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[Hivemind]

So, considering the originals are sold for upward of $65,000USD, I've decided buying one is not very practical.

I have decided instead to create a copy of the helmet worn by Guy-Manuel, seen here:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Now I have the general process down, more or less. I have decided to begin with chicken wire to get a form-able base so I can shape it to my head. Then a light layer of paper mache, to give myself somewhere to layer expanding foam.

After the foam sets, I intend to shave it into the appropriate shape, using bondo and resanding until satisfied. A few layers of resin, accompanied by more sanding and eventually waxing will give me the form for the mold.

I have never done molding before. Silicone, applied in layers, seems to be the way to go. It gives me a flexible mold to peel from the form. From there, I'm not too sure. My question is, I want to slushcast with resin after I pull the silicone free, but I think it may need more support than it would have as a bare mold. Should I get a molding box set up? If so, what do I use to set the mold in and provide adequate support during rotation? I'd obviously prefer to use something I can remove from the silicone after, without destroying it. I may need to make multiple resin casts to perfect the steps that come after, including:
-Vacuum forming the visor
-Attaching the visor
-Implementing the electronics (a whole other "please help me I might accidentally kill myself doing this" topic in and of itself)
-Chroming (or airbrushing with metallic paints, if I get desperate)

I may actually set up a blog or maintain a development thread once I get this beyond the planning stages. I realize that realistically, it will cost me upwards of $1000 (just for the mask, not even the tools!) if I do the chroming and electronics, and that it will take me probably a couple hundred hours of work.

References for procedures thusfar:
http://volpinprops.blogspot.com/2009/08/daft-punk-helmet-part-1.html
http://volpinprops.blogspot.com/2009/10/daft-punk-helmet-part-2.html    -These give a rough idea of the steps I am currently piecing together, to a finished product.

http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/16910-Tutorial-Make-amp-Paint-Your-Own-See-through-Visor -Provides me with an idea of how to create a smoked glass effect, an alternative to car headlight tinting.

http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html - How to build/play with a vacuum former

Any comments, suggestions, alternatives, or insights regarding my questions or anything else is hugely appreciated. I'm trying to get a solid idea regarding the process, materials needed, and a more accurate cost narrowed down.

Thanks guys.

[Lord Dullard]

Looks insanely complicated! Those blog posts are pretty cool - I could never hope to be so good at anything that hands-on (I can manage some basic handyman type stuff but I'm relatively awful at anything mechanically complex). I wish you luck, hope to see the results once it's finished!

[Derekristow]

I had a video that would be absolutely perfect for this thread... and it turns out it was all of the pictures from that exact blog.  Oh well.  Best of luck though, hope you find what you need!

[rarborman]

Good luck with that, I've done work with plastics, it was fun, just be glad your not doing sewn in plastic or metal, or worse sewn in weaved metaloid plastic...never again.

Although your going to have problems with sight if you use solid silicon board electronics for the front lights.

[Hivemind]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. And yeah, as far as sight goes, I think I'll have a narrow field of view between the two rainbow lighting boards. It's going o be individual little boards, to take as little space as possible. Of course as soon as I get into the electronics I'll be over my head, because I know nothing about it.

[rarborman]

Well I'd have some suggestions for being able to actually see through most, definetly more then you're planning to have.

Only problem is 75% of what I would say would both go over your head and have to be done in such a way that getting it wrong would require a redo of a large portion of the helmet.

Lets start by saying the visor should be multi layered carved and tinted vacuume formed plastic with built in circuits and lights.

Next you should make your control stuff, outside the helmet, maybe in a control handle or even a remote if you can.

Lastly...think about comfort and the ability to breath when you make the internals.

[Hivemind]

That's more or less what I already had decided to do. In fact, I'm building my own vacuum former specifically for the visor. I'll be using PETG, and probably do a few test runs with which I'll test the tinting paint.

As to comfort and ability to breath, the bottom of the helmet will be open.  Padding will be added inside once I get the electronics in. It won't be something I wear for hours at a time, obviously.

To power the electronics I'll need an external powersource, likely a battery setup that I keep strapped to myself under my coat. The same box could be expanded on for controls.