Making a pep helm is not as much work as you think. Since you are already working with a pattern, there is very little adjusting that needs to be done. With scratchbuilding, you make your own patterns, try to fit it all together, and get frustrated in the process. I have nothing against scratchbuilding, as I do it myself, but if the resources are there, and they have been proven to work well, why not use them? There are many methods of making these helmets, and if you search the site, you will find ways to get around the cost of many items. Sign shops ALWAYS have extra misprints and leftovers of sintra (pvc sheets used on "for sale" signs. They often will give them away, because for their purposes, it is not useful. Sintra is extremely useful in propmaking and when you can get it for free, take advantage! Sintra is also perfect for pep, as it can be folded(with scoring) and glued(with pvc adhesive) very easily. It will not sag when fiberglassed like cardstock will, and it accepts bondo with ease.
(Home Depot sells the signs in different sizes for cheep.)
I am not saying to just trash your helmet that you took a lot of time to build, I am saying just look at other options. I went thru tons of cardboard trying to make my helmet work and then I found this forum. I printed out the pep file and within hours, I had the start of a great helmet.
Don't give up, but don't waste your time and money on something if you are not confident if it will work for you.
The helmet got hot, because It is made of foamboard. You were insulating your head, which is where much of your body heat is released. Strategic placement of vents will allow air to flow out and keep yer noggin cooler.
The search button on this forum is extremely useful. The answers you seek may not pop up first on the list, but everything(mostly) that you need to know is on this forum somewhere.
Good luck!
