Foam Sculpting My First Bio - Beyond The Final Rung

[BonzRus]

Beautifully done. How long have you been working on it so far?

Looking forward to more updates!

Hello Mrbarlow...I have been working on it now for about two weeks...a few hours here, a few minutes there just as I can.

Update: I have enjoyed what I can get done with the Dremel. It will save me a HUGE amount of time! Just a few more pics of the latest progress...I once again reworked the laser shroud after drawing a triangle shaped laser housing to size and cutting it out to get an idea of scale. When I did I did not like the angle I had set so I realized I needed to make a few changes, again...no big deal though and the time spent was worth it. I looks more P1'ish now and I like the angle better. I also did a little more shaping of the breathing tube port to make it look more steamlined and I have opened up more of the back side of the eyes which is also giving it more of that classic look as well. I hope this weekend will allow me enough time to get the inside shaped the way I want it.

 

[BonzRus]

I made some progress over the weekend hollowing out the inside of the helmet along with some additional alterations. Here are the latest pictures. I was able to pick up the ZPoxy I needed and decided to go with a 2 oz. cloth so I am ready to fiberglass once I am finished shaping the foam. As it turned out I already had the microballoons I need (the brown stuff in the ziplock).

I removed a little more material from the eyebrows and added material to the underside of the brim which allowed me to give it more of the rounded edge I see in so many images. It definitely looks more P1 than it ever has so I went ahead and worked to shape the front nose area as well. It was definitely more tapered before. In addition to these changes I also did more to curve the underside of the jaw and chin. As you can see I still have some more material to remove from the underside of the helmet but it won't take long to complete.

I am having to be careful not to remove too much material with the Dremel and have found that a bright light helps to determine where it is getting thin because you can just start to see light through it when it is getting thin enough which helps greatly. Once it is roughed out I will give it a light sanding with 100 grit and then spread some spackle to blend the lows and highs which should smooth it out nicely. It is extremely light weight now but still quite strong...I love working with this stuff!

 

[PredatrHuntr]

Wow that's incredible. My initial fear was that you would at some point dremel right through to the other side, but using the light to see how close you are getting is brilliant! Keep up the good work!

 

[BonzRus]

Wow that's incredible. My initial fear was that you would at some point dremel right through to the other side, but using the light to see how close you are getting is brilliant! Keep up the good work!

Me too... but so far it has not happened. Your fingers can gauge a lot as well...excited to see the silicone go on your sculpt...very cool!

 

[Lflank]

Very very nice.

I'm guessing this process would be a good way to make a lightweight shoulder cannon too . . .. . .

Damn, I already have a whole bunch of cannons and don't really need another one, but once I get an idea for a process that might work, I just can't get it out of my head until I give it a try . . .

 

[BonzRus]

Very very nice.

I'm guessing this process would be a good way to make a lightweight shoulder cannon too . . .. . .

Damn, I already have a whole bunch of cannons and don't really need another one, but once I get an idea for a process that might work, I just can't get it out of my head until I give it a try . . .

Thanks Lflank! Yes it would work to make a cannon or back pack or armor as well...It is very easy to work with...

 

[BonzRus]

Well it has been awhile since I updated my progress but here is the latest. I have completed the process of removing foam from inside the helmet and have done some additional reshaping of the rear brim and nose. I decided to bridge the gap between the nose and brow as some on the Lair feel that is how the original was made. I also believe that as if you take a close look at the artists drawing of the inside of the helmet posted earlier in this thread you can tell that the eyes are separated by the detail in the bridge of the nose. This makes me think that the intent was to have separate lenses. In any event I have also gone ahead and fabricated the laser housing and the single breathing tube connection port. These will not be part of the fiberglassing step but will either be added prior to molding the helmet or cast separately as many others do. Here are some additional pictures...

I cut lense templates from some plastic I had lying around...the whole thing weighs in at a whopping 38 grams...

Here is another video as well...

 

[XilianX2010]

Looks great! DD

 

[REYALS1]

Excellent work. Much praise on a job well done.

 

[PredatrHuntr]

Excellent work!

 

[Philby]

awesome sauce !!!!,.......wondered if that was even possible to do a bio out of foam,.....always figured it'd be too hard to make symmetrical,....
good job proving me wrong man ,....hahaha awesome job man

 

[the eldest]

Just picked up on this. OMG. This is awesome.
Amazing what can be done with, basically scrap.
Beautiful job.

 

[BonzRus]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. I am wondering if anyone can help me get a gauge on how wide the helmet should be in order to fit the average mask. I have no reference point to base it on and would love to hear from anyone who has a mask about how wide it is across the top of the head and perhaps the width of the face? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I can easily modify the helmet now before I fiberglass it if I need to. I just don't want it to be too narrow. I am also unclear about what makes a stunt helmet a stunt vs. something else. I have not been too successful trying to find such on the Lair so far...If there is a link that someone could point me to that would be great as well. Thanks again.

 

[BonzRus]

Over my lunch break I decided to go ahead and widen the helmet by 1/2". I have a few minor alterations to make as a result but I think it will be better in the long run.

 

[Biggdaddy]

awsome

 

[AlphaTech686]

This is absolute proof that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Very nice work. Thanks for all the photos and videos. Can't wait to see more.

 

[hez1]

It's pretty awesome that you can just say "Yeah...I think this needs to be wider," and just glue a new piece in, rather than having to totally resculpt a large portion of it.

Since you asked, bios tend to be between 10.5" and 12.5" wide, measured in a straight line across the back. If you measure across the front then you have to accommodate the curvature, which obviously leads to a larger measurement.

 

[BonzRus]

Thanks everyone...

It's pretty awesome that you can just say "Yeah...I think this needs to be wider," and just glue a new piece in, rather than having to totally resculpt a large portion of it.

Since you asked, bios tend to be between 10.5" and 12.5" wide, measured in a straight line across the back. If you measure across the front then you have to accommodate the curvature, which obviously leads to a larger measurement.

Hez, thanks for the feedback it helps me to know that I am at least in the ballpark...

This is where I am at right now. I have made some modifications since widening it and have more to make. It is getting closer to the P1 that I am going for but I have discovered that I am more concerned about detail than I originally thought (referencing some of the many images on the Lair is definitely a help) so as I go I am finding little things I keep wanting to change. It is not a problem to do so...add some foam here, take some away there. The time spent now will pay off in droves later as foam is much easier to work with that fiberglass and filler. Anyway...here are a few more pics.

 

[sulaco1967]

Looks fantastic. I'm positive the foam you used is called ' Jablite' in the uk. I used a single piece to create my backpack base. Very cool stuff to work with. Starbeast62 who is building a xeno had used it for many projects and swears by it. He is a bit of a skip raider and often finds bits there or asks at building sites for any pieces that are being thrown out. I did find it hard to smooth as it can crumble and catch on sandpaper if not carefull. Once again fantastic and I know how much work you must have put in to creating a marvellous piece.

 

[BonzRus]

Looks fantastic. I'm positive the foam you used is called ' Jablite' in the uk. I used a single piece to create my backpack base. Very cool stuff to work with. Starbeast62 who is building a xeno had used it for many projects and swears by it. He is a bit of a skip raider and often finds bits there or asks at building sites for any pieces that are being thrown out. I did find it hard to smooth as it can crumble and catch on sandpaper if not carefull. Once again fantastic and I know how much work you must have put in to creating a marvellous piece.

Thank you sulaco1967. Yes, it can often be found at construction sites or home inmprovement stores. I recently found a nice scrap along the interstate that must have blown out of the back of someones trash run to the dump. I enjoy working with it as it holds up well but yes you can tear chunks out of it with a dull knife or the stiff corners of folded sandpaper. The 3M 77 spray adhesive will also disolve it if sprayed on too heavy as well but the spackle I am using clings to it very well and behaves much like the foam itself while sanding so you get a more uniform finish while shaping. Any small imperfections will get covered over once I fiberglass it.