Following the steps in part 1,  the results at this stage should be,
well… an ugly mess.      Don’t fret.   This is where the fun begins…

Generally speaking,  I like to prime right over the raw, untouched
bondo and gap sealer before I sand.  Personal preference I guess.

If you want to do some additional Bondo work, glazing putty and sanding,
before primer, go right ahead.  It’s YOUR helmet.  

Here is the helmet after a coat of primer. Yes, I primed over the visor,
as it’s junk anyways and will be replaced with a MUCH darker material in part 3.

Here’s the helmet after some initial sanding.
Why I prefer to prime over the raw Bondo is to help see the “contrast”
between the primer, Bondo and undersurface.

Obviously, the white spots are low spots, whereas the primer is “middle”
and the pink is the bondo high spots.

For those new to surface prep, you want to sand down the high areas without
digging too much into the lower areas.

Since you are using anything from 40 to 100 grit to sand down the bondo,
it’s easy to tear into the plastic and mess things up quickly.
If you do gouge a chunk of plastic out, it’s not a huge problem.
You can mix up some Bondo, or if it’s a really bad chunk,
mix some plastic shavings in with some plastic weld and apply to the spot.

When you are done sanding, you should see smooth transitions from your surface
to the bondo. It’s okay to run your hand over the surface a few times.
Since you used a very rough grit to knock down the primer, you’ll want to
move up a few stages and get the heavy scratches out.
If you started with 40-60 grit, move up to 100/120, then 180/220, then 320.
If you started with 100/120, move up to 180/220, then 320.

If you want, you could sand with 400, but you’ll be wet-sanding with 400 soon anyways.

As you sand, you may want to, from time to time,
clean the surface with a tack rag and apply a fresh coat of primer.
Be careful not to apply too many coats of primer.
Wait about an hour after applying primer before sanding, no matter what the can says.

At this stage, between sandings you really only want to be applying a light
“dust coat”, otherwise you’ll develop problems later on from too many coats of primer.
After a few coats of primer, you may want to wet-sand the primer with 400 grit
sandpaper, and then wet-sand with 600 grit in order to start
smoothing things out for the color coat.
Personal Preference, as some wait to wet-sand after the first coat of the color.

In part 3 we’ll do final surface prep, color coat and weathering.

For $30 the Hasbro Voice-Effects Clone Helmet is pretty nice for kids and semi-adults alike.

However, all compliments aside there are a few issues that keep this helmet from being even close to a troopable helmet.

For starters, the helmet is QUITE flimsy (what do you expect for $30?),
and the snap together assembly doesn’t do too good of a job sealing gaps,
let alone hold the helmet together.

As if these isssues weren’t enough, the visor is HUGE!
Probably for “safety” reasons, but I digress. Here is the helmet in all it’s splendor:

The overall dimensions and style are very close to any “costume quality” helmet,
but it’s the details (or lack thereof) that make this project quite fun.

For starters,   the helmet needs disassembled completely.  Remove every screw,
take lots of notes and pictures so you know what goes where upon reassembly.

Next step is to measure the visor area so as to determine how much to “block out”

Using the masking tape as a guide and a ruler or tape measure,
draw out the “new” visor area,  OR the “new” cheek area.

It’s best to pick one side, then after you get that side perfected,
flip it over and use it as a template for the other side.
It’s not 1976! Symmetry is GOOD…

This is an excellent material to use for the cheek template:

About a dollar at your favorite auto parts store.
Generally I have a few dozen laying around the house for various projects.
Here is the template drawn out.  Included is a tape measure for scale.

Cut this out carefully, then clean it up as needed.
The result will be your “master” template.
Flip it over onto your plastic sheet,  and trace/cut it out.
You’ll want to put both templates back to back and trim so each piece
is exactly like one another.
Once you have your templates,  adhere them to the helmet using CA glue.
NOTE: CA Glue does NOT stick to the type of plastic used very well, so handle the cheek area with care for now.
Trust me… using CA glue is FINE at this step.

Now,  grab your can of Bondo from the fridge. (You do store your Bondo in the fridge, right?)
From the back side of the visor, carefully lay up Bondo against the plastic.
If you want some extra working time, you can mix the Bondo with about 2/3
the recommended hardener.  Storing Bondo in the fridge helps too.

You can use the excess Bondo to seal up some of the gaps/vents.
Place masking tape on the inside of the helmet so there is something to hold the Bondo.

Now, assemble the helmet (You did take notes and disassembly pics right?)
While assembling, you’ll want to use LIBERAL amounts of this adhesive:
Make sure to use plenty of the glue in the gaps/seams on the top of the helmet.

WARNING: This stuff is NASTY.   Do not use inside your house.
Make sure you use the adhesive outside or in a well-ventilated area.
Your helmet should look something like this:

Now, you can carefully remove the plastic from the cheeks.
If you did your Bondo well, it should look something like this:

If not,  don’t sweat it,  more Bondo will be going onto the helmet
to smooth up the helmet anyways…
As a precaution, mix up some of the plastic weld,
and seal up the gap between the top of the cheek and the lower edge of Bondo.

Coming Soon: Part Two of Three:  Surface prep and primer.