Daft Punk - Thomas Bangalter Build

[Sorenzo]

Here we go with my Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter helmet. You may have already seen my other build threads for Guy-Manuel's helmets

Guy-Manuel Helmet Build
&
Guy-Manuel Tron Helmet Build


As you can see , I undertook to build 3 Daft Punk helmets. Each was started in Febuary and i'm just about ready to cast, so i'm gonna get you up to speed fast. A lot of the processes used you have probably seen before, thanks to some fantastic prop builders like Volpin, so I’m not going to bore you with too much detail. I will however highlight tricks and techniques that I used to speed up or simplify the builds. I will also point out some ‘hindsight moments’ I had along the way which may help you if you decide to take on your own build.

These projects would not be possible if I hadn’t studied and research previous builds that have been catalogued here over the last year or more. I would like to thank everybody how has shown their work, if you’ve have posted it here, I have more than likely taken a few notes from it, so thank you.:thumbsup

All feedback, comments queries and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hope you enjoy my build.

 

[Sorenzo]

Messed around with the scaling with hollowed out cardboard mock-ups

Again, interesecting MDF pieces were used to make a former.

Oversized foam pieces fixed with contact adhesive. This foam (cannot remember what its called, will find out and update) smooths down really nice, alot better than standerd blue foam.

Similar to my Guy-Manuel builds, fibre glass was applied and then built up with car body filler.

Some heavy sanding with some 40 or 60 grit paper.

Then a coat of primer and sanded down using long strips of sand paper ran around the dome (shown in my Tron build)

 

[Sorenzo]

Once the dome was at an perfect finish, it was time for the visor.

Top and bottom cut from 2mm stryene with teh inner radius about 3mm oversized so it could be inserted into channels cut in the body of the helmet.

Top and bottom fixed together with supports, think i used 5mm foamex, the attached to the body.

Similar to the visor, an arc was inserted to mark the top of the visor. Foam was then fixed inbetween, sanded down, covered with filler, which again was sanded down to a nice smooth finish.

At this point i was still enjoying sanding..... haha.

Then i built teh chin piece, with a strip in the centre which would act as a guide for the curve at the front. The bottom of the visor was then built up in the same way as the top.

 

[Sorenzo]

right, i am exhausted! more from the builds tomorrow.

 

[FIREWIRE]

hey nice work ... think everyone building a thomas helmet now follows the volpin method haha...


heres mine- http://www.therpf.com/f9/daft-punk-thomas-build-115798/

Im from Faklirk by the way lol

 

[Teese]

I love that everyone is doing DP builds now! So cool to watch them all evolve

 

[Sorenzo]

hey nice work ... think everyone building a thomas helmet now follows the volpin method haha...


heres mine- http://www.therpf.com/f9/daft-punk-thomas-build-115798/

Im from Faklirk by the way lol

Hey dude, been following your build, meant to drop you a line earlier, really nice work, very precise and well planned in comparison to mine. Hopefully we won't end up at the same holloween party with our Thomas lids on, haha.

 

[Sorenzo]

I love that everyone is doing DP builds now! So cool to watch them all evolve

Yeah, there seems to be quite a few. I been thinking about taking on the project for years now, but had no idea were to start, then volpin did it and that got me and everybody else moving, imitation is the sincerest form of flattering they say.

 

[FIREWIRE]

Cheers mate, itl be good to hear where your going get your materials and stuff from if thats cool.. Because to be honest ive really no clue what im buying.. are you planning on chroming your helmets at a vacuum metalizers?

And yeah, i should be going out to the subclub secret party for halloween.. just as a head up lol

 

[Sorenzo]

Cheers mate, itl be good to hear where your going get your materials and stuff from if thats cool.. Because to be honest ive really no clue what im buying.. are you planning on chroming your helmets at a vacuum metalizers?

And yeah, i should be going out to the subclub secret party for halloween.. just as a head up lol

The plan is to get them all chromed, when, i have no idea. i'm not in any hurry (although i would like one ready for halloween, won't be going to the subby though now haha, unless i have a Guy lid ready??)
I'll get in touch with you when i start reasearching all that, we might be able to get some bulk discounts.

 

[FIREWIRE]

"unless i have a Guy lid ready"

Thatd be awsome lol

"we might be able to get some bulk discounts."

Exactly my thought

cool, good luck with your builds, you look like you have your hands full..

 

[Sorenzo]

Thatd be awsome lol



Exactly my thought

cool, good luck with your builds, you look like you have your hands full..

Cheers dude, i'll be in touch.

 

[brulafu]

Stunning work.....keep it up.

Im planning on doing something when we move house and get a room dedicated to 'pottering about'. Currently we have no space and I run back and fore between Aberdeen & Glasgow on a weekly basis.

 

[Sorenzo]

Stunning work.....keep it up.

Im planning on doing something when we move house and get a room dedicated to 'pottering about'. Currently we have no space and I run back and fore between Aberdeen & Glasgow on a weekly basis.

Cheer buddy, work has resumed on Thomas i'm glad to say.

a man need his space for 'pottering about' thats for sure

 

[Sorenzo]

I cannot believe its been so long since I updated here. In truth, I spent a couple of hours writing an update yesterday and the internet decided to be a cock and timed the page out and i lost everything. Lesson learned, always make a copy before you press send.

Ok, I'm gonna blast through this a quickly as possible, nothing that you haven't seen before.

Ear Holes, dremelled, lined with styrene, filled and smoothed. easy

You'll notice here that poor old Thomas doesn't have a nose or a mouth. This was deliberate. I decided to add these feature later, my main reason was so I could get the slopes and the curves right without having to worry about obstacles. Secondly, I wanted actually recesses, not just lines or slight hollows. the problem with recesses is that stuff, i.e. filler might get caught in them. This way i wouldn't have to worry.

The exact same process for both. Created the box shapes, made them higher than needed so that they could be filed back to level of the slopes. I places strips of styrene around the area that needed to be cut out for protection and to act as a guide. Dremelled out the hole, inserted the box, filled in around the edges and sanded it all down til it was nice and flush and smooth.

Next up was some minor tweeking, a few areas required some extra attention.

On part of the slope of the visor i sanded through to the foam. I had to gouge out a larger area and fill it back in with filler. A pain in the ass, but not the end of the world.

Some of the edges and joins between surfaces were a bit sloppy.

Next I set about reinforcing the chin section. You can see I had a minor breakage, plus the chin would need to be boxed off before casting. A nice sloppy layer of filler for strength. Boxed off with Foamex, all gaps filled and sanded flush.

Finally, Thomas needs a sturdy base. This will also double up as a lip which will act as a stop for the silicone mould and help greatly when casting. Paper template, MDF, cut and screwed in place. Filled in all the gaps, also the space between the block and the earpieces. Then a couple of pieces of foamex on the chinpiece to complete the lip.

A coat of primer and i'm ready for the final inspection before I prep for moulding. I usually get a second pair of eyes to look over my masters, quite often when you looking at something for so long you can't see the most obvious of imperfections.

 

[Rabid Irish]

Been quite some time. Have you worked on Thomas at all or have you just been working on Guy?

 

[Sorenzo]

Been quite some time. Have you worked on Thomas at all or have you just been working on Guy?

Thomas Is just about ready to mold. Just want to get my Guy Build sorted before I start on him.

 

[TK9336]

Any news Sorenzo?

 

[Sorenzo]

ready for casting, just need to schedule some time and acquire some funds for product. Hoping it will all happen this side of x-mas.

 

[nick daring]

Lovely build log!

Do you find there to be a certain advantage to laying down an initial layer of fiberglass over just slathering the filler over the foam base itself?

Nick