Deathstroke: The Terminator Arkham Edition

So I have always had an interest in Deathstroke: the Terminator. I felt he was a very cool if underrated character in the DC Universe and really like his updated look for Batman Arkham Origins.

So after making a headcast I went about starting a head sculpt of him. The biggest problem I have seen with some Deathstroke helmets is the proportions. People tend to over exaggerate the size and then you end up with something more of a bobblehead which really throws the whole suit out of whack. I planned on going for a more fitted helm that wouldn't appear as though I was wearing my big brother's helm or something.

I started sculpting the head with Plasticine clay from Hobby Lobby. I recommend using their 40% off coupon that is always available to pick up a 4 lb. block anytime you are near this place. Once you start building you will need a reserve of it as this stuff will eventually get muddled with plaster or other bits and need thrown out.

So after working with this for a long while (sorry I didn't think to take pics once I had a finished sculpt) I opted to mold it in Polygel- 35 instead of silicone due to it being better for Ultracal 30 use which I intended on using to make the casting from in order to vacuum form a mask. I sprayed Pol -Ease 2300 over the whole thing including the life cast to insure the Polygel did not attach to the clay.

Here are some of the stages of coating the helmet. I was mixing about 6 oz. of Polygel A and B at this time and that seemed to give me adequate coverage. The Polygel parts are both different colors which then turn blue once properly mixed which helps you know when you have a good consistency and mix. The potlife of this states 8 - 10 minutes of working time but I think it was closer to 5 - 6 minutes before it began thickening so be aware that your time could be lower so plan ahead when attempting to cover large areas.

At this point after the "print coat" and another two layers I added poly fiber to the mix in order to thicken the shell to fill in the eye socket and other areas to insure it was a good solid thickness.

Once I completed that I made a mold jacket out of fiberglass resin and cloth. This process took time thanks to the wonderful weather Mother Nature is continuing to hit us with making working outside less than ideal. Once that was done I mixed up the Ultracal 30 and poured it in to the mold and within 30 minutes it was hard enough to pull out. The great thing about the Polygel-35 was that I needed no mold release. The plaster casting came out cleanly never sticking to anything. Be aware though working with plaster that once it starts to cure you do not want your skin anywhere near it as it generates enough heat to burn you badly. This cast was steaming when I pulled it out of the mold!

This is the stage I am currently at with this helmet. There is some sanding to do to clean up the surfaces and make the planes of the helm much more angular for the Deathstroke helm to look correct. I now have to begin sculpting the rear interlocking pieces so the helm has a complete front and back.

Finally after a long hiatus working on other projects I was able to find someone with a bandsaw tall enough to cut this mold in half. I had tried vacuum forming the helm from one mold but due to the height and how it tapered inward the webbing was too bad and it didn't form well. Moving on.....

So the first issue was to attempt to draw a line and get as clean a cut as possible. Best advice I can give you is to get a piece of string or cord and hold it against the piece at the front and back to give you a line to draw. The bandsaw luckily cut through it in a matter of minutes with a pretty decent even cut. There was only a small amount of sanding to do to get it level for pulling.

The practice piece I heated for 6 minutes 30 seconds and there was quite a droop to it by then. I also turned the vacuum pump on to about -10 pressure as previous tests had pulled too hard and it pulled holes in the plastic ruining the vacuum. This amount seemed to work decent. I will be doing another test with more vacuum and perhaps another 30 seconds under the heater.

All in all I am happy with the first test. The plastic webbed and melted to itself on the top so I will be able to grind the folds and spot fill it before priming and painting. Once I clean all the edges and seam it together with plastic glue it should look pretty decent. Here it is taped together on my much shorter friend but at least it doesn't have that bobble head look I have seen so many other helms end up with.

The two test pulls are looking well enough to show all the areas I need to smooth out on the mold. Now it is time to weld the pieces together. I am going to try a glue on one and then an epoxy upon the other to see which I like more and which is easier to smooth and finish. The glue went on very easy and set within minutes.