Love love love!
I can only hope that I'll be able to get a helmet from you someday.
I can only hope that I'll be able to get a helmet from you someday.
Fallout: 3D Printed Power Armor Helmets UPDATED 12/2/2018
- Thread starter GhostMinion
- Start date
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Love love love!
I can only hope that I'll be able to get a helmet from you someday.
Um, can you actually see the helmet Mike? On my end, it appears like all the image links are broken. I just assumed I'd need to reload them.
Or are you talking about the new 76 helmet I posted the pic of?
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Here's a fresh pic of the first cast I'm building, in case the links are bad. And thank you for those kind words good sir!
EDIT: Looks like I quoted myself there, and not you Mike. Still getting used to the new site.
Here's a fresh pic of the first cast I'm building, in case the links are bad. And thank you for those kind words good sir!
View attachment 904477
EDIT: Looks like I quoted myself there, and not you Mike. Still getting used to the new site.
Hahahaha! No, couldn't see the latest pics but saw previous ones that looked amazeballs. This one you just posted is awesome!!!
That's the mining suit on the right. Given that, the big headlamp makes a lotta sense.
In other news, your discovery sent me back to first sources. I feel like an idiot for not noticing it earlier. I've only had the bloody image forever.
That's from the original game. No left earcap. I've had to re-assess my notions in that department...
Also, this looks mostly T-51, but so many changed details. Modifications? Late-production, before the T-60 rolled out?
GhostMinion
Sr Member
I do not know the lore behind it, but apparently it's called Ultracite Power Armor. Regardless of how the game rates out, this helmet is deemed worthy of my creating it, and so in due time I shall.
I am still deciding if I will do the mining armor's helmet. Even if I do, it would likely be last on a long list of helmets. But I will say the concept is interesting.
Also, dope find with that picture. Does this mean you don't want the left ear pod now?
I'm still gonna rock one with it, after all it is in the Fallout 4 concept art and on the Three Zero figs.
Here, have some more of the Ultracite PA. From a bit of digging it seems like 76's version of the good old Hardened Power Armor from FO and FO2. Ultracite is an ore mined down in the cranberry bogs, but one can get this suit for completing the BoS quest line.
To my eye, it really does look like an upgrade to the base T-51.
And yeah, now I'm rethinking that left earpiece.
To my eye, it really does look like an upgrade to the base T-51.
And yeah, now I'm rethinking that left earpiece.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Here's a W.I.P. Nuka Cola/Vim Cola helmet. Yes, they are the same.
Still some more painting left to do. This one is also gonna be very dirty and rusted, just like it looks in game. I'll post more pics of this soon, as well as another that I'm about to paint the Vault Tec paintjob. Stay tuned.
Still some more painting left to do. This one is also gonna be very dirty and rusted, just like it looks in game. I'll post more pics of this soon, as well as another that I'm about to paint the Vault Tec paintjob. Stay tuned.
With paints, so much depends on anecdata and personal experience. I know some people who swear by Krylon, even though I had so many issues with them a decade ago, I haven't used it in years except in small applications where I've had no practical alternative. Some people have had issues with RustOleum, and that baffles me, as it's been nothing but consistently awesome for me for years. Some people only use DupliColor, or only use Montana Gold, or only use Tamiya acrylics, etc.
With spray paints I try to use the same brand, to avoid reactions. As I said above, RustOleum has been my go-to for a long time. For most things I start with their (gray) high-build automotive filler primer, several coats. Once that's sanded down, I use either their black or white primer -- the opposite of whatever I want to end up basecoating. Then I spend a loooooong time sanding that down with 220-240 grit. Then I do a layer of white or black -- reversed from the previous layer -- and do the same. By this point, it's something like five or six primer layers and most of the minor defects are filled and smoothed (any significant ones I filled before any primer, or after a first filler primer coat has revealed them), and, once I know I've gotten things pretty well leveled, I do one last primer coat in that same color or one of my less-used ones (like gray or terracotta), dependant on what color I'm going to be painting the thing. That gets smoothed with 400 grit or finer.
(Note all this applies to macro objects like this. For models and minis, once I've got the surface clean and prepped, it's a single layer of Tamiya's fine-detail primer.)
So I've never used Home Depot's brand, and I've never had any issues with my RustOleum stable of rattlecans. I've never run into the problem you have, so I don't have any advice... except maybe to try another brand...? I love RustOleum's reliability, because it lets me use all the primers -- for the surface-prep technique above, and for the primer that best suits what the base coat will be called on for. As I said over in the other thread, more translucent colors like reds and yellows, I prime white. Otherwise, they tend to look muddy. I'll often prime gray under black, so I can be sure of coverage. Reverse that for grays. I only use red and brown primers under wood effects, since I base coat those in shades of brown, usually. For this (or your) power armor helmet, this will mean the final primer layer will be gray, the base coat will be RustOleum's Professional Grade black. Their P.G. enamels -- at least, the black, white, and gray ones -- have ground up ABS dissolved in suspension, so when it's fully cured, you've basically coated whatever you painted in polished ABS. This is great for Stormtrooper armor... and also for the foundation for metal effects, as those work best with a smooth bare-plastic finish.
Which I bring up because I do subtractive weathering. The game lore says the T-51 armor was plated in silver to boost defense against laser weapons, so a nice polished silver is what's going to show through where the paint's been worn or scratched away (or rather, masked off). Then I'll do white primer over that, to show the red and white main colors up nicely. I'll blackwash, but sparingly. I'll be interested to see our two repaints of the same helmet side-by-side.
With spray paints I try to use the same brand, to avoid reactions. As I said above, RustOleum has been my go-to for a long time. For most things I start with their (gray) high-build automotive filler primer, several coats. Once that's sanded down, I use either their black or white primer -- the opposite of whatever I want to end up basecoating. Then I spend a loooooong time sanding that down with 220-240 grit. Then I do a layer of white or black -- reversed from the previous layer -- and do the same. By this point, it's something like five or six primer layers and most of the minor defects are filled and smoothed (any significant ones I filled before any primer, or after a first filler primer coat has revealed them), and, once I know I've gotten things pretty well leveled, I do one last primer coat in that same color or one of my less-used ones (like gray or terracotta), dependant on what color I'm going to be painting the thing. That gets smoothed with 400 grit or finer.
(Note all this applies to macro objects like this. For models and minis, once I've got the surface clean and prepped, it's a single layer of Tamiya's fine-detail primer.)
So I've never used Home Depot's brand, and I've never had any issues with my RustOleum stable of rattlecans. I've never run into the problem you have, so I don't have any advice... except maybe to try another brand...?
I love RustOleum's reliability, because it lets me use all the primers -- for the surface-prep technique above, and for the primer that best suits what the base coat will be called on for. As I said over in the other thread, more translucent colors like reds and yellows, I prime white. Otherwise, they tend to look muddy. I'll often prime gray under black, so I can be sure of coverage. Reverse that for grays. I only use red and brown primers under wood effects, since I base coat those in shades of brown, usually. For this (or your) power armor helmet, this will mean the final primer layer will be gray, the base coat will be RustOleum's Professional Grade black. Their P.G. enamels -- at least, the black, white, and gray ones -- have ground up ABS dissolved in suspension, so when it's fully cured, you've basically coated whatever you painted in polished ABS. This is great for Stormtrooper armor... and also for the foundation for metal effects, as those work best with a smooth bare-plastic finish.Which I bring up because I do subtractive weathering. The game lore says the T-51 armor was plated in silver to boost defense against laser weapons, so a nice polished silver is what's going to show through where the paint's been worn or scratched away (or rather, masked off). Then I'll do white primer over that, to show the red and white main colors up nicely. I'll blackwash, but sparingly. I'll be interested to see our two repaints of the same helmet side-by-side.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Yeah, I'm using Rustoleum. Sorry, I just call it the Home Depot brand. It's mostly all my Home Depot carries!
Yeah, don't know what happened but definitely had trouble with white and grey primer before. For these helmets, I'm using aluminum powder on the surface layer, so I can buff out a metallic shine. I then paint straight on to that, and weather with light and superfine grain sandpaper. The cold cast surface for the helmet shells are in no way consistent enough for a straight cold cast polished finish. But it is good enough to paint over and burn through on the wear edges.
For the greebs, like seen on the Military helmet I painted, those are cold casted proper. They were powdered in the molds, with powder mixed throughout the resin. I buff em' with steel wool, then polish with Mother's Aluminum Polish. The greebs for the Nuka Helmet are painted gun metal (Tamiya). They are much darker in the game, but I'll blacken them up a bit. I think the gun metal is a great starting point for them. I'll post some pics of them soon, but it's the color of the hose outlet rings and the filter ring on the helmet above.
Yeah, don't know what happened but definitely had trouble with white and grey primer before. For these helmets, I'm using aluminum powder on the surface layer, so I can buff out a metallic shine. I then paint straight on to that, and weather with light and superfine grain sandpaper. The cold cast surface for the helmet shells are in no way consistent enough for a straight cold cast polished finish. But it is good enough to paint over and burn through on the wear edges.
For the greebs, like seen on the Military helmet I painted, those are cold casted proper. They were powdered in the molds, with powder mixed throughout the resin. I buff em' with steel wool, then polish with Mother's Aluminum Polish. The greebs for the Nuka Helmet are painted gun metal (Tamiya). They are much darker in the game, but I'll blacken them up a bit. I think the gun metal is a great starting point for them. I'll post some pics of them soon, but it's the color of the hose outlet rings and the filter ring on the helmet above.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Overlaying with a lighter red, while also getting the visor bezel.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Alright, got some tasty pics to share. I just finished laying the base coat for my Vault Tec paintjob. This was a color I mixed to achieve, and the shade is just the slightest bit darker than in this pic. I mixed a full 1/2 oz. jar of Model Master Ocean Grey with half a 1/2.oz jar of Model Master Cobalt Blue, both are acrylic. It will also slightly darken a little when it get blackwashed. Overall, I'm quite happy with how the color turned out. While I am satisfied with this color, I do find myself wanting to make the Vault Tec version of this helmet as shown in Fallout 76, which has the more classic Cobalt Blue and Cadmium Yellow. Having both Vault Tec versions side by side would be cool, too.
This is how the cast looked prior to painting. Cold casted with aluminum powder, and buffed to a shine. The Vault Tec paint job, as well as the Military paintjob I did before, have a lot of wear areas and marks in the paint that go down to the bare metal in their textures. With the helmets I make, I wanna attempt to make the weathering and corrosion match to the corresponding helmet's texture in game. Maybe not exact, but more or less as a guide I suppose. Anyhow, after painting, I can wear down edges with polish paper and super fine sand paper. Using sharp rocks and files to gouge and scratch a little look nice and authentic too.
And here's where I am so far with the Nuka Cola helmet. These parts are just fitted into place, this'll still need boatloads of corrosion and grime before final assembly. This one is particularly nasty in game, so I've gotta lot of work ahead still. But I wanted to take a picture while it still looked like candy. It's so shiny!
Here's a close up of the optics pod for the Nuka Cola helmet. This is the color I used for the hose outlets and other greebs. This is Gun Metal Tamiya paint. I think this pod looks so nice, it's a shame to dirty this thing up the way I'm gonna.
More to come soon.
This is how the cast looked prior to painting. Cold casted with aluminum powder, and buffed to a shine. The Vault Tec paint job, as well as the Military paintjob I did before, have a lot of wear areas and marks in the paint that go down to the bare metal in their textures. With the helmets I make, I wanna attempt to make the weathering and corrosion match to the corresponding helmet's texture in game. Maybe not exact, but more or less as a guide I suppose. Anyhow, after painting, I can wear down edges with polish paper and super fine sand paper. Using sharp rocks and files to gouge and scratch a little look nice and authentic too.
And here's where I am so far with the Nuka Cola helmet. These parts are just fitted into place, this'll still need boatloads of corrosion and grime before final assembly. This one is particularly nasty in game, so I've gotta lot of work ahead still. But I wanted to take a picture while it still looked like candy. It's so shiny!
Here's a close up of the optics pod for the Nuka Cola helmet. This is the color I used for the hose outlets and other greebs. This is Gun Metal Tamiya paint. I think this pod looks so nice, it's a shame to dirty this thing up the way I'm gonna.
More to come soon.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Getting close to finishing with detailing the Nuka Cola paintjob. Still a little more work to do, and then need to assemble all the parts. But it's coming along nicely I think.
I added the stars, they're like an egg shell white in the game (or creme?), so I matched that. That said, in the game texture, there is actually black grime coloring under the stars, and this makes them show up better. I neglected to dirty mine up that much before adding them, figuring it'd be too much. Just the same, they look fine (rather nice, in fact) but I wish I could've got it a little closer to what is seen in the texture. Oh well. I do still need to very slightly blackwash the stars, mostly the lower ones that sit on top of red, and I should be satisfied with them.
Should be finishing it up soon. Stay tuned.
I added the stars, they're like an egg shell white in the game (or creme?), so I matched that. That said, in the game texture, there is actually black grime coloring under the stars, and this makes them show up better. I neglected to dirty mine up that much before adding them, figuring it'd be too much. Just the same, they look fine (rather nice, in fact) but I wish I could've got it a little closer to what is seen in the texture. Oh well. I do still need to very slightly blackwash the stars, mostly the lower ones that sit on top of red, and I should be satisfied with them.
Should be finishing it up soon. Stay tuned.
CAKComedyProps
Active Member
That’s lookin’ real nice
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Thank you!
Here's some more progress on the Vault Tec paint job. Gotta do this so we can get a nice little charisma buff. Thus far, I've done a light blackwash, trying to keep it light as to not darken the color too much. I've also begun distressing and marking it. Next I'll be adding surface rust effects, as this one has quite a bit in game. More to come soon.
Here's some more progress on the Vault Tec paint job. Gotta do this so we can get a nice little charisma buff. Thus far, I've done a light blackwash, trying to keep it light as to not darken the color too much. I've also begun distressing and marking it. Next I'll be adding surface rust effects, as this one has quite a bit in game. More to come soon.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
Continuing progress on my Vault Tec paintjob. Pretty happy with how it turned out, just need to start polishing and attaching the greebs. I just yesterday got FO76, so hopefully soon after I get enough atoms I can purchase the new Vault Tec paintjob. I do plan on making a helmet with the newer Vault Tec coloring, as I like it a bit better than the one from FO4.
GhostMinion
Sr Member
A nice fit.
