Dredd helmet. Questions about my first build.

Kyle Douglas

Kyle Douglas

New Member
I just finished my Dredd helmet pep from Blaxmyths files and overall I think it turned out pretty well. Theres some space at the bottom of the badge and the cross is a tad crooked but its nothing I can't fix over time.

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My main concern is with the scale. My head isn't gigantic, but slightly larger than average (I don't have a measurement but I typically wear a large or XL baseball cap if that gives an idea). So just to make sure it wasn't too small I scaled the file up by %10 but as I started putting it together I felt it was a bit bulky. This could just be my paranoia of having to start over from scratch and the fact that the only scale I can go by is pictures, but I'd still like to get opinions from those who've made these before and maybe a few tips on how to scale these files so they fit better (I've tried searching but can't find a fool proof way).
I already attached the paper braces so I can't put it on my head, but I did take pictures next to it so you can get some sense of scale.

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Thanks a lot for any help! :D
 
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The only thing I can offer is that there were two different size helmets used in the film. The smaller of the two accommodates a 24" circumference head nicely. The larger, probably an inch to inch and a half larger. Measure your head at the brow area across your ears and around the back. Then measure the helmet inside. From the pictures it looks to be real close. Good luck.
 
Hey, nice build! I get a real kick out of seeing these helmets being built, so thanks for posting. :thumbsup

I think it'll look OK as it is presently scaled, but wouldn't want to be too much larger. I'm used to Dredd from the comics, where his helmet is always portrayed as really tight fitting, and I took some time getting used to the Dredd 3D helmets being so much larger.

Cheers, Phil
 
I usually wear XL cap and such, big head, and my friends too. I made this helm with the size provided in the file (didnt make any changes) and feel like its a bit too small. The visor when inserted in fall right on the middle of my nose. I guess 10% more would be ok without making it too large. The only thing id be worried about is the width of the helm rather than the depth or the height.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone! Glad to know the scale looks pretty good.

I'm about to put the first layer of resin on the outside so wish me luck. I'm just super afraid of messing something up. Pictures to come soon!

And fullbob, I'm not going for an exact Dredd replica, I'm sure the width will end up looking more like Judge Lex but if I feel its too wide I'll just try warping it some with a heat gun or put in some thicker padding.

Also another question. It might be too early to consider, but I was wondering if it would be better to make the helmet look clean and new or rough and aged? I figured clean would be harder because you could easily spot flaws but I'm afraid if I make it look aged that it won't turn out right and look kind of cheap.
 
Hi Kyle

Glad to hear you're making good progress, and best of luck with the resin stage.

There's not much to worry about, honestly, and I can almost guarantee that you'll contract the pepakura bug. More than likely you'll end up with at least two helmets, one for Sunday best and another everyday, knock-about one!

Looking back on the tons of peps that I've done, only about one in three makes it to the resin stage, and with a bit of practice it isn't a chore to assemble a new one if needed.

Most important advice - have fun, it's only a hobby! :D

Cheers, Phil
 
Blaxmyth said:
Hi Kyle

Glad to hear you're making good progress, and best of luck with the resin stage.

There's not much to worry about, honestly, and I can almost guarantee that you'll contract the pepakura bug. More than likely you'll end up with at least two helmets, one for Sunday best and another everyday, knock-about one!

Looking back on the tons of peps that I've done, only about one in three makes it to the resin stage, and with a bit of practice it isn't a chore to assemble a new one if needed.

Most important advice - have fun, it's only a hobby! :D

Cheers, Phil
Click to expand...

Ha! Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun with it, all of my friends are really entertained just watching me work on it. The only problem I'm having is having to put it off for a little while because of time/money :lol

Also I was wondering, what would be the best way to make the badge for the top of the helmet? I thought about making one out of foam but I'm not really crazy about foam costumes.
 
I saw a post on one of the Dredd threads where the maker used real brass strips, so I guess a cheap and easy way would be to use Styrene strips, or even MDF sealed with resin, and sanding and butting the edges to make it look like engraved grooves. That way you'd get the hard edges that seem problematic with foam?
 
I used 2mm acrylic and cut them into strips... bondo... the painting.. using cement glue to fix it to the helmet...

I want to try using a mould next time to be more precise... anybody tried this process???
 
Kyle Douglas said:
Ha! Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun with it, all of my friends are really entertained just watching me work on it. The only problem I'm having is having to put it off for a little while because of time/money :lol

Also I was wondering, what would be the best way to make the badge for the top of the helmet? I thought about making one out of foam but I'm not really crazy about foam costumes.
Click to expand...

Hi, Just finished my Dredd helmet, I just need to sort the padding out.
3.jpeg
I just modeled the badge out of milliput, doesn't look too bad.
2.jpeg
 
Ok so I got to put the helmet on for the first time in a week or so and yeah. I think its too big.

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I'm thinking that I messed with the scale too much. I'll measure my head and try to alter the files, but certainly not by 10%. I hate that I already covered it in resin but I've still got plenty so the only thing really wasted was time.
I'll probably start over this weekend and will post updated pictures.
I'm also going to go with hot glue next this time since last time I used super glue and that was just too much of a pain to work with, plus once you glued its final.
 
Yes, it might be a little too big. The next build will be a lot quicker as well.

Just one suggestion if I might - try some good quality white glue - we call it PVA in New Zealand, but I think it's Elmers in the USA. I get the trade quality, make sure it has cross-bonding or cross-linking on the label - really quick grab and it doesn't create sanding problems like I had with hot glue. It's the main tip I wish I'd been given when I started pepping.

Cheers, Phil

Kyle Douglas said:
I'm also going to go with hot glue next this time since last time I used super glue and that was just too much of a pain to work with, plus once you glued its final.
Click to expand...
 
So, it may be a while before you get to the finish stage. Lots of advice out there on that topic. I didn't follow much of it. I know from experience that I want a helmet that looks like it did, to me, in the movie. That is not always the same as the prop looks in person...reason is sometimes filters are used on cameras, set lighting may use colored gels. All that can alter the look. I find the color that most are using is too bright for my taste (the red). It might match the Blu-ray cover (which is clearly color "corrected" to attract buyers. Dredd's helmet is more subdued on the screen. I painted mine a color leaning more toward a burgundy, or at least leaning that way from the "fire engine red many are using". Some are using a Rustoleum paint called Colonial red. Mine is Krylon fusion "burgundy" though it is not a true burgundy, in my opinion. Also my opinion, I think most people go too extreme on aging or weathering. Mostly the gouges are too large, the scuffs too wide and even a tad too much silver showing. it is easy to get carried away. Look at the many reference photos available on this site. Yes, the scratches and dents are there but more subtle when done by the pros. Also look at the scratches and you will see some dirt, rust or just grunge along the torn paint line of a scratch. It is not always a fresh scratch with silver against red or black. Old scratches collect schmutz. That is your technical term of the day.:lol
 
So today I got the 2nd helmet pep put together and I'm very satisfied with how it turned out.
It fits much MUCH better and I didn't have to alter the original files all that much in the end.

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All in all I'm very glad that I decided to start over as I went in with experience and had a better idea of how I wanted the end product to look. Plus now I can see how ridiculously over sized the 10% helmet looked.

20130803_231530.jpg

Advice to those who are wanting to build their own for the first time like me, just trust the default size! Maybe bump it up just a smidge but no more that 10mm

So now on to glassing which hopefully I'll knock out tomorrow!
 
Woohoo! I'm so relieved to hear that it's OK now. I was getting worried! Looking forward to seeing some more progress shots as son as you've got some. :thumbsup

 
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