Create a form-fitting helmet for your action figure with Project: Custom
By Vince Callaghan
Posted 05/16/08
Need to provide much-needed noggin protection for your custom figure? Can't find the right style or fit for a helmet? Tired of rhetorical questions? If you said "yes" to anything we just said, then you've come to the right place. Join us as Vince Callaghan from Project:Custom—one of ToyFare’s go-to Mego makers for "Twisted ToyFare Theatre"—instructs us on how to make a custom helmet for an action figure! Heads up, true believers!
BASE PARTS YOU’LL NEED:
• The head of your character (or a resin copy)
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED:
• Castilene sculpting wax
• Wax warming pot
• Micro torch
• Sculpting tools, including clay loops
• Plastic food wrap
• Twist tie
• Hair dryer
• Water based acrylic paints
• Mold making and casting materials
• Sandpaper
• Selection of modeling brushes
• Hobby knife
• Glossy sealer
• Superglue
OPTIONAL TOOLS:
• Airbrush
• Heat gun
• Freezer
STEP 1:
When my old friends at ToyFare came to me with a request to make a classic Nova Mego-style figure with a removable helmet, I tackled the challenge “head” on! After I had sculpted the head of Richard Rider, I made a mold of it and cast a resin copy. Using a resin cast will prevent damage to the original. [See ToyFare #126 to learn how to make a resin cast!]
STEP 2:
Wrap the head in a single layer of plastic food wrap, minimizing any overlaps. Use a twist tie to cinch the plastic wrap at the base and cut off the excess. Using a hair dryer or heat gun, gently heat the wrap until it shrinks around the head. Don’t point too long in one area or the wrap will split.
STEP 3:
Heat up the Castilene in the wax warmer. Oil-based waxes work best for this project, as they have a certain pliability that comes in handy later. Using sculpting tools of your choice, start to add wax to the head and rough-in the basic shape of the helmet. (Don’t worry if it looks a little lumpy at first!)
STEP 4:
With the basic form established, let’s refine the look of the helmet. Using a small clay loop tool, scrape away at the wax and smooth out the shape. One trick is to put the whole head—wax and all—into the freezer for about 10 minutes. The wax will become stiffer and less prone to accidental gouging.
STEP 5:
Continue to smooth the surface with the loop until it’s close to the final shape you want. Pop it into the freezer again for 10 minutes and use various grades
of sandpaper to polish the surface even further. Carefully use the micro torch to melt the wax slightly and blend the remainder of the exterior into a smooth, even surface.
STEP 6:
The head now needs to be removed from the helmet sculpt. Put it back into the freezer. Cut a seam along the length of the wax with a hobby knife. Undo the twist tie and slowly pull the plastic wrap outwards to release the wax. It should split along the inscribed seam and you can release the head.
STEP 7:
Line up the two pieces and work the seam together with the sculpting tools, using wax to seal it from the inside. Use the loop to remove excess wax from the inside of the helmet. The helmet has to be hollow enough to pass over the widest points on your head sculpt—test this often as you progress.
STEP 8:
Mount the helmet upside down in a container and pour the molding material. When the mold cures (see product instructions for correct times), slice a seam at the rear of the mold, enough to remove the helmet. Following the instructions, prep the resin and pour it into the mold to make a duplicate.
STEP 9:
When painting, I use an airbrush, as it gives an even coat that doesn’t show brush strokes. Remember to paint all edges and the visible interior of the helmet. To prevent paint rubbing, coat the contact points on the head and inside of the helmet with Superglue. Let both surfaces dry completely.
STEP 10:
Cut out the star accent from a sheet of 1mm styrene, paint first and then attach with super glue. Give the helmet a final coat of glossy sealer to shine it up, let it dry and pop it on to your final figure! Use this process to create goggles, masks, accessories or whatever comes off the top of your head! Happy customizing!
