Vrataski Unit Dog Soldier Helmet replica from Edge of Tomorrow

feep

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Finally found the time to finish up this build, this is a more involved project than the last Edge of Tomorrow helmet replica I made, but still not too bad. But before I get into the ‘build guide’ part I’m still confused about what the canon name for this helmet is, I’ve heard Vrataski Unit, Dog Soldier, and Demon Dog. Maybe I’m the problem, but I can’t find a definitive name.

Anyway, this helmet was made using some rather pricey components. The total cost of everything was around 650 USD, far less than the cost of the other helmet I made but still more expensive than most people would be willing to spend. So I’ve done research into substitute components that won’t break the bank. It’s possible to complete this project without spending more than 150 USD.

Like the Bill Cage helmet I made, I decided to build out this prop using a real bulletproof helmet. Unlike that replica, I chose to go with a more affordable helmet. The original props were cast in resin off of an Ops Core FAST helmet. Last time I used a real Ops Core helmet, but those tend to be very expensive. So for this build I went with one from a company called Ballistic Armor Co. Although I think the value/ bragging rights of using a bulletproof helmet adds a lot to the build, I would not recommend using one for most people.

Here are all the primary components used for this build:

Ballistic Armor Co. Gen I helmet
APS "Wavecombat" Lower Face Mask Adapter (Color: Dragon Camo)
Hobart 770580 Face Shield Replacement Lens

Now as far as substitute parts go, I can really only recommend a substitute for the helmet itself. The side armor doesn’t have any quality alternatives other than the APS one. That being said, the best alternative helmet I could find is a Matrix Basic High Cut Ballistic Type Tactical Airsoft Bump Helmet w/ Flip-down Visor (Color: Black). This does come with a visor although it’s clear, not tinted. You would need to get a replacement visor in the correct color, or apply window tint.

Another potential option is to use an Ops Core helmet to really go the extra mile, and if so inclined you could also try and source a pair of Ops Core side armor as well. If you’re a huge fan and can justify the cost of these parts then go for it. Although again I don’t recommend this option for most people. The Ops Core helmets have a unique texture to them that needs to be removed, see my other post about the Cage helmet for the way I removed it. Also in that post I compare the three helmet options, there’s not much to say other than the ballistic armor co is a great alternative to an Ops Core, and the airsoft is a good alternative to the ballistic armor co.

Now for the side armor, the only real difference between this helmet and the normal infantry helmets used in the film is the paint job, and the faceplate. Both helmets have the same side armor, which is used on this helmet as a mounting point for the faceplate. Because of this the armor needs to be sturdy. In my other post I mentioned all the 10-30 dollar side armor pieces that are available, ballistic armor co even offers this. However you should not use these as they are all made out of a thin, flimsy rubber. When making the Cage helmet I purchased three different listings of these cheap armor pieces, only to find out that they all were the same product. Not useable for this build. The APS product is the only replica I could find that was made out of plastic, and the only one with a working latch system like the one used by Ops Core. It is, in my opinion, required for this build (unless another replica piece exists that I couldn’t find). The only other option being genuine Ops Core side armor. Although again I do not recommend this either as they are incredibly difficult to source, and you would have to drill holes through the carbon fiber shell, and kevlar puck (as a general rule of thumb I would never drill into kevlar anyway). Perhaps if you are a talented 3D modeler you could model and print these pieces yourself, I am not nearly skilled enough to do that so APS was what I went with.
Unfortunately the APS isn’t perfect, they are slightly larger than the Ops Core ones. You don’t have to, but you can trim off the bottom 1cm of the parts. Shown here are the areas I cut off with a Dremel. This step is easy enough and makes them look much better in my opinion.
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The faceplate was an interesting challenge, it appears to be just a piece of bent sheet metal. It’s totally within reason to make this out of a piece of metal. I don’t know much about metal working so I decided to 3D model and print one myself. It’s not perfect and does differ slightly from the ones made for the film, although it’s about as close as I could make it.

The HUD detail just above the right eye was fairly easy as I had previously 3D modeled one for the Cage helmet, I again used a resin printer because I have it. A very interesting development is that I was actually able to handle a real helmet from Edge of Tomorrow. Although I wasn’t able to take any pictures, I was able to compare my 3D printed HUD, and it is almost exactly the same. Genuinely wasn’t expecting that.

The hardest part about this build is mounting the faceplate to the helmet. The 3D model has 1/8th inch holes designed into the sides but the side armor obviously does not. In order to drill the holes in the right place I securely taped the faceplate to the helmet, and marked where to drill the holes. If you attempt this build, take your time with this step as it is very easy to drill the holes in the wrong spot. Ask me how I know. Once the holes are drilled all you need to do is bolt it together.

The steps to this build are very similar to the ones for the Cage helmet.

1. Remove the velcro on the helmet
2. Unscrew the side rails, this removes the harness too
3. Depending on the version you have; cut or simply remove the bungee cords
4. Smoothing the helmet
-a. Ops Core: there’s this weird texture on the helmet like a 2 grit sand paper, I used 120 grit to remove all these bumps
-b. Ballistic armor co: this texture is even more odd, it’s uneven and bumpy. I used bondo glazing and spot putty + 120 grit to smooth it out
-c. Airsoft: nothing, skip this step
5. Smoothing the faceplate, there's lots of ways to do this, I just used bondo
6. Mask the inside of the helmet
7. Priming the pieces, I used rustoleum filler primer to prime each part individually
8. If you’re lucky enough to have ops core side armor, prime these as well. If not then trim the airsoft ones using some method of your choice, then prime
9. Prime the rails, the ops core are glass filled nylon, ballistic armor co looks like plain nylon, the same primer works on these plastics
10. Prime and glue on the HUD detail, I used 24 hr Epoxy + clamps
11. Paint everything matte black separately (any kind will do)
12. Reassemble the helmet
13. Cut out the visor, then glue into the inside of the helmet, I used e6000
14. Bolt on the faceplate (use M3 cap screws)
15. Paint the Union Jack on the right side of the helmet, I used painters tape and pinstripe tape.
16. Trace out the shape of each side of the faceplate onto a sheet of paper
17. Draw the skull onto the paper
18. Cut out the design and use as a stencil to paint the skull
19. Add battle damage, I used 80 grit sandpaper to add scratches, as well as using medium gray paint and a tiny brush to add in most of the weathering
20. Make/ print a helmet stand
21. Rewatch the movie!

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After drilling the holes

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After gluing in the visor and painting black

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After masking/ painting the Union Jack + skull


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