Cobra Commander Costume

Bobby Cooper

New Member
I'm working on a Cobra Commander costume for this year's Dragon*Con. This will be my 4th straight Dragon*Con, but this is the first time that I've messed with stuff like Pepakura, resin, and bondo. I bought the uniform from hunny_lee on eBay and purchased a couple of Cobra Commander Helmet Pepakura files from RPF member BlackKaos about a week ago. I couldn't choose which style I liked better, so I'm building them both until I can make a decision.

8/29/2013 Update: Here's the final product (more pics in the thread)
View attachment 225399

8/28/2013 Update: Here is the helmet painted before the stripe was added. I also included my friend's incredible Bondo/Dremel work on the Cobra Commander Staff and a new blog link covering the staff:
StaffHead3.jpgStaffHead4.jpgPaintedHelmet.jpg

Here are the helmets so far:
CobraCommanderPepakuras5.jpg
CobraCommanderPepakuras4.jpg
CobraCommanderPepakuras3.jpg


Today I'll resin them. I'm still trying to figure out which method I like better for hardening: rondo or fiberglass. Any suggestions? I'm also posting weekly blog post on my site about the current progress. Here are the first two articles:
 
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I decided to rondo one helmet and fiberglass the other. Rondo-ing was a thousand times easier than fiberglass, but it feels quite a bit heavier. The fiberglass also warped the hell out of the blue helmet. One side already had a dent, but the fiberglass just amplified that defect. Hopefully some bondo and sanding will take care of it.

I'll let those helmets sit overnight. Tomorrow I'll cut off the visors with a dremel and sand down all the fiberglass pricklies. If I have time, I'll start the bondo process. Here are the current pics:

HardeningSupplies.jpgCobraCommanderRondo.jpgCobraCommanderHelmetFiberglass.jpg
 
After letting them sit overnight, I'm thinking that I like the fiberglassed one much better than the rondo'd version. The rondo allows for more flex than I expected, which freaks me out about paint and bondo chipping off. For fully enclosed helmet, rondo definitely seems like a good option though.

I dremel'd out the visors, sanded down the fiberglass, and slapped some bondo on them last night. This is my first time ever using bondo and I think I went a little too thick--I slathered it on like stucco. Got some serious sanding to do. Here's the latest:

MeWithADremel.jpgCobraCommanderPreBondo.jpgCobraCommanderBondo.jpg
 
I sanded down the final Bondo coat this morning. After four full coats, it's ready for touch-ups with the Bondo putty and, finally, I'll Bondo the trim of the helmet to sand it more rounded. I'm also starting on the visor with plexiglass and window tint.

CObraCommanderAfterBondo.jpgCObraCommanderAfterBondo2.jpg

The other helmet, the Rondo'd helmet, was making me nervous--I noticed a small crack developing in the Rondo. So, I decided to fiberglass it. Big mistake. The fiberglass seemed to warp the helmet. I had already decided that I liked the other helmet more anyway, but I may still try to reform this one with a heat gun. Any advice on fixing a warped helmet (rondo and fiberglass on the inside)?

UhOh.jpg
 
I mounted the visor according to an awesome tutorial on the 405th forums. I used JB Kwik Weld to mount some 1/4" threaded aluminum posts with screws. Then I drilled matching holes into the visor that were slightly larger than the posts. Perfect fit!

I'm using a silver open face motorcycle visor. I'm content with its darkness, but I want to make it a bit darker and hide my face more. I'm testing out spraying VHT Nightshades on the back and airbrushing a light coat of Model Masters Aluminum Plate on the front. We'll see which, if any, will work for the visor.
HelmetWithVisorUnpainted.jpg
 
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Idea: instead of trying to darken the tint, try darkening your face. Like a "green man suit" but only cover your head. Amazon.com: SecondSkin Full Body Spandex/Lycra Suit: Clothing I guess "panty hose" would work. I'd try that before painting the visor.

I like your idea. I have a ninja mask that might do the trick, too. Maybe I'll paint a Cobra logo on it, too. I tested both darkening methods (VHT Nightshades and airbrush) yesterday on a different visor and failed miserably.
 
This looks fantastic! Looking forward to final photos. I've been playing around with 3d max to import into pep (Amon Mask and Casshern helmet) never worked with pep either. Did you use some sort of tutorial for learning how to put the pep together?
 
This looks fantastic! Looking forward to final photos. I've been playing around with 3d max to import into pep (Amon Mask and Casshern helmet) never worked with pep either. Did you use some sort of tutorial for learning how to put the pep together?

Nope, I fiddled around with making a 3D model of the helmet, but eventually just purchased the pep files from BlackKaos, another RPF member. Casshern would be sick!
 
Nope, I fiddled around with making a 3D model of the helmet, but eventually just purchased the pep files from BlackKaos, another RPF member. Casshern would be sick!

That staff is Pimp... you should run out to the nearest salvation army and buy a purple fur coat to go with that pimp ass cane! You can be Cobra Pimpest Commander!

You mentioned in the blog that you were having difficulty with paint. What did you do differently besides proping the helmet on 3 paint cans and painting everything at once?
 
You mentioned in the blog that you were having difficulty with paint. What did you do differently besides proping the helmet on 3 paint cans and painting everything at once?

Haha! I could wear a pimp hat on my helmet. The only thing I did different was skipping the clear coat. Two coats Primer, sand with 400 grit, then three coats color.
 
i liked your costume i just wanted to add that if anyone is looking for a cheap alternative to the visor i found one at a Halloween store but they are also online. i found they have a nice face silhouette while keeping face hidden and reflective. the down side is that it's a bit flimsy(thin) and scratches easily, so i wouldn't use it for actual protection or heavy stunts. but it certainly works great for cosplay and decorative purposes. i found them at the store for 8 bucks but they're online for 5-ish.

No Face Chrome Mask - Pure Costumes

it actually looks a little better in person then the picture because it is less square and more narrow toward the jaw. i immediately thought of cobra commander but i'm using it for a pacific rim build.
 
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