padding a helmet

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bennyboobear

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alright, im sure all of you guys have seen Seans helmets and how utterly BADASS they are.
im also sure youve noticed the padding in there with a nice little fan thrown in there.
i have one question.

how the hell do you do that kinda stuff?

i havent exactly had enuff time to really look around recently. being in high school and trying to get a job doesnt give you much time.
so at the very least send me some links to topics that have my answers or to some tutorials


thanx guys
 
no-ordinary-masterchief said:
alright, im sure all of you guys have seen Seans helmets and how utterly BADASS they are.
im also sure youve noticed the padding in there with a nice little fan thrown in there.
i have one question.

how the hell do you do that kinda stuff?

i havent exactly had enuff time to really look around recently. being in high school and trying to get a job doesnt give you much time.
so at the very least send me some links to topics that have my answers or to some tutorials
thanx guys


idk bout the fan but all im doing for padding is just some foam...and im just layering it up until it touches my head and makes the
helm sit fairly still..
 
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Add about 1/2 an inch of padding around the sides of the helmet, fans and legs will be done with soldiering and wiring, not for begginers.
 
Someone posted a link to a Scorpion Exo helmet liner for $15, I'd get that. Helmet liners are usually very comfortable materials.

Real motorcycle helmets have the helmet shell and a layer of polystyrene (for shock absorbence I'm assuming) before their liner. For a good fit I'd recommend getting some Great Stuff or other kind of foam filler and make it so the helmet liner will fit inside the helmet and go snugly on your head so it doesn't slide around. I've never worked with Great Stuff though so this is all in theory, mind you, but that is my plan as of now.

*EDIT* Should have posted this over before, it's from the Pep FAQ sticky.


5. What about using expanding foam/Great Stuff as reinforcement? etc

Use the Red and Blue can of Great Stuff or the foam will shrink and warp your work.
 
Padding...just grab some padding from Hobby Lobby or a craft store...heck even some old mouse pads. Cut them to shape with an X-Acto knife and glue them in there. Not too difficult.

The fans as well, not hard. Theres a nice Wiring LED tutorial you can follow for the same kinda deal. http://405th.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2481


I've got a small 40mm 12V computer fan I picked up from a computer parts store for $6. It's designed for a 12V rail, but if you hook the positive and negative (red/black) and ignore the yellow, it gets you a nice rotation. You won't get the high speed the fan is designed for that you would get from a 12V, but you dont really want that. Just go to computer store, buy a 40mm fan, go to radio shack, buy a 9v battery clip, a 9v battery :))), some solder and a soldering iron if you dont have one, and a switch. Also you may need a short length of wire, which will be available there.

Connect positive end of the battery to the positive in on the switch, negative on the switch to the positive (red) on the fan. Negative on fan (black) to the negative terminal on the battery clip and viola. A switchable on/off fan.

It sounds complicated in text but honestly its surprisingly easy.
 
Sikarian said:
Padding...just grab some padding from Hobby Lobby or a craft store...heck even some old mouse pads. Cut them to shape with an X-Acto knife and glue them in there. Not too difficult.

The fans as well, not hard. Theres a nice Wiring LED tutorial you can follow for the same kinda deal. http://405th.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2481
I've got a small 40mm 12V computer fan I picked up from a computer parts store for $6. It's designed for a 12V rail, but if you hook the positive and negative (red/black) and ignore the yellow, it gets you a nice rotation. You won't get the high speed the fan is designed for that you would get from a 12V, but you dont really want that. Just go to computer store, buy a 40mm fan, go to radio shack, buy a 9v battery clip, a 9v battery :))), some solder and a soldering iron if you dont have one, and a switch. Also you may need a short length of wire, which will be available there.

Connect positive end of the battery to the positive in on the switch, negative on the switch to the positive (red) on the fan. Negative on fan (black) to the negative terminal on the battery clip and viola. A switchable on/off fan.

It sounds complicated in text but honestly its surprisingly easy.
guess i need to quit overthinking then lol.

much thanks. this helps GREATLY.
 
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A good place for cheap (read FREE) padding is a carpet store.

Go root out back in their dumpsters for samples of carpet padding. Its usually 1 to 3 inch thick foam that fits nicely in the helmet and has a good spring and compression to it.

It can be a bit itchy though, so coating it in a cotton fabric might be a good idea too.
 
To follow up on what Sik said, I have read about a few people cutting up old mousepads, and it apparently works well. Personally, I'm using some of the padding strips that you use for bicycle helmets, because I had some kicking around from the last helmet I bought.
 
Yodajammies said:
A good place for cheap (read FREE) padding is a carpet store.

Go root out back in their dumpsters for samples of carpet padding. Its usually 1 to 3 inch thick foam that fits nicely in the helmet and has a good spring and compression to it.

It can be a bit itchy though, so coating it in a cotton fabric might be a good idea too.
I hope you are joking? Dumpster diving? Really? That's nasty and probably illegal ><
 
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BattleLlama @ Oct 22 2007, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hope you are joking? Dumpster diving? Really? That's nasty and probably illegal ><</div>
EDIT: That is illegal!
 
Yodajammies said:
A good place for cheap (read FREE) padding is a carpet store.

Go root out back in their dumpsters for samples of carpet padding. Its usually 1 to 3 inch thick foam that fits nicely in the helmet and has a good spring and compression to it.

It can be a bit itchy though, so coating it in a cotton fabric might be a good idea too.
If you want to get scrap padding from a carpet store, just ask if you can root around the dumpster, unless they're run by a bunch of CRI cases they shouldn't have any trouble with it.
 
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Jarhead said:
If you want to get scrap padding from a carpet store, just ask if you can root around the dumpster, unless they're run by a bunch of CRI cases they shouldn't have any trouble with it.
Good idea! Best thing is, it's not illegal!
 
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lol, interesting.

from the helmets ive seen though, it looks like they have an actuall helmet liner put in there. now i may not be all savy on moto helmets, but i dont think a standard liner would fit in a pep or molded helmet that wasnt modified. any advice on that?


(and thanx to those above. that whole carpet scenario would not have even came to my mind. you guys do kickass)
(y)
 
The padding is callled 'Headliner" fabric... I found it at a Jo-Ann fabric store near me. It's a really soft felt-like material thats pre-glued to a thin layer of foam.,.. I think it's used to upolster the ceilings of cars. It's a godsend for padding custom helmets...

The motorcycle helmet interiors that you can order wouldn't fit my helmets... and probably wouldn't fit most mastercief helmets.. Motorcycle helmets are significantly larger than most of the custom helmets being made here... thats why I had to make my interior padding myself...

Being that my helmets are able to break down into sections for access to the interior, I patterned each section seperately, using the headliner fabric, some standard upolstery foam, and velcro to make my custom interiors..

Just go to a fabric store, and hunt down what you think would work bst for your padding, buy up a yard of fabric, and make some patterns... try out your ideas on paper before you cut them out of the fabric...


All in all each liner cost about $10 in materials when I made it myself, and I'd stand them up to any other helmet liners... they look pretty professional...

You'd be surprised what your capable of if you just take the time to do it yourself, rather than paying store prices for things...
 
Sean's Method here does work... I bought seat cusion foam, and a soft cotton fabric from a fabric store to make a 3 piece helmet pad insert, attached with velcro... There is no way, after building my helm, that a pre manufactured motorcycle helmet insert would fit into my helm... Thanks to Sean also for posting pictures of his helmet interior, the were an inspiration... guess I should do the same..
 
I'll post up some pics tonight. I'm padding a couple helmets, so I can show you the breakdown of the pieces also.
 
sean that would be awsome if you could put out sum pics. you kick ass.
and thanx for the help you guys. as always, ur help is appreciated!


now just to start actuall construction..... (im gonna need a job for that part though....as i am broke)
 
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