C-Forum

I am now in my last year at university and I feel that I should utilize our composite lab for some fun before I finish my master. Last year I did all the fibreglass work on my Stinkeye canoe in the lab to the amusement of the professors. This year we have gotten quite a bit Carbon fiber prepreg…. It is exactly the same stuff they make F-35 parts out of. (High modulus stuff, not some cheap consumer carbon fiber). I have been thinking of making something paddling related, not just fancy dining plates as others do. My idea goes towards a helmet for park and play use.

I have seen look alike German WWII helmets in carbon, but has anyone done a US M1 helmet in carbon before? Is the shape be good for WW paddling, or is it a bad idea? I think a M1 helmet is more accepted than a German helmet here in Norway.

My idea is to use an original M1 helmet as the mould. Just polish the inside and mould towards the inside of the helmet. The prepreg needs 170 Celsius/338 Fahrenheit to cure so I will need some kind of metal mould anyway. Good idea?

I would use a single layer of Kevlar inside the carbon layers. Stiff and strong as it is, carbon tends to shatter when it yields, and if your head wears against carbon, tiny carbon slivers could result. Kevlar fuzzes instead, and if an extremely hard blow starts the carbon cracking, the Kevlar will help hold it together. Kevlar is about as light as carbon, so you won't make the helmet heavier.

Kevlar might be a good idea. What about helmet shape? To big maybe?

Never heard of an exact replica, but the Shred Ready Full Mental Jacket is very similar in shape. Sounds like a really cool project.

The WW2 Nazi-style helmet has been done several times over. See what can happen with those materials and a WW2 GI-style helmet. Here is one version I found that looks different from what is already on the market:



Have fun with your project and definitely post images of how it is progressing.

Short update: The realeas angle on the helmet showed up to be to small so it was terrible to remove the test helmet I made.
After a bike crash last week that crushed my helmet I am a bit more hazetaed about makin a home meade helmet so the project is on ice..

Though many have made their own helmets, and it is a neat project, personally I'd make a paddle - it might be worth actually purchasing the shaft, making your own (wood) t-grip, but making the blade yourself. With the material you have I would think you could product a very light, stiff paddle.

http://www.kayakshed.com/shred-ready-he ... tal-jacket" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lidds actually did one a few years back.

...and a solution for your mold concern - two part mold (bolted and unbolted). You'll need to have a good tight seam, perhaps use a bit of clay (or not), and may need to do a little clean up after you pull the piece, but you'd be able to release it then....

Back when bullet head type helmets were the rage for racing, I made a 1 piece mold, and the first few helmets were quite a fight to release. I drilled a small hole (where one of the strap anchors would go) and used compressed air to release the new part. I will note that I ALWAYS used PVA just to give me an extra margin of error on release.

Here are some pictures as well.

RodeoClown wrote:Lidds actually did one a few years back.

That's my helmet!