X-Wing Pilot Helmet (In Progress)

luke skywalker rebel pilot Rebel Alliance Helmet prop star wars DIY X-wing

The End Goal.

Initial Materials and Tools

More Tools

Additional Materials and Tools

Last Shot of Supplies and Tools

Safety Glasses to be used as Lenses for Helmet

Safety Glasses to be used as Lenses for Helmet with sides removed

Chin Strap

Initial Filling of Holes

Rough cut of plastic for fabric strap

Fill sanded down.

Slot cleaned up

Painting the Apoxie Sculpt white.

Brim cut off, rough edges and raised details filed and sanded down

Brim cut off, rough edges, raised details, and mold lines filed and sanded down

Holes filled in and sanded down, unnecessary details covered and sanded down

Holes filled in and sanded down (Interior)

Extra material added on side to give proper shape to front opening

Cleaned up added material

Removed velcro tape

Broke down box

Cut out one panel of box and drew template for mohawk strip of helmet

Cut out mohawk strip and inscribed folding lines. Cut some folding lines too deep, so repaired the strip with tape

The strip had a tendancy to crack when folded, so I reinforced all the folding lines with tape on the inside surface before they all cracked. The gaps on the outside will be filled with expoxy clay when the strip is assembled and attached to the helmet. Began constructing the first box of the strip

I find that hot glue doesn't hold up very well long term, and I'm giving this helmet to a five year old. Instead, I'm gluing the cardboard together with PVA glue, and will then reinforce the joints with expoxy clay once the glue is dry

In these next three photos you can see I'm using masking tape to hold the cardboard in place while the glue dries. Once it has dried, the masking tape will be removed

Folding down the sides and gluing them in place with PVA glue. Used masking tape to hold them in place

Sides are now folded down and glued in place

Reinforcing the joints with expoxy clay for strength

Gluing on the raised area at the front of the strip in these next few photos

Filling in some gaps in this and the next photo on the raised area at the front of the strip

This and the next two photos show the mohawk strip glued to the helmet

After some test fitting, realized I needed to add some material inside the helmet to glue the glasses to at the end. Cut out an arch of cardboard and cuts slit down to help it bend.

Glued the cardboard to the inside front of the helmet, where the glasses will eventually be glued.

Inserted newspaper into the cardboard mohawk to fill in the cavity.

Inserted newspaper into the cardboard mohawk to fill in the cavity. Actually inserted from the back first, as far as I was able. Then inserted from the front until it met up with the stuff already pushed in from the back, hence why the newpaper is sticking out of the hole at the front. The newspaper sticking out the front was then trimmed. I just took these photos in reverse order, hence why you can see the newspaper from the front in this shot.

Filled in the gaps in the sides and top with Apoxie Sculpt. Also filled in the exposed edges of cardboard.

Second layer of Apoxie Sculpt to fill in any sunken areas.

Second layer of Apoxie Sculpt to fill in any sunken areas. Also, shown here one to two layers of Apoxie Sculpt on the material added to the helmet for the glasses to glue to, and the void filled in between the mohawk and the helmet.