MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Articles - Skaaltel's All in Oneder Helmet Project Part 1

When I finished my main case modification project Shogun: Total War, I was left with a gaping void in my life. I wasn't cluttering up the dining room table with junk and I didn't have any new modification projects to work on. I paced, fretted, and stared blankly at my computer screen to past the time away. Three or four hours of late night planning produced the All in Oneder Helmet Project, which is the focus of this article. This article will document the entire construction process from start to finish.

NOTE: Proper precautions should be taken when attempting your own case mod project and as with all warnings, you are responsible for your own actions.

To start this project off, I composed a project parts list which consist of the following items:

Description:	Source:	Cost:
(1) Fiberglass WW2 USA Helmet Liner	E-Bay	$5
(1) All purpose Multimeter	Canadian Tire	$10
(1) SMC Router	SMC Networks (originally $30)	Free
(2) Screw drawer	Skaal-tel	$3
Assorted stand-offs and screws	Skaal-tel	$0.50
(1) Generic CD-ROM Drive	Garbage	Free
(1) Piece of sheet metal	Garbage	Freebie
(1) Steel Plumber's Epoxy	Skaal-tel	Freebie
(1) PSU (stock with case)	Skaal-tel	Freebie
(1) 20ft of electronics wire	Radio Shack	$3
(1) Quarter foot of rosin-core solder	Skaal-tel	Freebie
(1) Red Quad LED 80mm fan	ADPMods	$11
(1) Red 80mm Maple Leaf Grill	ADPMods	$18
(1) RJ45 connectors	Skaal-tel	$0.40
(1) Resitors	Skaal-tel	Freebie
Total Cost:		$50.90

The total cost of this project would amount to $50.90 CDN, if I were to include the price of a brand new SMC router then I would need to add $30. Most of these components listed can be considered spare parts that I have had available from other projects that I have worked on. By keeping my costs down, I was able to demonstrate that scrounging for free stuff really pays off.

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Planning:

I've been using a spare stock PSU for testing of fans, lights, LEDs and other wiring projects. It was always pretty unwieldy to use as a test bed. In order to test LEDs, I would have to hold one end of a wire to a Molex plug and the other to the PCB. I would have to flick a switch to see my results which proved not to be the safest idea around. I figured I'd make a really hardcore testing PSU, somewhat like the one I'd seen at Extensiontech. I sat down with a pencil and paper creating a list of features that I wanted to include inside the project. My goals were to come up with a cool PSU sized enclosure and at the same time keep the project unique, hence the idea of using a helmet. The project rapidly became a difficult challenge of cramming as much stuff as possible into a helmet. Here for your amusement is how I pulled it all off.

I wanted a LED testing unit with 3.6v and 2.2v lines and have the ability to change voltages at the flick of a switch. Network routers are ideal tools for LAN parties, so I would incorporate this function and include a space to connect Ethernet cable. The helmet would also have to include built-in power, in order to skip using traditional PSU power connectors as well as a Multimeter for all my electronics modding. To address aesthetics and cooling, I would be adding a cooling fan, high profile paint job with lighting scheme and a drawer to hold all the random mod bits and pieces I always look for when working on my projects.

The Project:

The most important part of this project was trying to source helmet that would make my dreams become reality. Like most people, I didn't just happen to have one lying around and decided to start scrounging around the Canadian WW2 Memorabilia section of EBay.ca. I posted a few "helmet wanted" queries on the forums and generally kept my eyes open. I ran across a Canadian NATO Helmet which would have been perfect for the project but the deal fell through on the offer. I kept searching and managed to find a $5 fiberglass helmet liner. It was probably American made but I was unable to validate the exact source. In the end, I won it without any competition and once I'd received it the modding aspect of this project was finally on.

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The first step was to remove the liner and suspension. The straps were riveted to the inside of the helmet with a steel clamp supports. I used some heavy duty scissors to cut the straps outside of the clamps. I left the 3 loops in, believing that I might be able to use them later. The next step was shopping for the various parts that I wanted to include in the project.