Could I Make a Wooden Helmet?

Elven Doorstop

Elven Doorstop

New Member
Hey guys! I've never made anything costume related, but the eventual goal is to make a spacesuit (or several)

So my question is do you think I could make a helmet out of wood? I'm primarily concerned about the grain, but I have a couple ideas of how I could possibly make it work.

First off I could make it using a solid block of wood (probably a section cut from a tree) that I would then carve down. This would obviously take a lot of time, but I'm actually more concerned about the fact that the grain might not be very strong if it runs from the bottom to the top of the helmet, it would be end grain at the top of the helmet and thin and relatively unsupported vertically oriented grain along the sides.

The second option I'm considering is to glue several boards together allowing me more control over grain direction, I would then carve away what is not needed. The main problem with this is gluing it together in a way that is strong and not likely to fall apart.

I've considered making a helmet using conventional methods (molding, casting, etc.) but I don't have any experience using such methods/materials, moreover I've heard it's not cheap (a couple hundred dollars at least) to make a helmet using something like resin.

So the bottom line is this, do you think that it is possible to make a sturdy enough helmet using wood, or should I just make it out of resin using a mold?

Thanks for any advice, I'm open to suggestions! Also if you have any other ideas for how I could make it out of wood I'd love to hear them!
 
First, carving a single block or laminate block is one of the last things to try.
If you are intent on wood, try steaming and shaping thin pieces, and if necessary, laminate that. Even not laminated, you can control grain and avoid end grain strength issues.
I guess the question I have is, "why wood?"
 
Wood sounds like a very poor idea. There are more affordable ways to build something without silicone and resin. Try pepakura, foam, plaster for molds, etc. Yeah those materials have limitations, but they are much better suited than wood for making a helmet or anything wearable.
 
Airshipwright said:
First, carving a single block or laminate block is one of the last things to try.
If you are intent on wood, try steaming and shaping thin pieces, and if necessary, laminate that. Even not laminated, you can control grain and avoid end grain strength issues.
I guess the question I have is, "why wood?"
Click to expand...
To answer your question, I choose wood because I have several tools for woodworking, 2 years experience doing woodworking with those tools, it's cheap (for me anyways), relatively strong and I've made a couple props out of wood before (you can see the most recent one here: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=271691 ) so I have at least a basic understanding of how to make it look like another material.

I have considered steam shaping/lamination which would work for basic shapes, but if I needed compound curves or any kind of details (though I'd probably just add those to that) I'm unsure how it would work for that, as I've never done a lamination or steam bend, I'm new to woodworking after all.

I'm curious as to why you think I shouldn't attempt carving it from a single or laminate block?
 
foxbatkllr said:
Wood sounds like a very poor idea. There are more affordable ways to build something without silicone and resin. Try pepakura, foam, plaster for molds, etc. Yeah those materials have limitations, but they are much better suited than wood for making a helmet or anything wearable.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input! I'll definitely do some research on those!
 
You could make your master out of wood then cast off of it. Assuming there aren't any issues with undercuts or it's not too intricate, with proper mold release and a smooth surface you can actually make a positive cast off of it with fiberglass, removing the extra cost of a negative mold. Of course that produces a part that's larger than your original and will be less detailed, but it's doable.
 
foxbatkllr said:
You could make your master out of wood then cast off of it. Assuming there aren't any issues with undercuts or it's not too intricate, with proper mold release and a smooth surface you can actually make a positive cast off of it with fiberglass, removing the extra cost of a negative mold. Of course that produces a part that's larger than your original and will be less detailed, but it's doable.
Click to expand...
I apologize, I'm very new to this world of prop/costume making and have never made a mold of anything. I know what a mold is (basically a negative impression of an object) but I don't exactly understand what you mean here. Could you please explain what you mean in more basic terms? Thanks!
 
Elven Doorstop said:
I apologize, I'm very new to this world of prop/costume making and have never made a mold of anything. I know what a mold is (basically a negative impression of an object) but I don't exactly understand what you mean here. Could you please explain what you mean in more basic terms? Thanks!
Click to expand...

A negative mold is what most people make for prop making. So a negative mold is a negative of your master that you cast your material into, producing a positive copy. You can also make a positive mold, which is essentially your master cleaned up and prepped for casting on top of. You make a positive copy of a positive master. The new positive copy will be larger and less detailed because your are putting your casting material over your original. Think of it like making a paper mache ball over a balloon. You are making a larger, positive copy of the balloon. However, doing it this way you need be very conscious about undercuts (you need to be able to pull your casting off of the master and since you are casting a hard material over a hard material its extremely important) and your positive master needs to have a perfect non-porous surface.

Vacuum-forming is a good example of using a positive mold for prop-making. Some of the same concepts apply there (undercuts, smooth surface, etc)
 
foxbatkllr said:
A negative mold is what most people make for prop making. So a negative mold is a negative of your master that you cast your material into, producing a positive copy. You can also make a positive mold, which is essentially your master cleaned up and prepped for casting on top of. You make a positive copy of a positive master. The new positive copy will be larger and less detailed because your are putting your casting material over your original. Think of it like making a paper mache ball over a balloon. You are making a larger, positive copy of the balloon. However, doing it this way you need be very conscious about undercuts (you need to be able to pull your casting off of the master and since you are casting a hard material over a hard material its extremely important) and your positive master needs to have a perfect non-porous surface.

Vacuum-forming is a good example of using a positive mold for prop-making. Some of the same concepts apply there (undercuts, smooth surface, etc)
Click to expand...
Oh ok that clears things up, thank you very much! I will definitely consider that!
 
Elven Doorstop said:
I'm curious as to why you think I shouldn't attempt carving it from a single or laminate block?
Click to expand...
Well, primarily for the same reasons you mentioned, as well as those foxbatkllr mentioned. There's a reason helmets in history weren't commonly carved from wood.
Just as you want the right tools for the job, you want the right materials. And if budget is a driver, paper mache (cheapest), cardboard, cardstock, fiberglass, vacuum molding, resin, leather, metal (most expensive). (I have probably skipped a few, their fans will chime in.)
Good luck and have fun!
 
Airshipwright said:
Well, primarily for the same reasons you mentioned, as well as those foxbatkllr mentioned. There's a reason helmets in history weren't commonly carved from wood.
Just as you want the right tools for the job, you want the right materials. And if budget is a driver, paper mache (cheapest), cardboard, cardstock, fiberglass, vacuum molding, resin, leather, metal (most expensive). (I have probably skipped a few, their fans will chime in.)
Good luck and have fun!
Click to expand...
Oh ok thanks, just wondered why. I appreciate the suggestions and will really consider them! Thanks again!
 
Judging by your lightsaber, I see no reason you can't carve one out of wood. And it would be extra cool.

And to all the naysayers? Really?

188e0ed00341744500beec122fe8d7a1.jpg
 
Zinger said:
Foam floor mats are easy to work with and with a little practice can give good results. Plus if you screw up, they're cheap so you're not out a fortune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgL_6jWNP2c
Click to expand...
I have heard a lot of great things about EVA foam. However I'm unsure how detailed I can make it if I want to. I've seen great things made from foam, but when you get to very fine details, I'm unsure if you can get the same level of detail as I've seen others get with wood. That being said I will genuinely consider EVA. Thanks so much for the video and your input!

Gordon Gekko said:
Judging by your lightsaber, I see no reason you can't carve one out of wood. And it would be extra cool.

And to all the naysayers? Really?

View attachment 734970
Click to expand...

The fact that it would be unique is part of why I started making props out of wood in the first place. I thought "What if I can make it look as good as any other material, but out of wood? What if I could essentially prove that you can make anything (with some exceptions of course), out of wood?" Another thing is the price, I made that lightsaber with about $25 in materials, which I'm pretty happy about.

That helmet is absolutely amazing, but to me it looks like it's actually solid, what do you think?

I really appreciate your support and belief that I can make it out of wood!

Zinger said:
The OP didn't say what he wanted to do with this. If he wants to use it at cons, weight and durability are legitimate concerns.

Wood isn't a good choice for that use.
Click to expand...
I should've specified more about what I want to do with it. I do plan on wearing it and I may go to cons someday, but I don't yet know if I want to. I am not as concerned about weight as I am about durability, I mainly don't want it to break or disintegrate if I bump it against something or drop it.

Thanks again for your input!

Uridium said:
If you have the skills, I am sure anything is possible.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSrVLEcc7iY
Click to expand...

Wow that is inspiring, hats off to that guy! Thank you very much for sharing and for your support!

joberg said:
You could also turn your piece of wood on a lathe; making a bowl shape if you see what I mean...
Click to expand...

I do see what you mean and I could do that as my dad has a lathe. It largely depends on the shape of the helmet (it all has to be symmetrical), but under a lot of circumstances that would be fine, as I would need symmetry.

Thanks for your input! I'll definitely consider it!
 
If I were to make a wood helmet I'd use strips then steam treat and bend them to the shape I want. Using a big stump to make a bowl is soooo wasteful!

You can use metal and raise one. I think a zebrawood helmet would look glorious if done right.

Foam is cheap, easy, fast, gentle on your joints to create.

Also pepakura.

I'd love to find someone who could spin/ make 8" diameter helmet banks of if metal. Making a metal helmet takes many many hours
 
JPH said:
If I were to make a wood helmet I'd use strips then steam treat and bend them to the shape I want. Using a big stump to make a bowl is soooo wasteful!

You can use metal and raise one. I think a zebrawood helmet would look glorious if done right.

Foam is cheap, easy, fast, gentle on your joints to create.

Also pepakura.

I'd love to find someone who could spin/ make 8" diameter helmet banks of if metal. Making a metal helmet takes many many hours
Click to expand...

Yea I am considering steam bending/lamination. To some degree it would be more wasteful to carve from a single block, but if it broke or was a substandard product as a result of using a less wasteful method, then in my mind that would be more of a waste, because you didn't even get the thing you wanted which is ultimately the point of making.

This being said I am considering all methods mentioned. I do have one question, I don't understand exactly what you mean by "You can use metal and raise one"?

Thanks for your input! I'll definitely consider the methods mentioned!
 
This thread is more than 6 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

Gari14
Ant-Man Helmet
Replies
0
Views
165
Gari14
Gari14
Hughes
NASA ACES HELMET
Replies
8
Views
670
Hughes
Hughes
mrdeath4707
I have rewatched the original Hunger Games and want to know about the peacekeeper costume and want to know what you would need to make it at home
Replies
0
Views
217
mrdeath4707
mrdeath4707
obiwan kowalski
Alien EVA helmet and spacesuit.
Replies
2
Views
300
septic
septic
D
1/4 Scale 2001 Space Helmet
Replies
3
Views
146
joberg
joberg
Back
Top