Great tutorial! I just looked up the prices for graphite powder and wow, it isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it would be! I'm planning to make a Mando helmet for my mom for christmas, and this will be really useful. Thank you!
Looking good. But, there's lots of orange peel on your helmet. If you have enough layers of clearcoat on, 2-4 layers with spraygun, more when using rattle cans because the paint is way thinner,, then you can go over it with 1200, then 2000 grit wetsand paper, I sand my stuff with up to 5000 wetsand paper, until you get a true mirror sheen on the paint. Basically to automotive grade surface. Then apply the graphite. As much as I love graphite (or very good and expensive chrome paint), it makes it shiny but it also shows the orange peel surface.
Thank you! And appreciate the suggestions, always great to learn something new. I tried to reduce the orange peel at the gloss black stage, coz that really wasn’t great. Then was happy enough at the clear coat stage, though certainly could be better. But just checked again, and in person definitely not noticeable. I’d go as far as to say you can’t see any orange peel at all, just the graphite speckles. At least a level I’m happy with, but room for improvement :)
I’m currently making my first one and I have to say that even with all the video tutorials out there and forum posts etc.. it is still a learning experience for sure. I have made several mistakes starting with the print itself.. the first one was too weak and cracked at the visor.. the second one I printed much stronger but it is heavier.. I’m still going with it though and I will see how it ends up. I did print one again with a middle ground for weight and strength but I will finish that one next. The one I am working on now I have been sanding and using filler primer a lot.. and I still have issues.. I also made the mistake of letting it rest on something during wet sanding that made marks and indents all over it that I then had to go back and fill. But I still have a few imperfections especially at the center bring area and some more brim edges. I am waiting for this new filler primer to dry and then I will wet sand it again and see if I can improve the little damage areas I caused. But I am going to just proceed soon either way as honestly I am so sick of sanding and filler primer at this point. I purchased an air brush kit and ordered some alclad ii chrome. I plan on spraying the helmet with a regular black primer after this last round of filler primer and sanding followed by a gloss black of some kind.. not sure what brand yet… finally I will do the alclad chrome which will be an experience as I have never used an air brush before.. and I will have to order some 2k clear coat to finish it off. Quite a process for sure. I do feel like my next one will be a little easier because of what I am learning on this one but I wish there was a better way to handle the smoothing.
That does sound like quite the time you’re having… honestly was facing many of the exact same issues. I still have the first helmet I’ve ever done (was some custom mando), and at the time I thought it was amazing. Looking back at it, I’ve come a very long way. I think it’s sometimes important to just take your time and not overdo it. Just comes with time, need to practice, not much else you can do unfortunately. Alclad chrome is quite tricky I hear… I would also be careful with the 2k clear, because I could be wrong, but I think you’re meant to leave the chrome exposed. At the end of the day it’s also just a bit of fun, even if the end product doesn’t quite turn out how you expect it. Like this helmet is the third time I’ve made a video on it (shorts before) and I’ve made 3 some other times. That’s just with this Din Djarin helmet, have made 10s of other custom mando helmets too. And every time I learn something new. Unfortunately is a big learning curve, but the process along the way is great, even if it is at times frustrating. Keep it up! Good luck.
@@Levkin Yes indeed. Experience is the only path forward here and the only way to gain it is to go through it and learn and adapt. It is fun, but also frustrating lol
Amazing tutorial! It's my 2nd month into 3d printing helmet/cosplay stuff and man this is tough haha. From being in Asia, our materials are different from all the tutorials and testing wood filler/ putty filler/ and now thinking of glazing putty @-@ Its a mess but your tutorial helps alot and will definitely follow it for my next helmet. Quick question. At the end of your helmet there's a little....spot textures? like mini freckles on your helmet at 10:22 when you zoom in and start showing the whole helmet. Is that normal? or just the light playing tricks on the visuals.
Thank you! Yeah it’s always an issue being in different regions. Most videos like these are US based, and I did find it tricky at first to adjust. But then you just have to try a bunch of things that seem similar and you’ll find what works best for you. Unfortunately trial and error is the only way. Thanks, appreciate it :) Like what you see at the top of the helmet? Yeah it’s kind of there, kind of lighting. This gloss finish on grey is extremely hard to film under lights, just reflects quite strange. But I would definitely say there’s a tiny bit of a texture present if you look really closely. It’s a result of how the clear coat stacks on top of the graphite powder. Despite the powder being embedded with into the first layer of clear coat, on on top sometimes causes micro runs to the graphite powder. I don’t know what the technical term for it would be, but it looks like it pulls a little bit on the graphite when the clear coat starts to dry. So it ends up with a little bit of a texture look. I guess could be a sort of orange peel. But it’s only visible when really up close and under certain lights. So it’s definitely not a flawless process, or at least my execution isn’t, but unless you spend a lot on Alumaluster, which is what they used in the show apparently, for me at least this is the most replicable method :) Hope that clarifies it a bit. Best of luck with your builds!
If anyone wants a lighter more chrome look, then use gloss white instead of gloss black. 2K paint can kill you, make sure you wear a full cartridge respirator, not just a dust mask.
Did you sand the final regular primer? Or just primer and let it dry then immediately paint it gloss black? I’m considering spraying with a primer sealer before the gloss black as it claims to make the top coat stick better and also improves gloss..
@@Levkin cool. I think I will do the primer and the. Try the primer sealer.. it claims to help make a better gloss… i gave up on prepping at this point and I’m moving to paint very soon. I damaged the helmet slightly by having it rest on a pole in 80F when I did the last filler primer coat and it deformed the top of the helmet. I used a hair dryer and heated it back up and was able to push it back down to what I hope is an acceptable state lol. I will be doing a black normal primer next, the. The primer sealer, then a upol gloss black acrylic enamel auto spray paint, and finally… I purchased an air brush and some alclad chrome and I will be using that for the chrome look.. wish me luck because I’ve never used an air brush before
@@Levkin so I did the black primer and then that primer sealer… I moved to the upol acrylic enamel gloss black and it started making dots and blobs and dripping.. total garbage paint… so I stopped and grabbed rustoleum engine gloss black enamel paint that I had and continued… it is currently drying but according to the rustoleum can it can take up to 7 days to cure!
How long did you wait to apply the top coat of 2k after applying the graphite powder? Did you have to scuff the first layer of 2k at all before applying the top coat of 2k?
So in order: black paint, cure for 24h. Scuff up. 2k clear, wait 30mins. Apply graphite powder. Blow out any that’s not stuck to the clear. 5-10 more mins. 2k clear. Although depending on the 2k clear, it will say on the can in what period you can apply. But usually you have to do it within the first hour.
It looks WAY better before the clearcoat. It looked like beskar before, after it looked like "silver" paint was used more gray than metallic. I don't think is has to be clarcoated. Frankly Built does his without clearcoat and also takes his armor to cons.
Clear coat is definitely optional, but my biggest problem with pure graphite is that finger prints stick to it and they're quite hard to remove. I do also believe Frankly Built doesn't take his Mando helmet anywhere, his iron man suits are clear coated I'm pretty sure.
Great tutorial! I just looked up the prices for graphite powder and wow, it isn't nearly as expensive as I thought it would be! I'm planning to make a Mando helmet for my mom for christmas, and this will be really useful. Thank you!
This is awesome work!!!! I just needed the tips of the clear coat and Graphite and this looks amazing cant wait to try it out thanks
Thank you!
Wow I learned smth new. Ive never seen anyone use graphite before
Looking good.
But, there's lots of orange peel on your helmet. If you have enough layers of clearcoat on, 2-4 layers with spraygun, more when using rattle cans because the paint is way thinner,, then you can go over it with 1200, then 2000 grit wetsand paper, I sand my stuff with up to 5000 wetsand paper, until you get a true mirror sheen on the paint. Basically to automotive grade surface. Then apply the graphite.
As much as I love graphite (or very good and expensive chrome paint), it makes it shiny but it also shows the orange peel surface.
Thank you! And appreciate the suggestions, always great to learn something new. I tried to reduce the orange peel at the gloss black stage, coz that really wasn’t great. Then was happy enough at the clear coat stage, though certainly could be better. But just checked again, and in person definitely not noticeable. I’d go as far as to say you can’t see any orange peel at all, just the graphite speckles. At least a level I’m happy with, but room for improvement :)
awesome tutorial! thanks for that :)
Great video, can you give a link for the plastic please and what wood filler your using
Hey, thank you! I think it should be in the description.
I’m currently making my first one and I have to say that even with all the video tutorials out there and forum posts etc.. it is still a learning experience for sure.
I have made several mistakes starting with the print itself.. the first one was too weak and cracked at the visor.. the second one I printed much stronger but it is heavier.. I’m still going with it though and I will see how it ends up.
I did print one again with a middle ground for weight and strength but I will finish that one next.
The one I am working on now I have been sanding and using filler primer a lot.. and I still have issues.. I also made the mistake of letting it rest on something during wet sanding that made marks and indents all over it that I then had to go back and fill. But I still have a few imperfections especially at the center bring area and some more brim edges. I am waiting for this new filler primer to dry and then I will wet sand it again and see if I can improve the little damage areas I caused. But I am going to just proceed soon either way as honestly I am so sick of sanding and filler primer at this point.
I purchased an air brush kit and ordered some alclad ii chrome. I plan on spraying the helmet with a regular black primer after this last round of filler primer and sanding followed by a gloss black of some kind.. not sure what brand yet… finally I will do the alclad chrome which will be an experience as I have never used an air brush before.. and I will have to order some 2k clear coat to finish it off. Quite a process for sure.
I do feel like my next one will be a little easier because of what I am learning on this one but I wish there was a better way to handle the smoothing.
That does sound like quite the time you’re having… honestly was facing many of the exact same issues. I still have the first helmet I’ve ever done (was some custom mando), and at the time I thought it was amazing. Looking back at it, I’ve come a very long way.
I think it’s sometimes important to just take your time and not overdo it. Just comes with time, need to practice, not much else you can do unfortunately.
Alclad chrome is quite tricky I hear… I would also be careful with the 2k clear, because I could be wrong, but I think you’re meant to leave the chrome exposed.
At the end of the day it’s also just a bit of fun, even if the end product doesn’t quite turn out how you expect it. Like this helmet is the third time I’ve made a video on it (shorts before) and I’ve made 3 some other times. That’s just with this Din Djarin helmet, have made 10s of other custom mando helmets too. And every time I learn something new. Unfortunately is a big learning curve, but the process along the way is great, even if it is at times frustrating.
Keep it up! Good luck.
@@Levkin Yes indeed. Experience is the only path forward here and the only way to gain it is to go through it and learn and adapt. It is fun, but also frustrating lol
Freaaaaaky awesome job!!
Thank you!
Amazing tutorial! It's my 2nd month into 3d printing helmet/cosplay stuff and man this is tough haha. From being in Asia, our materials are different from all the tutorials and testing wood filler/ putty filler/ and now thinking of glazing putty @-@
Its a mess but your tutorial helps alot and will definitely follow it for my next helmet.
Quick question. At the end of your helmet there's a little....spot textures? like mini freckles on your helmet at 10:22 when you zoom in and start showing the whole helmet. Is that normal? or just the light playing tricks on the visuals.
Thank you! Yeah it’s always an issue being in different regions. Most videos like these are US based, and I did find it tricky at first to adjust. But then you just have to try a bunch of things that seem similar and you’ll find what works best for you. Unfortunately trial and error is the only way.
Thanks, appreciate it :)
Like what you see at the top of the helmet? Yeah it’s kind of there, kind of lighting. This gloss finish on grey is extremely hard to film under lights, just reflects quite strange. But I would definitely say there’s a tiny bit of a texture present if you look really closely. It’s a result of how the clear coat stacks on top of the graphite powder. Despite the powder being embedded with into the first layer of clear coat, on on top sometimes causes micro runs to the graphite powder. I don’t know what the technical term for it would be, but it looks like it pulls a little bit on the graphite when the clear coat starts to dry. So it ends up with a little bit of a texture look. I guess could be a sort of orange peel.
But it’s only visible when really up close and under certain lights.
So it’s definitely not a flawless process, or at least my execution isn’t, but unless you spend a lot on Alumaluster, which is what they used in the show apparently, for me at least this is the most replicable method :)
Hope that clarifies it a bit. Best of luck with your builds!
@@Levkin thanks for your reply man! cant wait to see more of your work
So cool man!
Thank you
If anyone wants a lighter more chrome look, then use gloss white instead of gloss black. 2K paint can kill you, make sure you wear a full cartridge respirator, not just a dust mask.
Good points!
Is the spinning stand a 3D print?
The stand yes, the spinning device no
Did you sand the final regular primer? Or just primer and let it dry then immediately paint it gloss black? I’m considering spraying with a primer sealer before the gloss black as it claims to make the top coat stick better and also improves gloss..
Just primer and let it dry. Did not sand it, since it’s so thin.
@@Levkin cool. I think I will do the primer and the. Try the primer sealer.. it claims to help make a better gloss… i gave up on prepping at this point and I’m moving to paint very soon. I damaged the helmet slightly by having it rest on a pole in 80F when I did the last filler primer coat and it deformed the top of the helmet. I used a hair dryer and heated it back up and was able to push it back down to what I hope is an acceptable state lol.
I will be doing a black normal primer next, the. The primer sealer, then a upol gloss black acrylic enamel auto spray paint, and finally… I purchased an air brush and some alclad chrome and I will be using that for the chrome look.. wish me luck because I’ve never used an air brush before
@@colinmsmall sounds great, let me know how it goes!
@@Levkin so I did the black primer and then that primer sealer… I moved to the upol acrylic enamel gloss black and it started making dots and blobs and dripping.. total garbage paint… so I stopped and grabbed rustoleum engine gloss black enamel paint that I had and continued… it is currently drying but according to the rustoleum can it can take up to 7 days to cure!
How long did you wait to apply the top coat of 2k after applying the graphite powder? Did you have to scuff the first layer of 2k at all before applying the top coat of 2k?
So in order: black paint, cure for 24h. Scuff up. 2k clear, wait 30mins. Apply graphite powder. Blow out any that’s not stuck to the clear. 5-10 more mins. 2k clear. Although depending on the 2k clear, it will say on the can in what period you can apply. But usually you have to do it within the first hour.
What is the dimensions of the helmet?
69cm internal circumference around the brow
It looks WAY better before the clearcoat. It looked like beskar before, after it looked like "silver" paint was used more gray than metallic.
I don't think is has to be clarcoated. Frankly Built does his without clearcoat and also takes his armor to cons.
Clear coat is definitely optional, but my biggest problem with pure graphite is that finger prints stick to it and they're quite hard to remove. I do also believe Frankly Built doesn't take his Mando helmet anywhere, his iron man suits are clear coated I'm pretty sure.
@@Levkin Ahh, didn't realize the fingerprints were hard to remove. Graphite might not be the way after all.
Hard to find paints that look similar to graphite unfortunately. Definitely gives it a unique look compared to paints
Exemplar work
If you know what you're doing you don't need to sand 5 times
Glad that you managed to get it done in less :)
What would you recommend then?
If you know what you’re doing yes, you do.