guy manuel blueprint!

[shinviroz]

i am planning to make a guy manuel helmet in 8 days: Oct 30 ~ Nov 6. (edit: this didn't happen because I decided it was bad idea to rush the helmet considering the amount of money spent.)
i am following volpin's guide: http://volpinprops.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html
i really want to make this in that time range, because there is a costume party on the 6th.
i am posting these updates to receive helpful advices, and any type of comments are welcome.
scroll down for current status of my building process:

[piroteki]

no one here does. if you're talking about the actual blueprints for the actual helmet.

if you're talking about the pepakura file, ask in the helmet-building thread.

[shinviroz]

Day 1 (Oct 30, Friday):
1. Printed out blueprints and built a basic cardboard bone structure using:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3437/3383268111_2c485edcac.jpg
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=97106

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3156/1031090222.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6590/1031090018.jpg

2. Covered the cardboard bone structure with expanding foam:

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/2624/1031090436.jpg

3. Wait for the foam to harden until next day..

[shinviroz]

Day 2 (Oct 31, Saturday):
1. Carve the shape of the helmet from the foam:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8705/1031091552.jpg

2. Coat in air drying clay & shape it:

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/3628/1031092158.jpg ha, this link is dead i think..

3. Wait for the clay to harden until next day or two... (the box that the clay came in, said it takes 2 to 3 days, but i'm hoping it will be hardened by tomorrow)

[just a kid]

that's comming together nicely ill stay posted to see final product.:)

[Agent RayBans]

8 days? Good luck with that.

Unless you know how to make a mold (and have the materials to do so), and have access to a vacuum former copying Volpin's process wont be productive for you.

Honestly for what you would end up spending to make your own helmet in this/his method you would be better off buying one of his replicas

[shinviroz]

8 days? Good luck with that.

Unless you know how to make a mold (and have the materials to do so), and have access to a vacuum former copying Volpin's process wont be productive for you.

Honestly for what you would end up spending to make your own helmet in this/his method you would be better off buying one of his replicas

thanks for your advice.

but i am currently attending art school so i have easy access to..

- nightshades by VHT
- metallic gold spray from rust-oleum (i will not be actually chroming my mold)
- bondo
- silicone mold kits
- industrial design department's vacuum former machine
- plastic sheets (0.06 PETG is what i'm planning to use)
- wood shops with sanders, lathe, jigsaw
- laser cutter at the architecture department

everything (laser cutter, woodshop tools, vacuum former) is free for students. so i dont think its better for me to buy one of his replicas because i'm not that rich

[Agent RayBans]

thanks for your advice.

but i am currently attending art school so i have easy access to..

- nightshades by VHT
- metallic gold spray from rust-oleum (i will not be actually chroming my mold)
- bondo
- silicone mold kits
- industrial design department's vacuum former machine
- plastic sheets (0.06 PETG is what i'm planning to use)
- wood shops with sanders, lathe, jigsaw
- laser cutter at the architecture department

everything (laser cutter, woodshop tools, vacuum former) is free for students. so i dont think its better for me to buy one of his replicas because i'm not that rich

Well I stand corrected! Sounds like you have got it all figured out.

I'm pretty sure the most high tech thing we have at our school is a cordless drill, haha. To say the least I am jealous. Good luck with your build!

[Volpin]

Honestly for what you would end up spending to make your own helmet in this/his method you would be better off buying one of his replicas

You're assuming I'm taking orders for them!

Nice to see that my work is helping out. Best of luck with your build - it looks like you've got a good base so far.

[shinviroz]

You're assuming I'm taking orders for them!

Nice to see that my work is helping out. Best of luck with your build - it looks like you've got a good base so far.

thanks volpin, that means alot to me.
hopefully i can stay on a good track.

[shinviroz]

Day 3 (Nov 1, Sunday):
1. Cut wood into ear pieces, and backboard pieces.

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7430/1101091440.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9716/1101091548.jpg

2. Sand the ear pieces in an angle.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/986/1101091512.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1711/1101091450.jpg

I couldn't do much today because it's Sunday and the wood store was closed. So I did not have wood for lathe. Will be jigsawing out the inner ear pieces tomorrow, and hopefully start sanding the mold when it's hardened.

[Akkazento]

that looks like you know what you do! respect! could you do me a favor and make a little how to while you bevel the ear pieces with a router? i don't know how i could do this, that would be very nice!

[shinviroz]

that looks like you know what you do! respect! could you do me a favor and make a little how to while you bevel the ear pieces with a router? i don't know how i could do this, that would be very nice!

sorry but i'm not using a router.
volpin used it for the outer edges and cutting out the inner part, but i used a sander to sand the outer edges, and i will be using a jigsaw to cut out the inner part.
that's why i first drilled holes on the inner parts so the jigsaw can be started from the holes.
i'll be doing that tomorrow, as jigsaw wasn't available today.

[Akkazento]

ah okay anyways thanks! (if you could post how you bevel those edges would be nice ;-) )

[shinviroz]

Day 4 (Nov 2, Monday):
1. Cut out inner parts of ear pieces and also made the round parts.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4001/1102091626.jpg

2. Jigsawed out the ear areas from the helmet, and hotglued backboard pieces into it. (The pink stuff is bondo, the clay was cracking)

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5400/1103091734.jpg

Now I need to start sanding and applying lots of bondo, and more sanding.
But for personal reasons I have to put the project on hold for a while..
Also, I've realized all the money I put into the work is so much, that I should take more time to make this than mere 8 days... Haha
Anyways, project is on hold until further notice..

[just a kid]

Damn Its looking great for 4 days. Hope it all works out for you.

[piroteki]

2. Sand the ear pieces in an angle.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/986/1101091512.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1711/1101091450.jpg
ahh! last time i used a belt sander trying to get an angle like that, the wood flew out of my hand and i ended up sanding my fingertips... ;~; i'm a bit intimidated from the experience still! lol (it wasn't a serious injury at all.)

but yeah, as the others have said, this is great work, especially given the amount of time you've put into it.

[shinviroz]

thanks guys,
but really, this isn't that much work compared to what i have to do to sand this thing..
and i think most of the time is going to be spent on sanding, so that's the challenging part.
i've decided to not finish it in 8 days, but i'm still working on it little by little.
today, i laser cut out the circuit board parts to the ear piece.

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2452/1105090243.jpg
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7889/1105090244.jpg

it only took like 30 minutes anyway. and the circuit design is different from volpin's. i just felt like designing my own. the material is acrylic board.
sanding will be done around thanksgiving when i get some free time away from school.

[sporgo]

Shinviroz your build is looking great. It is a much better approach using wood for the ear pieces. I made mine out of solid resin and getting them right was way to much work. I wish I had access to the university shop it would have made things a whole lot easier :).

Keep up the good work and take your time with things there is no reason to rush.

[bwaltz458]

wow your progress is INCREDIBLE. i just joined this site quite literally 2 minutes ago and i NEED to build/ buy a guy manuel helmet for my next rave. im a dj and it will be my premiering costume for my next big gig. volpin's plans are amazing, but they just seem too complex for someone like me, who doesnt have much experience. is there any way to dumb the process down a bit? but this is looking exeptionally well. im gunna be doing the same thing!

[shinviroz]

wow your progress is INCREDIBLE. i just joined this site quite literally 2 minutes ago and i NEED to build/ buy a guy manuel helmet for my next rave. im a dj and it will be my premiering costume for my next big gig. volpin's plans are amazing, but they just seem too complex for someone like me, who doesnt have much experience. is there any way to dumb the process down a bit? but this is looking exeptionally well. im gunna be doing the same thing!

thanks!
if youre looking into making using the plastic molding method, then at this point, the only way to dumb it down would be to skip the whole building process, and simply buy a plastic copy someone has already made, and just spray paint that and start from there.



so far, my budget up to this point has cost me $260 to make the actual helmet base for the plastic molding. dumbing it down would only make the helmet look ugly, and that doesn't mean the material costs are gonna go down.

i would look for someone who already has the helmet made, so he can make a copy for you. copies are a lot more affordable than actual helmets, as they are not colored, and probably doesn't come with sea through visors, and doesnt have electronic parts to it, which costs a lot too.

[bwaltz458]

thanks!
if youre looking into making using the plastic molding method, then at this point, the only way to dumb it down would be to skip the whole building process, and simply buy a plastic copy someone has already made, and just spray paint that and start from there.



so far, my budget up to this point has cost me $260 to make the actual helmet base for the plastic molding. dumbing it down would only make the helmet look ugly, and that doesn't mean the material costs are gonna go down.

i would look for someone who already has the helmet made, so he can make a copy for you. copies are a lot more affordable than actual helmets, as they are not colored, and probably doesn't come with sea through visors, and doesnt have electronic parts to it, which costs a lot too.

yeah ive decided to just go by yours and volpin's guide like its a bible. the only part that i dont have are the blueprints. did you just enlarge them from those two links and print them? im so punped to watch this thing progress and get better and better. everything you post here will be read by me over and over and over. ive already gone through volpin's guide multiple times, gathering materials and recources. also, making the helmet from cardboard (or paper i guess) will be pretty difficult for me.

[shinviroz]

yeah ive decided to just go by yours and volpin's guide like its a bible. the only part that i dont have are the blueprints. did you just enlarge them from those two links and print them? im so punped to watch this thing progress and get better and better. everything you post here will be read by me over and over and over. ive already gone through volpin's guide multiple times, gathering materials and recources. also, making the helmet from cardboard (or paper i guess) will be pretty difficult for me.

yes, i've simply enlarged the jpeg's and it's really bad quality, but it doesn't matter because i only need a rough outline. my posts aren't really a guide at all, it's just a way to show people where i am in the process of following volpin's guide. im simply making a few adjustments to fit my situation. im glad it's helpful though.
the cardboard helmet part surely isn't easy, but if you do this well, you are pretty much set for the rest of the process, as this is the structure that will hold everything together.

my thanksgiving break just began today, so ill be back on the game any minute now.

[guy-man06]

http://http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3384045020_784968bd02.jpg

or which are the parts for do it????:gm:

[bwaltz458]

http://http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3384045020_784968bd02.jpg

or which are the parts for do it????:gm:

you make it. you can also make it out of a sturdy posterboard if thats easier for you, at least, i am. cardboard in my opinion is way too hard to work with, but if you do it right, its the best way.

[bwaltz458]

hey guys, if you would like to follow my progress on the project, follow my dedicated blog!
www.projectdaft.blogspot.com
read the about me section if you have questions for kits.

[bwaltz458]

im sorry for all of the posts, but what type of expanding foam did you use? i accidently bought insulation foam and it wont cut AT ALL.

[shinviroz]

im sorry for all of the posts, but what type of expanding foam did you use? i accidently bought insulation foam and it wont cut AT ALL.

i think i used a great stuff expanding foam, it was a red tall can.
mine was insulation foam as well.

[bwaltz458]

oh... i bought the blue can and i cant cut it with anything no matter how hard i try. what did you use to cut yours?

[shinviroz]

oh... i bought the blue can and i cant cut it with anything no matter how hard i try. what did you use to cut yours?

i used an an olfa knife. it cut real smooth

[shinviroz]

Day x-1:

I picked up the project again for thanksgiving break, but didn't get much done:
I have bondo'd the entire thing and have started to sand it while using red primer.
the pink is bondo, and red is primer, and the black is air dry clay.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7227/1129090254.jpg

I would say I am about 25% done with the entire project, excluding the electric lighting.
sanding may not be the hardest part, but it is definitely the most time consuming.
Probably not gonna work anymore on this until next weekend.

as i do the sanding part, my respect for volpin's craftsmanship has gone up even more.
you should all check out his latest bioshock costume, which has been very successful at an event called dragoncon and is now getting auctioned in ebay for like $800 last time i checked it. it still has 4 days left so it's sure to go up a lot more.

[guy-man06]

oh... i bought the blue can and i cant cut it with anything no matter how hard i try. what did you use to cut yours?

which one should i use for my helmet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA7RocP92cQ

and what are those red and blue cans. where can i get them?

[bwaltz458]

which one should i use for my helmet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA7RocP92cQ

and what are those red and blue cans. where can i get them?

i bought mine at lows. its called Great Stuff and theres 2 different colored cans. the red is for gaps and holes, the blue is for doors and windows.

[guy-man06]

what is spot putty?

[bwaltz458]

is it just me or did this thread just DIE... well my website and progress is still going at
projectdaft.blogspot.com

[shinviroz]

LOL im still working on it very slowly... probably finish when i'm 80 years old

[shinviroz]

is it just me or did this thread just DIE... well my website and progress is still going at
projectdaft.blogspot.com

lol same pose as my photo!

[skatersss]

wait where can i get teh liquid to harden the paper? is it like fiberglass resin or something and where can i buy expanding foam

[bwaltz458]

haha yeah it is! i did that on purpose, hoped you would notice.

[bwaltz458]

lol same pose as my photo!

hey Shinviroz, how far are you into the project? my foam prototype came out OK to say the most of it. the air dry clay came out horrible and i dont think i can turn back. even if i did, it wouldnt fix the problem that i have with the bad foam copy.. i just have NO idea what to do. email me a response and some pictures to where you are in the project at: Bwaltz458@gmail.com

[Herrminator13]

is it just me or did this thread just DIE... well my website and progress is still going at
projectdaft.blogspot.com

I know this is a pretty old thread, i just wanted to know if anyone has made any progress, im starting one also and i like to see people's replica's and theyre strategies, u can see mine at Herrminator13.Blogspot.com