everybody's Norm from Tested and Frank
contestant and we are back in your shop
to learn about the process of building
armor yeah I had a really great crew on
this ubisoft build and so you need to
highlight some of the things that we did
all right you guys made three pieces of
armor for their game for honor and be
shown at e3 but we're actually in the
process of finishing up right now you
have your crew here which they each
specialize in different things yeah I
got evil Ted Smith that built all the
helmets I got Doug Stewart over there
that's like one of the best Asia and
dyers around for they can clothes look
worn up and lived in and browned up so
we thought that you guys might enjoy
lowering from these guys how they go
about their process so I'm going to talk
to Ted today they'll get a demo and see
how they get made yeah
so this is evil Ted Smith Ted great to
see ya
thank you oh we've seen you working a
Frank shop a lot and of course your work
you have a popular YouTube channel where
you do a lot of fabrication tutorials or
great to have you on our channel as well
so you work with Frank to do these
helmets yes this game yeah I'm in fact
Frank called me up and said Ted I need
helmets and I'd love to do amount of
foam and you're the man I said fantastic
so I saw the pictures I won't lie I was
a little intimidated at first like wow
and then I thought you know what I could
do is you just I have a generic I have a
basis of a planner I did so patterning
right that's something we talked about
before last year when Frank did his rank
or project he sculpted the maquette and
then been put pattern you think of it as
making like clothes long same feature
exactly that same principle applies to
helmets yes I did it matter of fact I
have a head for more life cast I covered
it in foil and duct tape made my cut
lines and me the registration marks cut
it later all flat just like a fabric
like you're reducing with a jacket or a
shirt lay it all out made my patterns
and then I just kind of cut it translate
that in the foam
you cut the foam and then piece it back
together you're prototyping in three
dimensions yes then laying it out in two
dimensions and then putting them back
together in three dimensions yeah
because as a kid always thought like
everything starts off flat how does that
flat thing become something curved
year-round you have to make darts you
have to make cut lines and so that was
the secret to it so is that how you went
about designing one of these helmets did
you sculpt something a prototyper or did
you with your experience freeform
drawing or that pattern a little bit
what I do is I knew the helmet I just
wanted to start with a basic so I start
with a basic pattern I have my helmet
pattern I sell on the evil ped website
you put that channel I have a pattern
and what I do is I took the basic
pattern and you guys can download it oh
very cool it looks very much like this
and what you do is you piece the patters
together oh it's a blueprint that's a
blueprint for the helmet so what this is
basis this is the top of the head and
this is the side head and being a helmet
symmetrical you only need one so you
just trace one side for the right side
flip it for the left so that's all we
have to do it's and you people are
saying is it that simple and the answer
is yes what I'm gonna do is take this
pattern and this like you said this is
what I made from the aluminum foil and
duct tape pattern either I transferred
it laid it out in unto paper and traced
it and then I just made it onto a paper
pattern I
like to convert my patterns into
something like hard stock or post your
stock like a pattern like anything else
you just use it over and over again
right right if you're just making this
one helmet we have a print right now on
standard in half and 11 sheets of paper
right the pattern is actually bigger
than that so you're just taping the
pieces together as long as they're all
to scale right exactly cool but if you
again transfer to posts or stock card
stock manila envelope right Dave that
put in a drawer and you can make please
multiple times exactly so you have your
pattern see if you don't you have to
keep making it all over again so now I'm
gonna do is I'm gonna go in just trace
this right string onto my foam piece hmm
now the thing it's secret the big secret
tip when you're tracing stuff and you're
not gonna get the shape of your pattern
but you see these little notches I made
on the side yes these are registration
marks and the reason I put those in is
because when you go to bend the foam and
heat up foam moves and travels so you
want to make sure it goes right back to
the same spot it was an original pattern
so when I made my pattern I made these
marks
so therefore when I heat it and glue it
back together they're gonna line right
back up so they're just ways to identify
where the pieces touched together it's
not actually you're not cutting these
parts no no and it's not because it's
foam it's already malleable it's not
gonna stick out right god I'm just
making these so I know that when I go to
glue this side the other side I have a
mark to where it has to line up there
were years when I was young starting off
as a fabricator I would make things out
of foam and put them together and it
would always be a little twerked or
little tweak and I was always scratching
my head and I worked on a commercial
with some professional fabricators and
they made these marks and like a
lightning bolt went off on my head and
went a course registration registration
marks and of course they do that in the
fabric world as well to know if you are
taking your prototype and before you cut
it your pattern lines where are the best
places to make those registration mark
that's very good I liked it it depends
on how the sizes but you look I always
do like about an inch and a half spacing
it's something smaller you know you can
do like small but yeah you're right just
a doodle dis I think it is about a inch
and a half to two inches when doing your
spacing because you realize the foam is
going to bend to the degree so and the
cool thing about this too is that
what's it doing patterns the cool thing
is that you're you have symmetry because
people sculpt costumes and sculpt
helmets and I'm always impressed with
sculptors because those guys can just
look at stuff and organically do the
symmetry with sculpting with but they
all do it by hand high in the hand cheat
I just make one side and flip it to make
it all natural yeah so the way if you're
doing with helmet and armor
whatever you do something like a armor
piece or some Iron Man costume when
you're making it home once you make one
side all you have to do is flip your
pattern boom instant support don't make
two of the exact same they need to be
chiral you need to flip it over and you
haven't reversed that's right it saves
you the headache of like making
something because of this buffy about
their scope in which I said I admire
them they're phenomenal and I have
friends at sculpt I always like how they
do that because with me I just do one
side and flip it now you're outlining
you're tracing it with a sharpie and
you're cutting along the sharp you cut
on the inside of the outside like how
close do you have to be it's that
pattern with the helmet I'll tell you
what being foam you have a lot of
forgiveness if you're doing something
with plastics and centra
and I'd like even like worbla you can be
a little have a little bit of precision
to it but this stuff we're all right for
me personally I just like to draw right
on the line right on the line right on
the line okay a little more generous
with the cutting cuz you always can cut
out and dry and I'm later and the cool
thing is once again to when we're
cutting our foam I always tell people
when you kind of make sure when you do
your blade the blade stays upright you
don't want to do this or that because it
affects the contact of your foam so when
you glue two pieces together you won't
get that perfect curve oh you've got to
make sure it's a 90 degree cut I make
sure my blade stays straight up I'm
looking at maybe that's a good place
talk about this foam itself this looks
like you're using like a mat like yoga
mat an exercise mat yes it's actually a
floor mat and you can find is it any
retail store these are just inexpensive
floor mats so this is what people put on
the floor for comfort
mostly gym mats and what I like about
these guys is they're inexpensive you
can get a pack of these guys for like
$9.99 and you get like four pieces of
foam that's plenty to make a costume
doesn't matter how thick it is this
one's let's say half-inch mm-hmm the
half-inch is always a good thickness the
reason I like half-inch because it holds
its shape once you heat it and shape it
it's thick enough it kind of holds
together okay
and as you see once again this is great
I'm just cutting
right on the line all right Ted yes sir
patterns are all pieces all cut out
instead we got we got our top our helmet
got our sides once again asymmetry
purply symmetrical it's only three
pieces that's it that's all I need and
it's gonna end up looking like this I
mean like show right that this is
exactly how the centerpiece does that
centerpiece I should've been together
and it's just the right side right and
the left side perfectly symmetrical now
the next thing is most foam used to work
with in the days the l200 was soft and
you just glue together and hold its
shape
this stuff's a little bit denser so what
I like to do is I kind of preheat a curl
into it so I like to warm it up and put
a slight curl to it and it kind of pulls
it all together because right now when
you glue it it's just gonna fight itself
so we'll take a thick take some little
fight out put on high heat let me do
some this doesn't have to be a lot just
a slight bend to it now are you heating
specific places the evening distribution
of I just try to do an even distribution
I'm just gonna do a slight curl of this
guy so I just want to take these take
the edge to it and see how it's nice and
square flat I wouldn't make that curve
I'm gonna make this whole thing kind of
a Domus curvature doesn't matter which
side you're playing more heat to you so
bends in this my ride so I'm gonna do
them and heat this whole guy up get them
all nice and warm I try to do both sides
people always ask me what temper do you
like your heat gun at Ted I like it hot
how does you can get it the faster it
gets and also to the cool thing is to
your ceiling your foam to hit all the
pores that are very porous but when you
heat seal it it skins up and it also
makes it easier to paint
ah so you're doing - you're killing two
birds with one stone now there's a
texture on the other side of this foam
you're prefer working with one side as
the exterior side one it's always an
option a lot of people love to do the
mass effect games yeah people do the
mass effect armor they love the texture
side right I thought it was really kind
of cool is that they were able to like
get this really cool detail in armored
suits without killing themself so you
just bought the floor mat foam looks
like carbon fiber yeah and they would
just paint it black and a little dry
brush on it and bang look at that and
I've done helmets with it the same way
if you just put the carbon fiber but
that's a cool texture you're bending it
now and you have heat in there so as it
cools down you can see and now see this
Holly ball that's all you need our next
step is
glue when glowing I always like to do
the sinner top first the top of the
helmet because you know what the because
the sick and the sides on the light
easier
mythical thing you have scrap pieces of
foam I take my glue I want to do is you
want to get down these little nooks and
crannies and the only way to do that is
to just chase it with a piece of scrap
foam what's your preferred glue method
and they can glue of material oh I
actually like there's there's drop is
good but I also like barge cement okay
now barge cement it's a kind of kiseop
for leathers and soles of shoes the shoe
makers use it to put the soles of shoes
and hold on leather and it's an industry
standard way of working the movie
business that's why I got turn on the
barge and the cool thing about barge
Smith too is that when it dries and it
hears it has a bit of a flexible quality
to it and some of the kind of adhesive
like well wood which is still good it's
a little stiff over time but the barge
cement always stays nice and pliable
fuses like no other it becomes one piece
right and a matter of fact once you
glued the pieces together you're full
more rep before your glue will once you
get this contact and that's the thing
about contact too is that it's in the
title its contact you apply to surfaces
really thin let them dry semi dry and
you'll push them together and they make
when they make contact that's when they
adhere which gives you a little more
working time exactly to get both top
front and back done at the same time
right and you work as fastq so we do
this and then also to a cool thing but
this is a Frank is nice to have me step
with a squeeze bottle you can do barge
into the squeeze button these are find
these any like story give the ketchup
holders or Michael holders it's the same
stuff you can put them in there and
holds the contact adhesive easy to work
with you neither use a glue plot or a
squeeze bottle they're known for brushes
know who's using excess foam that's
right killing two birds with one stone
now let that dry a little bit now this
is the fun part you see the registration
works this is where they come in handy
you line them up because see if they
weren't here it's kind of you're like
weren't you know I wouldn't mind I say
why the glue stuff that kind of gets a
little tricky
how much you're holding and pushing the
other no need clamps obviously no you're
doing because if once you make contact
you're good all right line up and as you
see wise I'm doing see how it's
happening it's kind of pulling it
together it's making the curves and
that's that that's that's the cool thing
about the darson this is how you do
you're basically reproducing what you
made out of your pattern earlier on the
foam tape or little pad I made off the
up the head cast I got I've just basic
want to reproduce what I have see there
it is see it's sticking there that's
missing now we got that we let that dry
come right here
line up in marks and the people usually
ask me well how do you make clean seams
Ted I said the trick thing making clean
seam is that when you put your two
pieces together make sure they're flush
that sometimes in your building they get
a little off make a little bit of a lip
you can always go back and say in it but
you want to prevent that so I always
kind of run my thumb on the top is to
make sure I'm flush while I'm doing this
and that's the key it's easy to do it
right you know and stick it down you can
definitely say in foam but just makes it
easier to kind of line them at the same
time
what really matters a lot top part the
part that's exposed haven't run you
flush now here's a little trick to I
like to do well the blue still drying I
just kick it out and pull it back the
other way and what that does that puts
tension on the seam that is glued so
that's gonna make them nice and tight so
in effect while that's doing that let's
go ahead and start a blind glue to our
edges of the helmet same thing again I
want to do the that I want to do the
dart first and I guess to push them two
together like this kind of move them
around take my scrap piece
all right its head yeah I got my glue
and all the edges here this is the fun
part is we really see it come together
again
I got I liked it I said I'd like to do
the darts first you got this done first
so you start with the front line up your
seam right in the edge you start with
your front also for the centerpiece is
that just because that's gonna be the
one that you want perfect right and if
anything this matches then the back is
better than adding in the front that is
correct
so but the cool thing about that is
we're not gonna have that problem
because registration that is correct
got a registration mark because I again
am I you could do it I'm always like ah
my half-inch off what happened
that's because I did not know about
these marks it goes to show you no
matter how long you've been doing
something you never stop learning and
that's the thing I like to tell people
like I I love I got fans and people that
write me letters they go hey Ted did you
know I'm like no I did not know thank
you for sharing it's like there's some
great tips and people I just love the
community of sharing and that's what I
love about this whole thing with you
guys I'm tested it's just great you get
this we have to seize great stuff and
behind the scenes of all this one or
things you guys do because know you're a
part of it I know and I'm so thrilled
because I'd like to share and I just I
think part of the movie magic is the kid
growing up is when you start to see how
things were made I was like I was hooked
like I have to be a part of this it
doesn't take away the magic no it
doesn't and a matter of fact I think it
adds to it because when you find out how
they did something a trick that was so
simple and when you realize wait a
minute that's all they did that's a
genius then you can eat yourself exactly
that you don't have to be intimidated
when people see a cool suit of armor
like I can't do that like yes you can
see look at that there you go now that's
her first out there's tap like it's
gonna pull a little bit because the glue
still little fresh no worries that will
dry now now you designed this to be
three pieces for your rider exactly what
point do you say a she needs a fourth
piece we should cut that up into six
pieces like what informs that decision
usually could depends on how elaborate
the pieces everybody always says I want
to makes like they'll send me a picture
of a really cool like video game
character and I'll have this kind of
like kinda lit with a beak you know I
know some spires coming off the helmet
you realize well that's a beak so you
have to
I pieces you have a top of the horn but
then you have the helmet there so that's
in there that's other two more pieces
and the more elaborate the pieces the
more of the more elaborate the helmet of
shape is you have to add more parts to
make because film like your school thing
with foam as it bends fully so far so
that's the thing about doing
registration marks and making lines on
your helmet when you make your pattern
you know that the film's the foam is
gonna Bend so far but it's only gonna
Bend so far just like fabric and
clothing when you make a pattern you it
can't you know Bend all the way so you
have to make a you have to make a
different part so you're deconstructing
it in your head right to to D part and
with your experience like you said it's
not just about how many accessories
whether it's advisor or horns it's also
about how much the foam the material
bends your knees exactly the thing is
dull so I tell people out there too is
like don't be intimidated building stuff
because it's all all overwhelm in the
beginning but over time you'll get more
comfortable working with it that's why I
kind of I like making these patterns and
I have these patterns they sell online
and the reason they some people get them
is that they can understand now this was
once a flat piece of paper a flat piece
of foam and now it made a round helmet
and it's all about darting and pattern
making and it goes to show you that
there is a way of doing it and once you
get this pattern you can realize I could
hey I want to make this longer you just
add paper to that or I want to make a
face shield you just add a piece of
paper cut it transfer it like that
sounds like this I mean we start off
talking about this this is a helmet you
made for that costume and even though it
has the face shield like the essential
part of it is very similar brought this
helmet so I took the concept this pan I
bought this pattern but I realized it's
this pattern this cuts in sharp so with
this curves in the land I just took the
pattern with straight with it so I could
compensate for the drop off of the
helmet there was a peak on the helmet
mm-hmm I realized the only way to get
that peak instead of cutting 90 degrees
I cut it at a 45 degree so when you
touch the two pieces of 45 foam it makes
a peak the inside of the material
thickness of it allows you to then booty
bumps it made it it forces a peak and
those are tricks you'll learn as you
keep pulling it and the way you and the
way I learned is just by doing it just
by playing with it and doing it
experiment this rim on the bottom here
now it's kind of fun bowl trick
matter of fact when he got this all done
it had a nice flare on it and it's got a
kick off on it and I realized the helmet
was already done so I took a knife and a
cut of a bevel piece of foam if you look
it's just a bevel piece of foam I just
glued on and stuck on it glued on to it
and then kind of sanded it and then came
in from the backside with a knife and
cut it at an angle to give her the
thickness of the foam to give the
illusion that kind of bends out but
that's actually a separate piece of foam
and then the visor a face plate same
thing I took he I mean a piece of paper
and it kind of like had an actual really
cool illustration they give us designs
so I was matching the design I laid a
piece of paper pattern on laid it up and
traced it kind of figure out my curve
made it traced it on the foam and did
the same thing to 45 cut glue together
and what happened was I made it was too
narrow so I had to take the pattern make
it bigger and do it again so again when
you make something if it messes up don't
kill yourself it's all part of learning
that's great material isn't all that
expensive exactly and then how about
this guy here because you have some it's
a really big piece of foam you didn't
make this out of that mattress foam that
you yes I did did yeah what I did was
they end up we were I we usually would
order thicker foam but we're kind of on
a deadline I just took this foam and
sated the rough side on stacked it so I
stacked a bunch of foam together I glued
it all together and then took it through
the bandsaw cut the shape and then took
a belt sander
you know so I sanded them and I did them
both symmetrical and then went back in
with a knife and cut this off of me like
jagged and broken and then the cool
thing with this is I had the pattern I
altered did the same thing to the curve
and the cool thing with foam is you get
different thicknesses of foam and craft
foam you can get any any craft store
that's why I end up doing here this is
all thin pieces of craft foam that I cut
out and add a little detail and the
snake the snake head you see the dragon
yeah that's a thin piece of craft foam
and for the lines I took a little wood
burner just burn the lines into it and
that's supple did all separate and glued
it all together did some wood burning
details sealed it and gives you your
Battle Damage right and then explored
slashed into it right and then once
again the most saving grace' coolest
thing as Hales to the painters nothing
pulls something together like a good
paint job if you saw at first you'd be
like yeah it looks okay but once you get
paint on it
Wow I mean look at this this was once
just gray foam it look just like this
painted sealed coated Wow paint awesome
yeah well the helmet is done this is the
one you had beforehand mhm
this is the one we just built right you
put it on let's do it let's do it
alright see we're superheroes rip take
your glasses off before we put our
helmets on well this is so cool thank
you so much to have people gonna find
more of your work on your youtube
channel your website has some of these
patterns some free patterns and patterns
for people can they can buy it as well
yeah exactly yeah thank you so much hey
thank you guys thank you and dude tested
keep it up it's awesome hey guys we're
watching them as well we'll be back in
Frank shop with more on this project
learn more about that painting and
weathering process so look forward to
that video but until then Ted
norm Frank's a little working we'll see
you next time yeah
you
