Daft Punk Helmet

http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Daft-Punk-helmet-with-programmable-LED-/

Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop

Building a Daft Punk helmet with programmable LED displayby volpin on October 6, 2011

Table of Contents

Building a Daft Punk helmet with programmable LED display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Building a Daft Punk helmet with programmable LED display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Blueprinting and Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Forming the helmet base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3: Refining the helmet base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 4: Adding the visor, chin, & ear recesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 5: Creating the ears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 6: Refining the visor & chin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 7: Adding smaller details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Step 8: Molding the Helmet (1 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Step 9: Molding the Helmet (2 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Step 10: Molding & casting the ear puck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Step 11: Resin casting & trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Step 12: Making the visor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Step 13: Designing the electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Step 14: Creating the LED Matrix (1 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Step 15: Creating the LED matrix (2 of 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Step 16: Prepping the cast parts for chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Step 17: Final Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Step 18: Rock out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37


Intro: Building a Daft Punk helmet with programmable LED displayThis Instructable will detail the process of creating your very own Thomas Bangalter Daft Punk helmet. While this tutorial may seem specific to Thomas Bangalter'shelmet in particular, there are many processes involved within that will be helpful to anyone looking to get into prototype making as well as some electronic work.

A few caveats beforehand: While the methods I employ here were able to furnish me with a finished helmet, I am in no way saying these are absolutes! In the end, thebest processes to follow are those which you are most comfortable working with, so if there is something here that seems easier to do in your own way, by all means feelfree to modify the process to your preferred flavor of building.

I should also note that this is a complicated and lengthy process. The final result took me a little over 4 months to realize, so anyone looking to follow a similar path, beprepared to be in it for the long haul! That said, this is only my second helmet project. If you're more familiar with electronics, casting, moldmaking, or just plain havemore freetime than me, your results may vary. This project encompasses elements of sculpting, mold making, casting, soldering, electronic design, and lots of good-old-fashioned sanding.

I am entering this Instructable in the 4th Epilog Challenge because, as you will see, having a laser cutter for some steps in this process would greatly improve theproductivity speed! I am an amateur propmaker by trade and, more recently, profession - having a laser cutter to expand the capabilities of my studio would allow for awhole wealth of new opportunities.

Step 1: Blueprinting and ScalingBlueprinting:Before I begin any project, I spend a lot of time scouring online for reference images. The gents from Daft Punk are a fairly elusive couple, and to add to the complexity ofsourcing references, there have been a multitude of changes to their helmets over the course of their career.

I try to find as many images from profile and portrait views as possible before beginning my blueprints. These illustrations form the basis of my projects, and are designedin Adobe Illustrator. Dimensions such as the overhead view can be extrapolated from two other viewpoints. (pic 1 & 2)In the end, the blueprints I designed are an amalgamation of many of the changes to Thomas' helmet over the course of its evolution. Whether you decide to adherestrictly to the subject material or base your designs off of personal interpretation, reference blueprints are essential! These will keep you on track and make sure allelements of your project stay consistent and accurate during the course of your build.Scaling:In order to scale these blueprints correctly, I open the blueprints in Illustrator, then import a picture of the wearer's head next to a ruler. After scaling the pictureappropriately to the ruler's marked dimensions so that the scale of the person's head is 1:1, the blueprints are scaled and printed accordingly. (pic 4)While this may not be the most precise measurement, I find that it works fairly well with some practice. Often times you may have to take into account lens distortion or


other factors depending on how the reference image was shot.

When printing a blueprint, I usually print three copies: one at 105%, one at 100% and one at 95% - these are all compared when printed fullscale to see which one hasthe best "feel" as a full image. Sometimes seeing the print just slightly larger or smaller can help determine what looks best.A while ago my Dad rescued a roll-fed plotter from the dumpster of a local school and it now lives as my blueprinting machine. If this isn't an option, you can either try alocal print shop, or scale your blueprints with registration marks to fit on normal sized paper. (pic 5)

Image Notes1. Blueprint for Guy Manuel's current "TRON" style helmet, designed also inAdobe Illustrator

Image Notes1. A profile angle like this is perfect for creating blueprints

Image Notes1. Not me, but my friend Guy will probably kill me when he sees I used his pic!


Image Notes1. Check local schools, you never know what old tech they'll throw away!

Step 2: Forming the helmet baseThe easiest way to break down a complex project like this one is to think of it in simple geometric forms. The helmet is really just a dome with two cylinders shoved in theside for ears, an extended faceted cylinder face for the visor, and three intersecting planes for the chin area. We'll start with the dome.

Using the blueprints, trace out the X, Y, and Z axis planes of the largest sides of the dome onto the 1/4" MDF, then use your saw (band, scroll or jig) to trim them out.Cutting slots in the pieces to fit them together will assist in the steps to come. Slot the pieces on top of one another and use the wood glue to adhere them into place, thenallow the glue to dry. (pic 4)Trim the polystyrene foam into blocks that fit into the recesses of your MDF form, and glue these blocks together with Gorilla Glue. Allow these to set for 24 hours.

Once the glue on both the MDF form and the polystyrene foam has cured, glue the blocks into the MDF form with more gorilla glue. Don't worry if it seeps out of thejoints, it will all be sanded off soon. (pic 5)After allowing this assembly to dry, begin to carve out the overall "dome" shape with a coping saw or electric knife. You're only trying to get the general shape now, soleave it kind of rough. (pic 6)After getting the "dome" shape close with the rough trimming, follow up with an electric orbital sander and very coarse sandpaper. You can do this stage by hand, but thepolystyrene foam tends to "tear" when hand sanding, so I recommend an orbital if you have access to one. This process will be very, very dusty! Wear a respirator! (pic 7)Materials needed:

1/4" MDF board2" Polystyrene foam (Blue foam at LOWE'S, pink foam at Home Depot )Gorilla GlueWood glue

Tools needed:

Bandsaw, scrollsaw, or jigsawCoping saw or serrated carving knife (an electric turkey knife works great! )Orbital sander50 or 80 grit sandpaper

Recommended:

Respirator and safety glasses


Step 3: Refining the helmet baseTime to get the shape a little more accurate, Chances are there are some dips and uneven parts to the foam, but we'll take care of that in this step.

Start out by mixing up some urethane resin and bushing a few coats over the top of your foam-and-MDF form. This application of resin serves two purposes: It gives us astrong base to sculpt and sand on top of, and it protects the polystyrene foam from chemicals that will dissolve it in the steps to come. (pic 2)After letting the resin cure, sand the surface with rough sandpaper. This will give your filler putty something to adhere to. (pic 3)Start covering the indented spots of the helmet with thin passes of bondo or filler putty. Take your time with this, there's no need to slather on 30lbs of the stuff only tohave to suffer sanding it all off later. Make thin, smooth passes and sand them down as needed. (pic 4)Using a contour gauge will ensure you have symmetry on all sides of the helmet. Remember, the MDF "spines" in the base should be extracted form your blueprints, andrepresent the outermost edges of the helmet. You want to be able to see signs of these underneath the filler to make sure you're not making the base too large. (pic 5)This is a "feel" step, so make sure to run your hand over the helmet after each pass, noting the indented areas with a marker and filling appropriately. It will take a littlewhile to make perfect, but put in the time now because the results will be worth it! (pics 6 & 7)Materials needed:

Urethane resinBondo (or other resin filler)

Tools needed:

Sanding blockOrbital sander50, 80, 120 & 220 grit sandpaperContour gauge

Recommended:


Image Notes1. These dark lines are the MDF shape from step 2 coming through - you wantthese here, as they indicate you're staying true to the original dimensions of

Image Notes1. I tint my resin so I can see where the coat is being applied. Many resins areclear before they harden, and this helps to see what you're doing


your blueprint.

Image Notes1. Don't worry about major flat spots like this one here on the first pass. Take thebondo stage slowly, its a lot easier to go in small layers than trying to sandthrough a giant brick of the stuff to get the correct shape.

Image Notes1. Contour gauge


Image Notes1. This rough patch will be covered by the visor and chin later; don't spend timesmoothing out areas you don't have to!

Step 4: Adding the visor, chin, & ear recessesGoing back to the idea of simple intersecting geometric forms, now we add the visor, chin, and the "ear" recesses.

Referencing the blueprints from the overhead perspective, plot out the shape of the visor onto .1" styrene sheet and trim it to shape. (Note: The underside of the visor hasthe same basic shape, but looking at the blueprint's portrait perspective, you can see it is shorter along the side. Make sure to account for this here.) It will help in futuresteps if you scribe a center line onto both sections now, so you know where the symmetry line of your helmet sits (pic 2)Using a set of dial calipers, measure the height of the visor on the blueprint. Cut this dimension out of a long strip of styrene and trim into 1" sections. Superglue the 1"sections together to form "T" shapes, and use these to mount the upper and lower visor parts to one another. This will create the proper visor height. Make sure to placethese .25" in from the outer edge of the visor shapes, this will be necessary for step 6. (pic 3)I trimmed my blueprint shapes out of foamcore and placed the negative shape over the helmet dome to plot the area where the visor intersects. Once you've measuredthis out, use a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to scribe two lines in the dome shape for the styrene visor assembly to slot into (Tip: using masking tape as a guide for thisline will help you make sure its nice and straight) (pics 4 & 5)Align the scribed center line on the visor section to the MDF oval "spine" you trimmed out in step 2 to make sure all your elements are centered. (pic 6)Once the visor shape has been mounted to the helmet, trace the shapes of the chin from the blueprints onto the styrene and trim. Glue these to the lower styrene visor,making sure to align the center marks of the chin to the center marks of the visor. To get the proper angle on the chin sides, measure out from the center line to the leftand right pieces - if the measurements are the same, you're symmetrical! (pic 7)After the visor and chin structures have been mounted to your liking, reference your blueprints again and note the location of the ears. The uppermost point on the earcutout it at the corner of the upper visor. Using a dremel tool with a rotary bit, first roughly trim this section out, then follow it by refining the recess with a sanding drum.After this recess is cut out, make a circular piece of styrene to fit into the hole to provide a flat, even base. (pics 8 & 9)Materials needed:

.1" Styrene plasticSuperglueMasking tape

Tools needed:

Dial caliperDremelSanding drum for dremelRotary cutting tool for dremelExacto knife

Recommended:



Image Notes1. The styrene I used was .060", so I had to add sintra shapes (the blacksections) here to keep it from warping. I recommend using at least .10" styrenefor this reason.

Image Notes1. Make your life easier and mark your center lines!

Image Notes1. These three little hash marks are identifying markers used to make sure I'vegot the top and bottom visor halves aligned properly.


Image Notes1. This little styrene triangle shows the depth this piece will have built up in a laterstep

Image Notes1. Don't worry about cuts like this, they're easily filled in later.2. Ear recess lines up with the MDF spine as its midpoint, that's how you knoweverything is keeping alignment!


Step 5: Creating the earsFor the ears, reference your blueprint and cut out four pieces of .5" MDF (or more, if your blueprint calls for a thicker ear section) about 1/2" larger than the diameter ofthe finished ear cylinder. Glue these pieces together with woodglue, and clamp them to dry overnight. (pic 2)After the piece is dry, mount the puck to the lathe and start shaping! I work by getting the largest diameter laid in first, then using a dial caliper to measure out thedistance in circumference changed form point to point. Work slowly, and stop regularly to take measurements.

Once the basic shape is complete, spray the puck with primer and allow to dry. MDF is a very porous material, so it may take a few coats to fully saturate your lathedpiece. (pic 3)Give the primer a few hours to dry then use the sanding sponges on the lathe to smooth out the finished ear puck. (pic 1)You'll make a mold of this piece later on, so you only need to make one of these. Much easier than trying to lathe an identical piece. Make sure to take your finishedmaster and check fitment in the ear recessed carved in step 4. (pic 4)Materials needed:

.5" MDFWood glueSpray primer (I prefer Krylon "Ruddy Brown")

Tools needed:

Dial caliperWood lathe & chiselsWoodworking clampsSanding sponges - 220, 320 grit

Recommended:


Image Notes1. Cheap harbor freight lathe, and I've thoroughly beaten the snot out of it!


Image Notes1. This divot from where the live center was placed will be filled in later with bondo.

Step 6: Refining the visor & chinThe visor area now needs to be blended into the main dome of the helmet. For this, a similar technique from step 2 of bondo and foam will be used.

Going back to the blueprints, measure the height of the visor bevel above and below the styrene piece from step 4. I marked these areas on the helmet by using a dialcaliper and cutting a recess into the dome, then inserting a styrene ridge. (pic 2)You could fill this entire area with bondo, but that would be pricey and really heavy. Instead, add a crescent shape of polystyrene foam and sand it to match the bevel ofthe visor areas. (pics 3 & 4)In step 4 the "T" shapes that support the visor area were placed .25" inside the edges of the visor. Now that the visor frame is secured in place, take a piece of styrenethat matches the height of the frame, and lay it across these shapes, making the curved visor front panel. At this point, you can also add the trapezoid shaped side panelsin front of the ear cutouts. For these, make a paper template first, as the dimensions will be a bit tricky to get right from your blueprints. Trim them from .1" styrene andsuperglue them in place before proceeding with bondo. (pics 5 & 6)After sealing the visor foam with urethane resin as in step 2, start smoothing out the visor beveled edge with thin passes of bondo filler. Leave the very ends of the visorabove the ears unfilled for now. Sand and re-skim with more thin passes of bondo as needed until the visors are smooth and even. (pics 7 & 8)For the corner sections above the ears, I recommend using a material called Apoxie Sculpt. This is a 2-part, air dry, non toxic clay that has about a 40 minute workingtime, giving you plenty of opportunity to get the shape nice and precise. Use this to sculpt the small areas above the ear cutouts, as well as the curve on the front of the"chin" (pics 10 & 11)

Materials needed:

2" Polystyrene foam (Blue foam at LOWE'S, pink foam at Home Depot).1" Styrene plasticApoxie SculptUrethane resin (or similar material to seal the foam from Bondo. Acrylic paint will also work)

Tools needed:

Dremel toolRotary cutting tool for dremel80, 120, 220 grit sandpaperSanding blockClay sculpting tools

Recommended:



Step 7: Adding smaller detailsAt this point, there's going to be some cleanup needed. To get a better view of areas that need smoothing, paint your helmet master with a coat of primer. Making theentire piece one color will make it easier to see issues like slight indentations in the dome surface. (pic 2)Using bondo or spot putty, fill in these areas and sand them smooth. (pic 3)The "mouth" of the helmet is an indented box. Measure the opening on your blueprints and create a .5" deep box out of .1" styrene plastic. I used a drill bit to open up anarea in the front of the helmet for this to fit, but a dremel rotary tool would work just as well. Embed the mouth box into the helmet, then fill the gaps with bondo and sandflush. (pic 4)You can treat the lower visor vents the same way by building styrene boxes, or scribe the lines as I have done. It would be better to have done this in your blueprintsbefore (I forgot to!) but some math and a dial caliper will do just fine if you didn't take this step at the beginning. When scribing lines, its often easier to lay down a stripe oftape first to use as a guide. (pic 5)The seam line along the top of the helmet is best sketched out using a piece of string. If you have an assistant, have them hold the string at the tops of the ears while youtrace the line the string makes. If you don't have an assistant, chalk line or string rubbed with graphite will work also. After this line is drawn, carve it out with a set of handfiles, dremel tool, or an engraving chisel. (pic 6)

Materials needed:

Spray primer (I prefer Krylon "Ruddy Brown")Bondo (or other resin filler).1" Styrene plasticMasking tapeString or Chalk line

Tools needed:

120, 220 grit sandpaperSanding blockSpeedball engraving tool or detail hand file setDremel toolRotary cutting bit for Dremel tool

Recommended:



Step 8: Molding the Helmet (1 of 2)Once you have all the details finished and all the small imperfections filled in, paint your master with 3-4 coats of primer and allow 24 hours to dry. Warning! Make surewhatever primer you use can be wetsanded! Krylon dull gray and white primers cannot be wetsanded, and learning that lesson once they're already on your finishedpiece is painful.

After the primer is fully cured, begin wetsand the helmet. Start out with sanding sponges (320 or 400 grit) then work up in sandpaper grit to 600, 1000 and 2000. Usingsome windex or dish soap in the wetsanding process will make your sandpaper last longer and produce smoother results. (pic 2)After the wetsanding is complete, buff your finished master with wax. Make sure to test out your wax on some scrap material first, as not all wax finishes will work with allprimers. I use Turtle Wax brand on top of Krylon Ruddy Brown primer. (pic 3)For this helmet, I chose to make a 2-part mold. The seam line would sit on the carved seam line along the top ridge of the helmet. Mark off your seam with non-sulfur oilclay, making sure to add registration keys in the surface for the other mold half. Start out with a thinned coat, gradually building up thickness until you've reached .25" to.5" of silicone around the entire section. For this helmet mold, Rebound-25 silicone was used. (pic 4)Make sure to add registration keys on the outside of the mold as well, to align the flexible rubber mold with the rigid mold jacket which will be added later. For a bit moreinformation about Rebound 25 molds, check out the following video by Smooth-On:

Once the back half of the mold is complete, repeat the process for the front of the helmet. Remove the clay wall separating the two halves of the mold, and brush it withmold release wax or a similar product. I use Meguiar's caranuba wax, but be careful, as this wax will dissolve the Krylon primer used on the master sculpt. Once the backsilicone has been waxed, move on to molding the front half of the helmet.

Materials needed:

Wet sandable spray primer (I prefer Krylon "Ruddy Brown")Brushable moldmaking silicone (Used in this project: Smooth-On's Rebound 25)Silicone thinnerSilicone thickenerBuffing waxRelease wax

Tools & supplies needed:

Mixing cupsDisposable paintbrushes (for applying release wax)Buffing cloth (a t-shirt will do fine)Trowels for mixing siliconeNon-sulfur oil-based modeling clay

Recommended:

Rubber gloves & smock

Image Notes


1. These little bumps are called "registration keys" - they'll be explained in thenext step.2. These little bumps are called "registration keys" - they'll be explained in thenext step.3. These little bumps are called "registration keys" - they'll be explained in thenext step.4. These little bumps are called "registration keys" - they'll be explained in thenext step.5. This seam line marks the split int he front and back halves of the siliconemold

Image Notes1. You may need to move the helmet to get an even coat. Make sure to protectyour master sculpt!

Image Notes1. Since this wax that separates the mold halves can dissolve primer, make sureto place a tape line down to avoid any damage.


Image Notes1. Start of the front half of the mold.

Step 9: Molding the Helmet (2 of 2)Once the silicone has dried, apply the mold jacket. The purpose of this is to hold the flexible silicone in place during casting. The following Smooth-On video will explain abit more:

Part 2:

For my mold, I chose to make separations using 1/4" MDF to split the mold jacket into three parts. With a complex shape like a helmet, a one-piece or even two-piecemold jacket would be difficult to remove. Drill aligned holes in the MDF partitions, then join them together with wingnuts before applying the mold jacket. (pic 2)Use Smooth-on's Plasti-Paste to make the mold jacket, applying it evenly in each section before moving on. You'll want to make sure all of the mold silicone is coveredby the mold jacket to avoid any registration issues.Plasti-Paste can dry very jagged, in order to make the mold jacket easier to handle later on, use rubbing alcohol and a rag to smooth out the surface as the materialcures. Make sure to only do this on the top coat, as pressing in on the mold jacket while its curing may cause some registration issues with your mold later on.After the jacket cures, remove the master from the mold materials and re-assemble everything into one empty hollow helmet mold. (pic 3)Materials needed:

Smooth-On Plasti-PasteMachine screws and wingnuts1/4" MDF


Drill & drill bits appropriate to the size screws used on the MDFBandsaw/scrollsaw/jigsawMixing cupsDisposable trowelsIsopropyl alcohol

Recommended:

Rubber gloves & smockRespirator & safety goggles for cutting MDF


Image Notes1. Fill any gaps between the MDF and the silicone with clay so the sides don'tget glued together with the plasti-paste

Image Notes1. The small bumps from the previous step fit into these parts in the mold jacket,making sure every part of the mold stays properly aligned.

Step 10: Molding & casting the ear puckMolding the ears is much easier. A simple pour mold will work here. Place the ear puck into a piece of PVC pipe to act as a mold wall, and secure it to a base. For mymold, I used Smooth-On's Mold Max 30, though other silicones (Oomoo or Mold Star) will work just as well. (pic 2)Another moldmaking video from Smooth-On will help here:

Allow the silicone to cure, then remove the master from the mold. (pic 3)To make a hollow casting, pour a small amount of resin into the mold first, and insert a plastic or cardboard tube and hold it in place while the resin cures. The resin willcure around the cardboard tube, holding it in place for the next step. (pic 4)


Afterwards, fill in the wall between the tube and the silicone mold with more resin. The tube will keep this in place between the mold wall and result in a hollow casting.You can remove the tube later with a dremel tube if you wish, or leave it in place. Either way, a hollow ear piece will be much lighter than solid ones! (pic 5)Materials needed:

4" PVC pipe fittingPourable moldmaking silicone (Mold Max 30 used in this tutorial)Release waxCasting resin (Smooth Cast 300 used in this tutorial)Hollow 2.25" cardboard tube


Disposable mixing trowelsMixing cups

Recommended:



Step 11: Resin casting & trimmingTo make a copy of your helmet with urethane plastic, you'll use a process called "slush casting"

The video below is pretty dry, but it gets the general point across. Skip to about 4:20 to get the the relevant information, though there are some good tips about mold prepbeforehand as well.

For my helmets, I use Smooth-On's 300 or 320 urethane casting resins. Start by mixing 2 cups or resin (1 cup of part A mixed with 1 cup of part B) and pour it into themold cavity, rotating it slowly by hand as the resin cures.

Repeat this process, moving the mold around to cover all areas of the inside of the helmet, until a uniform thickness of 3/16" is achieved. If some spots are a little thicker,that's fine; slushcasting is a tricky process that can take some getting used to. One helmet usually takes about 32oz of resin.

After the helmet is fully cured, remove it from the mold and trim out the areas for the visor, ears, mouth and nose vents using a dremel tool and hand files. (pics 3 & 4)Materials needed:

Urethane casting resin (Smooth Cast 300 used in this tutorial)Tools & supplies needed:

Disposable mixing trowelsMixing cupsSandpaperDetail filesDremel toolCutoff wheel for dremel toolSanding drum for dremel tool

Recommended:



Step 12: Making the visorThe visor for the helmet will be made from clear 1/16" PET (polyester) plastic. This is the same plastic used in soda bottles. You can order it from McMaster-Carr here.First, trim out a test visor out of thick cardstock to get the shape close. Trim as needed, or use layered masking tape to build up material until you have a mockup that fitsinto your visor area perfectly. (pic 2)After you've got your template finished, trim the visor out of the PET plastic. Make sure to leave the protective film on the plastic until you're ready to tint it. Check the fiton the trimmed helmet. (pic 3)To tint the visor, purchase RIT dye from a local grocery store. Get a large pot and fill it with water, heating the water on your stove to about 140-150F. Put in 5 packs ofRIT black dye and mix into the water. (pic 4 & 5)Put the visor into the dye bath and let it soak for 5 minutes. After this time has elapsed, remove the visor and submerge it in cool water to "seal" the tint into the plastic.Repeat this process 5-6 times, or as many times as necessary to achieve the desired level of tint. (pic 7)While taking on this step, its a very good idea to lay down plastic bags and paper towels over your countertop near the stove. RIT dye is very aggressive and will discolornearly everything it touches, including countertops and wood cabinets! Drop cloths are a very good idea.

Materials needed:

RIT dye (5 to 6 packs)1/16" clear PETG plastic

Tools needed:

StoveLarge cooking potTongs / hangar to remove plastic from dye bathBandsaw/jigsaw/scrollsaw to trim out visor from PETG plasticThermometer to check temperature of dye bath

Recommended:

Rubber gloves & smockDrop Cloth


Image Notes1. This was a test piece, leave the protective film on yours until you're ready to dyeit!


Image Notes1. The tint will be darker once installed in the helmet. Without light coming frominside, its very opaque.

Step 13: Designing the electronicsFor the main electronics, you'll want to familiarize yourself with Arduino, and also with the MAX7219 chips. More information about these can be found here forprogramming, or here for hardware and schematics.

To conserve space, I chose to work with SMD component ICs and design my own circuitboards in Cadsoft EAGLE PCB layout editor. This program can take some timeto get used to, but there is a fairly powerful freeware version available for download. (pic 2)After you've designed your circuitboards, export the gerber files to be made into boards. My boards were printed at BatchPCB.com. Each of the chips shown here cancontrol one 8x8 matrixed LED array, so if you've got an 8x40 display like the one shown here, make sure to order 5 sets of boards and all components.

Components for your electronics can be bought from Digi-Key. Once all the boards come in, solder the components in place and use a multimeter to check all yourconnections. (pic 1)If you're unfamiliar with SMD soldering, the video below is very helpful:

I also decided to add lighting to the ear areas and corners of the visor in my helmet. If you're comfortable plotting out an LED matrix, designing a simple I/O board like thiswill be a snap! (pics 3-6)Remember that Arduino boards are designed to run in 3.3 or 5V, so design your boards accordingly. I chose to use an Arduino Yellowjacket (pic 8) (now discontinued,see the replacement RedBack here) as my controller, and a voltage regulator from Pololu to keep everything running the same voltage. (pic 7)Materials needed:

Silver core fine-gauge solder (.015" diameter used in this tutorial)Solder flux penElectrical components appropriate to your boards (resistors, capacitors, etc. See more details here)LEDsCircuitboards

Tools needed:

Soldering iron

Recommended:

Respirator for soldering


Image Notes1. Make your voltage traces larger than mine!

Image Notes Image Notes


1. Didn't have time to make boards for these LEDs, hence the dead bug soldering.Still works though!

1. Using pieces of white felt will diffuse the LED light in these panels

Step 14: Creating the LED Matrix (1 of 2)For this step, you'll need to create a couple new blueprints for the LED display:

LED matrix subvisor (pic 2)1.Upper and lower subvisor supports (pic 3)2.

Your 8x40 (or 8x32, if you decide to make a smaller one) display will need to fit into the opening in the visor area on your helmet. With LEDs that are 5mm in diameterand 8 sitting in each column, its best to plan out the layout before drilling 320 holes. I used illustrator to make the layout in the pic below. (pic 2)Get a piece of 1/16" clear PET plastic and glue your visor blueprint to the protective plastic film. Using a drill press, carefully measure and drill out all the openings for theLEDs. Drill these out before cutting out the main visor shape, as you won't have any way to clamp down the trimmed piece without damaging the viewing area if you trimit to shape first. (pics 4-6)It will help immensely if your drill press has laser guides, and it can be even faster if you have access to a laser cutter to trim this out for you. If not, then you'll have tosummon up a mountain of patience. Take your time, you don't want to do this more than once if you don't have to!

To hold this plastic in a curved shape, cut your upper and lower subvisors from 1/16" aluminum or similar material. I used a scrollsaw for this step, though (again) a lasercutter would make life easier. (pic 9)At this point its also a good idea to figure out where all your circuit boards will be mounted, so mock these up in place and drill the appropriate mounting holes for them aswell. (pic 10) Since this piece will be sitting next to your face, make sure to sand down all edges until they're rounded and dull.Cut 5 upright supports from aluminum tubing and use these to space the upper and lower supports equally apart from one another. Drill holes in the same location on theupper and lower visors for mounting points, and secure the tube pieces in place with machine screws. Make sure the threads are slightly larger than the interior diameterof the aluminum tube so these will thread the tube as you tighten them. (pic 11)On the front edge of the visor supports, cut out slots for the tabs in the subvisor to fit into. This will hold the subvisor and LEDs in place as well as keep it in a curvedshape. Additionally, there's no need to use any glue to hold the sub visor LED holder in place, as the aluminum tubes will keep the visor supports clamped down. (pic 11)Leave the protective film on the PET subvisor until later!

Materials needed:

1/16" clear PETG plastic1/16" aluminum sheet3/8" thin-walled aluminum tubeCountersunk machine screws

Tools needed:

Drill PressScrollsaw or bandsawHand filesDrill & drill bits120, 220, 400 grit sandpaper


Image Notes1. The fuzziness and frosted surface here is the protective film on the PET plastic

Image Notes1. Centermarks in the circles will help orientate your drill bit


Image Notes1. Lines scribed here with an awl over permanent marker

Image Notes1. Countersunk holes for mounting aluminum tube uprights

Image Notes1. These screws hold the MAX7219/7221 chips in place


Image Notes1. Mockup subvisor in styrene shown here

Step 15: Creating the LED matrix (2 of 2)Now that things are trimmed out, time to start mounting and wiring all 320 LEDs. Making a couple of jigs will speed up this process considerably.First, since LED multiplexing requires the LEDs in the array to be wired with cathodes one direction and anodes another, make a holder like the one shown in the pic tobend the leads of the LEDs accordingly, and trim off the excess. Make sure that one side is bent taller than the other to prevent any leads crossing and power shorts. (pic2)Repeat this process for all the LEDs in your matrix, minus how ever many columns your matrix has in it. If you've got an 8x40, that's 320 LEDs, minus 40 columns = 280bent LEDs. For the remaining 40, only bend the taller of the two leads, and leave the second one straight.

Once all the leads are trimmed, make a new jig out of any scrap material you've got that is flat on one side, at least 0.5 "x .5" x 0.3" - I used aluminum square tube. Drill 8holes in a line the exact same spacing as in your PET sub visor. (pic 3)Place 7 LEDs with 2 bent leads, and one of the LEDs with just one bent lead into your drilled holes and solder the connectors of the lowest-sitting leads together. Whenfinished, you should have a line of LEDs with all anodes soldered together, and one straight lead at the end. Repeat this for as many columns as you have in your matrix(for me, it was 40) Its a good idea at this time to paint the backsides of the LEDs black to avoid light coming back into the helmet while you're wearing it. I waited untillater and it was a bit of a pain to do. (pic 4)With all 40 columns built, place them into the subvisor in blocks of 8, and solder the remaining connections. Be careful not to drip any solder across the joints or onto thesubvisor. Solder these where they will me mounted in the subvisor, as each section will have a slightly different curve to it. (pic 5)Once soldered, you can remove the LEDs from the subvisor by pressing lightly on the front of them. Remove the 8x8 units and solder up the connections to the rows andcolumns. Keep your wiring tidy and try to run the lines up one side of the display - using heat shrink tubing can help make sure things route the right way. (pics 7 & 8)After all the wires are connected, re-install the LED arrays and run the wires up to the MAX7219/7221 chips mounted on the sub visor. (pic 9) When mounting theMAX7219/7221 chips to the subvisor, make sure to isolate them against electrical contact with a small rubber pad. Aluminum is conductive and can short out your matrix!

After the LED matrix is wired, connect the 5V, GND, clock, data and latch connections on the matrix boards and leave some length on the wires to connect to the arduinoonce the subvisor is installed in the helmet. (pic 1)Materials needed:

SolderThin gauge signal wire (28ga used in this tutorial)Thicker gauge power wire (18ga used in this tutorial)Small machine screwsIsolating rubber padsHeat shrink tubingSmall zip ties320+ LEDs (I purchase mine from superbrightleds.com)Paint (enamel black for LED backs)

Tools needed:

LED jigs (self made)Soldering ironSolder fluxWire cuttersWire strippers

Recommended:

Respirator


Image Notes1. Signal and power lines route from here into the onboard microcontroller andpower supply.2. backs of LEDs painted black to reduce light leak into the helmet

Image Notes1. These lines show what direction and how far the leads should be trimmed(at the end of the "T" shape)

Image Notes1. Make sure to leave this bottom LED lead straight to make wiring easier later -otherwise it will run into the aluminum sub visor when you try to install this column


Image Notes1. make sure to keep track of all the wire colors and use the same pattern on all 5matrices

Image Notes1. this looks scarier than it really is.

Step 16: Prepping the cast parts for chromeBefore sending your helmet casting off for chrome, make sure to sand the exterior and fill in any deformations that may have occurred during the casting process. Thiswill require primer, and possibly thin coatings of filler putty.

Also make sure to have all of the mounting points for your subvisor and electronic components sorted out before this final coating. You don't want to be trying to glue ordremel things on a chromed helmet and risk accidentally scratching the expensive surface. Things to consider: Visor cutout, nose holes, ear mounting points, subvisormounting points, and any mounting pads on the inside of the helmet for Arduino boards, voltage regulators, or wiring connections.

Contact your chroming service and ask what their recommendations for preparation are before sending your helmet off. Chroming non-metal pieces is a specific and veryfinicky technique. I paint my helmets with Krylon primer and wetsand the finish to 2000 grit paper, but each shop will vary.

A couple of places which can do this service:Creations n ChromeCoat of Chrome

Both have chromed my Daft Punk helmets before, and with excellent results.

The process for prepping a helmet casting will be very similar to how you prepped the master sculpt for molding earlier. After a cast part has been pulled, spray it withprimer to reveal any dents or imperfections in the cast plastic surface. Fill these with a skim coat of bondo or other polyester resin filler. (pic 2)It may take a couple passes to get everything smooth. Once you've got all the imperfections filled in, spray the helmet with 2 more coats of primer. (pic 4) Allow this to dryfor 48 hours, then wetland the primer to a smooth finish. As with the master sculpt from before, start with 400, then progress to 600, 1000 then 2000 grit paper. Alloweverything to dry overnight, then box it up and ship it off to your chroming shop of choice! (pic 5)I also placed a brace in the visor area for shipping, to make sure nothing was damaged in transit. With this much work, better to be safe than sorry.

Materials needed:

Spray primer (I prefer Krylon "Ruddy Brown")


Bondo or similar polyester filler

Tools needed:

400, 600, 1000, 2000 grit sandpaper

Recommended:

Respirator

Image Notes1. dents filled in with bondo

Image Notes1. guide coat of primer to fill in minor imperfections

Image Notes1. Last coat of paint before wet sanding. This was Rustoleum gray, instead of mypreferred Krylon brown, but it worked just as well.


Step 17: Final AssemblyThe first thing to go into the chrome helmet should be the visor. Mask off the front with painter's tape to make sure it is not scratched, and repeat this on the other side tomake sure no glue residue gets on the visor interior. Press the visor into place and use small spots of hot glue to "tack" it down while the glue cures. (pic 2)Using epoxy, run a thin bead around the outer edge of the visor inside the helmet to secure it in place. Allow this to cure for 24 hours, then remove the tape on the insideof the visor.

The subvisor and LED matrix needs to be installed now. Each helmet will be different, but mine is held up on two blocks of sintra plastic, secured in place with 2 selftapping screws at the base. (pic 3)My helmet shown has added vent fans and LEDs in the ears and corners of the visor area. To control all of these, a switch plate was made out of PET plastic andsecured to the inside of one of the ear cups. Its a good idea to have at least one "master" control switch to turn on and off all the features of the helmet, in order toconserve battery life. (pic 5)Each of these switches controls one segment of the helmet, and is connected to the 5V regulator mentioned earlier. There are a wide variety of battery solutions, but amatrix like this one can pull 800mA at full draw, so you'll need a pretty robust battery. I recommend LiPo packs, but make sure to read all the cautionary labels first! Usingthese, I'm able to run my helmet for about 5 hours on one charge. (pic 8)Once everything is wired up, just add padding and you're set to rock! Charcoal pick-and-pluck poly foam is a cheap and comfortable material for this. Its a good idea toadd the padding with strips of adhesive-backed velcro, so it can be removed and cleaned or replaced later. You don't want sweat soaked foam in there.

As for programming, the particulars of coding the matrix are a bit complex for the purposes of this tutorial, but you can read a bit more about multiplexing and coding forthe 7221/7219 chips here.

Materials needed:

Arduino or micro controller of choiceVoltage regulatorHeavy gauge power wire (14ga used in this tutorial)SPST switchesVent fansClosed cell foamVelcro5-minute epoxy Blue painter's tapeHeat shrink tubingSmall zip ties

Tools needed:

Soldering ironSolder fluxWire cuttersWire strippers

Recommended:

Respirator


Image Notes1. This 2 small sintra blocks here are what the sub visor mounts to2. This 2 small sintra blocks here are what the sub visor mounts to

Image Notes1. "Pick and Pluck" foam makes this easy to trim to shape.


Step 18: Rock outEnjoy your new helmet! One of the first things you're going to find out is that the brighter it is outside, the easier its going to be able to see while all the lights are on insidethe helmet. In full darkness, the LEDs may obscure everything you're trying to see! This is another reason its a very good idea to have a switch accessible in case youwant to turn the visor display off but keep the fans in the helmet running so you don't suffocate!

Thanks for reading, and best of luck on your builds!


Related Instructables

Costume: LEDHelmet WithAnimations(Photos) byeXtremeSomething

How To MakeTwo Daft PunkOutfits withHelmets byderektroywest

LED MatrixCoffee Table(Photos) bytrialex

Lampduino - an8x8 RGB FloorLamp bylincomatic

Yet AnotherDaft PunkCoffee Table(5x5 LED Matrix)by lincomatic

Daft PunkHalloweenCostume(Photos) byClayton H.

Comments10 comments Add Comment

angelabchua says: Oct 24, 2011. 9:52 AM REPLYHoly Smokes..... that is one friggin amazing headpiece!

crapflinger says: Oct 24, 2011. 7:14 AM REPLYman i was hoping you'd drop by with the steps on this one. i was considering emailing you just for the LED matrix programming info. it's the only bit of thething i'd actually make (i like daft punk, but, well, not that much)

volpin says: Oct 24, 2011. 7:45 AM REPLYThe code is still a sort of work-in-progress (isn't it always?) as I had a few glitches when wiring up my matrix that had to be ironed out in software. FUN!

crapflinger says: Oct 24, 2011. 8:12 AM REPLYyeah, i noticed on your site that you have it controlled by an iphone app as well.....would love that to be more android hehe

frollard says: Oct 24, 2011. 12:54 AM REPLYI recall seeing this on hackaday...same builder? Awesome ible and process!

volpin says: Oct 24, 2011. 7:44 AM REPLYMight have been me, I have had a few things published there in the past. Thanks for the compliments!

darknessfalls says: Oct 24, 2011. 6:48 AM REPLYOMFG!!!

I have been looking at your work on your blog for a while now, and there are no words to describe how happy/excited/amazed I am to see that you haveposted it here. AMAZING!!!

-DF


ynze says: Oct 24, 2011. 2:38 AM REPLYOw, I forgot: If I were you, I would consider a different "main picture". The one you use now is hard to decipher when displayed as a thumbnail.

ynze says: Oct 24, 2011. 2:35 AM REPLYWell, you deserve a lasercutter! GREAT!

Ynze

Kiteman says: Oct 24, 2011. 12:47 AM REPLY>Jaw drops

Documents

Daft Punk Helmet