How I Built/Assembled my Dredd 3D costume in just 3 months

Nelsonator

Nelsonator

New Member
Hey Everyone,

So I thought that I would go through the process of how I built my costume (seems like a lot of people are doing it, so why not toss my hat in the ring as well?). I didn't have as much time as I would have liked (only about 3 months), as I was trying to get my costume done in time for FanExpo 2013 here in Toronto. So I had to cut some corners, buy some things instead of making them, etc. I think it turned out pretty well in the end though.

And as a side note, I found out how truly awesome my girlfriend is for helping me with a lot of the stitching.

Okay, here we go...
 
The Helmet - where to buy it

So firstly, I set out getting the most iconic thing I could: The Helmet. Although I really, really badly wanted to build this myself, I knew there would just be no time. So I set out looking for a fully built one or a mould I could use. Nothing on ebay was really working, so I did some research, and the best source I found was Mr. Pinski. You can find him on this site, or facebook, or etsy, or just using a simple google search.

etsy
MrPinskiProps on Etsy

facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MrPinskiProps

This guy is, literally, the man. I bought a mould off of him. He custom makes these, so make sure that you get the order in ASAP! This cost me around $200 Canadian. I didn't buy as high an option as I could have, but I found mine worked well enough. It came in the mail about a week and a half later.

HelmetMould.jpg
 
The Helmet - Getting Started

Once I had the helmet, I realized two things: 1) I couldn't try it on yet and 2) it needed a bit of work. I couldn't just start painting it, and it needed to be cut and sanded, etc.

Cutting and sanding had to take first priority, so, thanks to some helpful hints from the forum, I decided an 80-grit sandpaper would be best to use. It's very fine, but if you press hard enough, it can sand bigger, rougher edges as well. You can get it relatively cheaply at Home Depot, and usually way more than you'll need.

As for cutting, a Dremel is your best bet. This is also an extremely handy tool that I've used many times since, so it's worth the investment. I bought the 100 series for around $60 Canadian (can be found at Home Depot or Canadian Tire). It comes with a much more coarse sander head that can be used for bigger pieces, as well as rotary wheels for cutting. You can also buy several attachments separately for under $5.

You can see in the picture here, I've cut the face out of the helmet, and started the sanding. I've also marked where I want the battle scars to be, roughly.

IMG_0995.JPG
 
The Helmet - Painting and Battle Scars

So once you've got all the cutting and painting done, it's time to do the battle scarring. I alternated between using the finer sand head on the Dremel, and a diamond tipped head I bought separately. BE VERY VERY CAREFUL with this step, if you cut too deep you will go right through the helmet. I took my time on this step, and even though I was dying to paint it, I made sure to pace myself.

Once that's done, give it a nice wipe down with a wet cloth, and dry it. I forgot to mention in the other post, cutting and sanding with the Dremel is VERY messy, so make sure to wipe it down good.

Let it dry for a bit, and then it's time to prime. Any grey primer from any hardware store will work, no need to be picky. Make sure you spray it on evenly, and don't be afraid to dab a bit to get the primer into the battle scars.

IMG_1034.JPGIMG_1035.JPGIMG_1036.JPG
 
The Helmet - Painting and Battle Scars pt2

Now it gets a little tricky.

Your best option is to grab some painters tape and paint all the black first. Painters tape is still your best bet, and don't be skimpy with it either. I used the tape to cover the badge and red brim on the helmet.

Now, for any battle scarring, you will need vaseline. Not a lot, just a little. Spread it evenly in the cuts and sand marks you've made. Take a towel and wipe away any excess around the battle scarring, as the paint will not stick.

You'll be better off doing a few coats, I used an entire can of black over 2-3 coats. If you set it in the sun, it only takes about an hour for each coat to dry.

When it comes time, make sure to peel the tape off very slowly, or else you might take some of the paint with it.

IMG_1038.JPGIMG_1039.JPG
 
Re: The Helmet - Painting and Battle Scars

Just an observation from a guy who has taken quite a bit longer to get things right. You may want to consider thinning the front of the cheek pieces considerably. They certainly shouldn't be thicker than about 3 or 4 millimeters. ( 3/16" to 1/4") What you may have seen is either inaccurate fan pieces made with pepakura or you have mistaken the inside padding for that thickness you are seeing. Not trying to be critical of your work and maybe you couldn't care less but you've spent considerable money getting that far...just thought you'd like to rethink that part. By the way, if you haven't seen the pics in the RPF gallery, I highly recommend those as reference. They will save a lot of post "wish I hadn't done that" angst. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you are enjoying the build.:)
 
Re: The Helmet - Painting and Battle Scars

I've actually already built the costume, but thanks for the info. Thanks for the info though! I'm going to try and built a helmet myself from scratch, so I will keep that in mind for next time.
 
Re: The Helmet - Visor

The visor is pretty simple really. Instead of using a motorcycle helmet, I found that a welding helmet face shield works really well. It's flexible, and easily cut. I bought some off ebay, and it actually came in a pack of 5 for around $5, so there were extras if I needed any. I just had to trim off the edges using the Dremel, and then I stuck it to the inside of the helmet with some double sided velcro and glue.

The one I used was green, but nobody can tell the difference unless a light is directly shone on the visor. It's also nice and clear to see through, just like wearing a pair of sunglasses.

IMG_1040.JPG
 
The Helmet - Painting and Battle Scars pt3

At this point, I let it dry enough to put some painters tape around the black and paint the red brim of the helmet and the gold badge. Getting the badge right was the hardest, and as you can see, I had a few issues with the paint leaking through, or some gunk from the tape getting stuck on the helmet. I'd recommend giving it at least a day between badge and brim, and make sure you take your time. I got a little overeager...

IMG_1052.JPG
 
The Helmet - Battle Scars

For the final touch, I gently wiped away the vaseline from the helmet, making sure not to strip any of the paint away from the edge of the battle scarred areas. I bought some steel wool cheap from a dollar store, and used it to scratch/scuff up the helmet. Whatever you think might help, I suggest using. I like the look of a well worn, battle scarred helmet, so I tried to be as rough with it as I could, keeping in mind that the actual material was a bit thin.

IMG_1056.JPG
 
The Helmet - Padding

I would recommend taking the time to cannabalize an old bicycle or motorcycle helmet for this. Again, as I was strapped for time and cutting some corners, I ended up using two types of foam I had lying around.

It ended up fitting really well, nice and snug without moving around too much. I will admit though, I'm going back to work on this step a little more now, as it's really damn hot in this thing as is.

***note, you will need foam for the rest of the costume, so I would suggest waiting until the rest of the armour is built before using foam for the inside of the helmet. It won't be pretty, but it will save you money if you use the bigger scrap pieces***

IMG_1058.JPG
 
The Helmet - Finished

A few adjustments when the costume was on, but not too bad considering that I only had a few hours each day after work.

It's good to note, the longest step in the entire helmet process was the Dremel cutting. It's a slow, often tedious task, and it's really really messy. If you have experience, the cuts aren't too bad. But, being a novice like I am, it might be a safer option to use the sanding head and do some of the finer points this way. Make sure to leave time for cutting, and do all of it outside, unless you want a mess.

IMG_1062.JPG
 
The Suit - Breaking the bank

I know there are lots of suggestions here for ways to make this, or where to buy it cheap, but for some reason, I just really, really wanted this to look genuine. Even though it's covered up by a lot of the armour, something about having that jacket, or putting on those gloves. I swear, as soon as it's on, you're dying to go out and kick some ass.

After some research both on here and on google, I found a place in the UK that makes replica movie costumes. I got the Dredd 3D leather suit and gloves from here, and while they were really expensive (they are leather, after all) they were so worth it.

Here is the LeatherNext website:
Dredd Leather Suit - Leather Next

And the gloves:
http://www.leathernext.com/Movie_Replica_Jackets/New+V4+Dredd+Leather+Gloves

If you go this route, make sure you allow enough time for shipping. It's from the UK, and it does take awhile as each suit is custom made to the measurements you provide. You should be aware, gmail kicked their confirmation emails into my spam for some reason. This took a week longer to get to me because of it.
 
The Boots

So for the boots, you're good to grab any type of black motorcycle boots from ebay, or any online store really.

If he is selling, I recommend Art Andrews for help in completing the look of the boots. He sells some shin and toe pieces that look amazing, and are priced very reasonably!

Here is his page:
View Profile: Art Andrews - the RPF

With a little creative super glueing, these turned out to be pretty authentic as well.
 
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