you decide that instead of simply mixing red and grey paste, you're actually facilitating the war between the Crimson Throne and the stony Proletariat Masses, then you've spent too much time mixing Bondo for one day. Or, you're not wearing a respirator and are likely high. Quit immediately either way.

And that's about it. Bondo work is going slowly but surely. Will try to get some more shaping done in-between work and school in the next few days, but we'll see how that goes.

 

[Mstruvmgc]

Looking good so far cant wait to see it smoothed out