Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build - FINAL p.20!

[Risu]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

That's how I made my visor, I cut out most of the resin from the visor section, glue a big sheet of posterboard to it, heated up some plexiglass in the oven, and laid it on top of the board and let it sag onto the form. The only problem is that it's not uniform, there are a couple spots that are imperfect if you look at them from the right angle.

 

[tekparasite]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

You can try this face shield MSA 488131 Visor Polycarbonate 4LN60. I left a ledge on mine, and it barely covers the area and is a tiny bit small to cover the entire visor area of the helmet. I bought it from Grainger, but their site is down at the moment. Anyway, the part number is 4LN60. They do sell a similar face shield that has an inch or two wider than the one i bought. They also sell tinted ones. One thing that impressed me, of course, was NO imperfections AND the face shield has the same curvature as the helmet. That piece sits extremely well in its resting position.

 

[Volpin]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

SOLDERING!

I got all my boards in (plus extras, for some reason!) and they are working perfectly so far. Well, almost. I messed up one lead where I was supposed to run a +12v trace across a board, but it only goes to one side... and the other is ground. No worries, jumpers are easy to add.

So I went out and bought a nice fancy soldering iron (fancier than my Radio Shack $14 pencil iron anyways) a flux pen and a magnifying glass. Then I sat at my desk, triple checked all my connections, and started melting some metal wire.

2 days later, these emerged:

The large boards on the top are for the corners of the helmet. These will be driven, in tandem, by an 8-channel shift register. Since they're not the "main event" the patterns they display will be pretty subdued compared to the rest of the helmet.

This is the shift register board that drives those displays. Less than 1" square!

And the "main event" pieces. These MAX drivers each run one 8x8 display and their input/output connectors on the sides of the chip mean they're chainable to elongate the grid. For my helmet, I've got 5 of them making an 8x40 display.

I ran a test of the sides just to make sure everything was working as intended. The four 5mm round LEDs should be green and aqua, but the colors are nearly indistinguishable. I'm thinking of changing the green out for blue...

And a less-blinding shot with the room lights on

Next comes the matrix construction... fun times ahead!

 

[Risu]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Those boards look amazing!

I noticed the way you carved out the visor section of your helmet and I've got to ask, how are you dealing with the flexibility? I've got my cast mostly cleaned up now and it's warping way out of shape in the visor area and the bottom back curve. It's looking like the only way I can keep the helmet shaped correctly is to pour some mud or glass the inside to beef it up. Is your helmet having the same issue, and if so how did you fix it?

 

[Agent RayBans]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Like I said on Flickr I really like that you used real rectangular LEDs this time, instead of alluding to them like you did on your Guy-Man helmet. They look really slick.

I wouldn't be surprised that when you wear this helmet to cons there will be people looking at these little corner displays thinking you came up with those yourself. The average Daft Punk fan probably doesn't even realize they were there on the real thing.

 

[Volpin]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

I noticed the way you carved out the visor section of your helmet and I've got to ask, how are you dealing with the flexibility?

I did notice that the helmet tends to bow forwards when the visor is cut out, but once the plastic visor is re-inserted it maintains its rigidity. I haven't had any issues with the back deforming though.

My subvisor assembly will also add a fair bit of structure, once its complete.

 

[Agent RayBans]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Those boards look amazing!

I noticed the way you carved out the visor section of your helmet and I've got to ask, how are you dealing with the flexibility? I've got my cast mostly cleaned up now and it's warping way out of shape in the visor area and the bottom back curve. It's looking like the only way I can keep the helmet shaped correctly is to pour some mud or glass the inside to beef it up. Is your helmet having the same issue, and if so how did you fix it?

I'm glad you asked this question, because I was wondering the same thing. I haven't cut my visor out yet for fear of this happening, and I am thinking of leaving an edge on the bottom back curve to help keep the shape.

After trimming away the excess around the jaw the other day I've been thinking about putting strips of ABS on the insides of the little angled parts. Its not really thin there, but for some reason I can envision it cracking after being put down on a table a couple dozen times.

Thoughts Volpin?

 

[Risu]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Yea I'm not very concerned about the jaw because it's poured in really thick there because of the mouth, but the back of the helmet is literally paper thin. That part is definitely getting reinforced with some mud or straight bondo on the inside, but I'm still really worried about general wear and tear on the stress points, mainly around the ears, the top seam, and the front edges of the visor, which are all very thin.

 

[Volpin]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Yea I'm not very concerned about the jaw because it's poured in really thick there because of the mouth, but the back of the helmet is literally paper thin. That part is definitely getting reinforced with some mud or straight bondo on the inside, but I'm still really worried about general wear and tear on the stress points, mainly around the ears, the top seam, and the front edges of the visor, which are all very thin.

Thats odd... My apologies then. If I recall, your pull was #002 or #003 I think. The earlier ones I pulled (yours and RayBans') were thicker than the later ones if memory serves correct. My aim was to get the entire piece to be at least 3/8" at thinnest, and I know there's a good 3-4 coats of resin in each piece. Sorry if I seem to have missed a spot or two...

If you epoxy the ears to the helmet in lieu of just screwing them in place, that will stiffen the structure as well.

Urethane resin is fairly forgiving to cracking unless it is poured very thin, and even still it will flex a good bit before it gives way. If you're really concerned with it then you can put some thin-strand mat on the insides in the areas you're concerned about, but I've beat the living crap out of pull #001 - its dropped off my workbench onto concrete more than once without any ill effects. The overall shape does droop when you cut out the visor, but replacing said part will amend this.

Also, as RayBans said, I left the lip on the back edge of the helmet to help in the structure (see below) I imagine that helps with distortion significantly.

 

[Risu]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Do you mean 3/16"? The front of my helmet is pretty hefty and won't be a problem at all (I've got pull #2), but the back definitely does have some thin areas. My long term plan is to make the ears interchangable because I'm thinking of making a second set with speakers inside them, so I've got each ear attached with two bolts, and to gain access and also somewhat match the shot where you can see inside the real helmet, I've cut out the lower 35% of the ear recess. That didn't help with the structure much, but I don't think that it hurt it drastically, either. The only problem is that it's a little thin in the corners, which is to be expected with slush casting. I'll probably lay down a sheet of styrene on the ear "plates" that overhangs a bit and then bondo up to the edges.

As for the flexing being a problem, I'm not worried about the helmet cracking, just about the finish. I don't know how regular chroming works with a flexible part, whether or not it cracks, but I'll be using the Killer Chrome cans on mine and I don't want to take any chances that the back of the helmet flexing might ruin the finish.

Btw Volpin, how did you end up carving out your visor? Just with a dremel tool? Any words of advice for doing it cleanly without taking off too much?

 

[giz]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

I love love love the square LEDs! so sick

 

[SUPERprops]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

.... I'm thinking of making a second set with speakers inside them, ......

Funny you say this, I was just thinking this morning that the real one must have speakers.... I was wondering when someone was going to get the idea to build them into theirs.

 

[masterpotty]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

nice work so far

 

[Volpin]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Do you mean 3/16"? The front of my helmet is pretty hefty and won't be a problem at all (I've got pull #2), but the back definitely does have some thin areas

As for the flexing being a problem, I'm not worried about the helmet cracking, just about the finish. I don't know how regular chroming works with a flexible part, whether or not it cracks, but I'll be using the Killer Chrome cans on mine and I don't want to take any chances that the back of the helmet flexing might ruin the finish.

Btw Volpin, how did you end up carving out your visor? Just with a dremel tool? Any words of advice for doing it cleanly without taking off too much?

Again, sorry if the casting wasn't thick enough back there. Best thing to do would likely be scuff the inside, then lay down 'glass cloth or mat and brush resin over the surface. As for the chrome, the chrome on my Guy helmets is fairly flexible - it can move quite easily with the flex of the helmet itself under moderate stress. Just make sure not to bake your piece to dry, as this can deform the plastic.

For the visor, I used a cutoff wheel and sanding drums. For not taking off too much, well... I just took forever to cut it off and measures frequently. Wish i had a trick to it, but that's it really.

 

[tekparasite]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Question to Volpin: Are you using Wide Angle (i.e. 120 deg) 5mm LEDs for the front marquee or are you using narrow angle (i.e. 45)? Typically, I would run some tests, but my marquee will be an 8x32 matrix. That's 256 LEDs and can hit the wallet quite a bit if not careful. I know, I shouldn't complain. Your matrix is 8x40. :$

Thomas Cast Thickness - I got pull #009, and honestly, I haven't checked the thickness in the back. Nonetheless, this is minor stuff, and I would recommend a layer of fiberglass cloth if anyone thinks that wall is thin. That stuff works like charm and shouldn't give anyone issues after that.

MY OPINION ON THE SIDE LED BOARDS FOR THOMAS = :love

Again, sorry if the casting wasn't thick enough back there. Best thing to do would likely be scuff the inside, then lay down 'glass cloth or mat and brush resin over the surface. As for the chrome, the chrome on my Guy helmets is fairly flexible - it can move quite easily with the flex of the helmet itself under moderate stress. Just make sure not to bake your piece to dry, as this can deform the plastic.

For the visor, I used a cutoff wheel and sanding drums. For not taking off too much, well... I just took forever to cut it off and measures frequently. Wish i had a trick to it, but that's it really.

 

[Volpin]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Question to Volpin: Are you using Wide Angle (i.e. 120 deg) 5mm LEDs for the front marquee or are you using narrow angle (i.e. 45)? Typically, I would run some tests, but my marquee will be an 8x32 matrix. That's 256 LEDs and can hit the wallet quite a bit if not careful. I know, I shouldn't complain. Your matrix is 8x40.

I'm running 45º LEDs in the front. I had considered going with 120º, but the problem is that the larger wide-angle LEDs are usually in a flat-top package. Also, they have a much lower micd rating and draw more amperage. The red bulbs I chose are 20mA draw, 2.2V. Specifically, these.

Ordered some PET and Acrylic for tests. I tried getting some thin smoked acrylic for the first test, but this proved too thick and cumbersome, and wouldn't conform to the front visor area. Right now I've got a sheet of PET in there (1/32") which seems to be working quite well. I'll probably try dying it in RIT to get the tinting right instead of the nite shades this time around. Hopefully, that will give me a more even finish.

Other things ordered this week:

• 2650mAh Lithium battery & charging station
• 2x 30mm 5V fans
• Arduino Yellowjacket (last one available!)
• Aluminum plate & supports for sub-visor assembly
• Some other boring stuff like voltage regulators and in-line fuse holders.

Electronics should start coming together into a more recognizable format by next week, hopefully...

 

[tekparasite]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

Thanks for the specs on the LEDs.. Well, your helmet is looking good :thumbsup. I have opened up the mouth on mine. Thanks for the design approach you took there. Shaved a little bit from the inside and whoa!! Perfect square opening.

I have decided NOT to open the nose vents on mine even though i have the tools to do it. Instead, I'll just paint that area black. It will be an optical illusion. My chroming guy will do it, so I know it will look good. Now, I know you want as much ventilation as possible, but I do not want to risk any breakage or fracture points on that area.

As far as fogging and ventilation. I am thinking is more of a question of channeling the breathing.
Last time I wore my Guy Manuel, I had to walk for half mile due to bad parking and I immediately put it on. Needless to say, my heavy breathing from the walk made my helmet foggy from the inside. You can see it here:
YouTube - Daft Punk cosplay. Anime Matsuri 2011

Since then, I have put a thin piece of black foam that goes from my nose all the way out the helmet. So most (if not all) of my breath goes immediately to the bottom of the bucket away from the visor.

Maybe you can share your experience.

I'm running 45º LEDs in the front. I had considered going with 120º, but the problem is that the larger wide-angle LEDs are usually in a flat-top package. Also, they have a much lower micd rating and draw more amperage. The red bulbs I chose are 20mA draw, 2.2V. Specifically, these.

Ordered some PET and Acrylic for tests. I tried getting some thin smoked acrylic for the first test, but this proved too thick and cumbersome, and wouldn't conform to the front visor area. Right now I've got a sheet of PET in there (1/32") which seems to be working quite well. I'll probably try dying it in RIT to get the tinting right instead of the nite shades this time around. Hopefully, that will give me a more even finish.





Other things ordered this week:

• 2650mAh Lithium battery & charging station
• 2x 30mm 5V fans
• Arduino Yellowjacket (last one available!)
• Aluminum plate & supports for sub-visor assembly
• Some other boring stuff like voltage regulators and in-line fuse holders.

Electronics should start coming together into a more recognizable format by next week, hopefully...

 

[Risu]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

In the case of my cast at least the nose section was the thickest part of the pour. That area is still totally stable after I cut the holes. It would probably save you a lot of trouble with ventilation to just cut the holes out.

 

[Muppo]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

@tekparasite
Even if you decide to paint it black instead making the nose vents, maybe you can just drill a few small holes there. Better than nothing IMO.

@Volpin
I'm curious about those 30mm 5V fans.
With the side lights and the matrix visor in mind, where will you set that fans?

Another question, and sorry for the little offtopic but, how is your Guy-Manuel Tron edition helmet going on?

 

[Agent RayBans]

Re: Daft Punk Thomas Bangalter helmet build

I'll probably try dying it in RIT to get the tinting right instead of the nite shades this time around. Hopefully, that will give me a more even finish.

I think I offered on Flickr but I have some window tint film I can send you if you want to give that a try. I've got enough for a few visors, and it would save you from having a buy a whole roll for yourself. Its what I used on my old long gone "highschool helmets" and it worked really well.

Or if anyone else wants some, just shoot me a PM.

...but I do not want to risk any breakage or fracture points on that area.

For a while Thomas Bangalter was wearing a helmet with a broken nose vent. So if your helmet breaks, its still accurate :lol