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The111

VIDEO: How to build a camera helmet in 10 minutes

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I made a post a little while ago about the Wes Rich CCM which I built over the past year and a half. Throughout most of the building process, I was being watched by my camera on a tripod.

The end result is THIS video. Enjoy. :)
It's around 10 minutes long, ~137MB... a bit of a large download, but worth the wait.
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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Hacksaw to Brain and Beer! Love it. So well done.



I had probably a six pack before we started the plastering. Scott (the guy wrapping me) had just as much. Fortunately he's a big guy so I don't really think it affected him. I was pretty tipsy.

There's a reason they call it "getting plastered!" :D

It's sort of peaceful inside that plaster shell though....
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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Holy crap matt!!!

That video deffinetly took me from a "how hard can it be?" frame of mind to "I have a whole new respect for the work that goes into those helmets!!"

Really really informative. Great idea to film this! Good job as always!

Doesn't really look like a project the ole women of the house would be to happy about :P

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Doesn't really look like a project the ole women of the house would be to happy about :P



Affirmative! :|:o:$ And particle dust all over the bedroom! >:(

As the rest of you, I also have a new respect for the work that goes into one of those beautiful helmets! I'd love one myself but have neither the time (nor patience) to take a project like that on!

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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Affirmative! :|:o:$ And particle dust all over the bedroom! >:(



Ha, I learned a lot about particle dust during this project. I actually did not have a lot of experience working with my hands before this... sanding, shaping, etc... certainly not laying up glass. Somehow I got lucky and the dust did not spread over my bedroom. But I grinded (heavy grinding) some carbon fiber in one isolated corner of my garage, and the dust spread ALL over the garage... any horizontal surface in the whole garage had a layer of black dust on it. I just recently finished cleaning most of it with a wet rag (that is the ONLY way to get rid of dust that fine, you cannot sweep it up).

In the future ANY sanding of CF or fiberglass will be done outdoors.
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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Is there some kind of liner inside? I may need to buy the instructions in a year or two when I have to switch to a top mount. Most of the store bought helmets look like the camera platform is way above your head. It would be fine in an Otter but not a 182. The one you made looks like it would be easy to shorten.
"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

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Is there some kind of liner inside? I may need to buy the instructions in a year or two when I have to switch to a top mount. Most of the store bought helmets look like the camera platform is way above your head. It would be fine in an Otter but not a 182. The one you made looks like it would be easy to shorten.



The liner is the same 7mm wetsuit hood I was wearing during the plaster wrap.

Believe it or not the store bought camera helmets I've looked at ARE pretty flush with your head on top (as is mine). Often it looks like they're not, but this is mainly because of our misconceptions about the relative dimensions of the human head. Any artist (or anybody who's built a CCM) will be well aware of the fact that a person's eyeballs are pretty much halfway between the top of their head and the bottom of their chin.... right smack in the middle of the head. Next time you see a picture of somebody wearing a camera helmet and think the top plate is too high above their head (I've thought the same thing), see if their eyes are halfway between the top plate and their chin... if so the top plate is not as high as it appears.
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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Wow, respect! Great work (both video and helmet) :)
I wonder how much you spent on all the plaster, glue, paint, foam, thinner, fiber, liner...
My guess is at least half the price of a factory made one.

I got hooked to the music you used. It reminded me of Mogwai at once. Do you know Mogwai? If not, taste their album "Happy Songs For Happy People". One of my favorites. The sound is very similar.
I identified the song from min 2 to the end of your video. But please tell me what the music of the first 2 minutes is. Explosion in the Sky, too?

Thanks! I loved this one.
Rooky


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I wonder how much you spent on all the plaster, glue, paint, foam, thinner, fiber, liner...
My guess is at least half the price of a factory made one.



There is no such thing as a "factory made CCM"... but I spent almost as much as Wes charges... I detailed all my costs in THIS post from a few months ago.

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I got hooked to the music you used. It reminded me of Mogwai at once. Do you know Mogwai? If not, taste their album "Happy Songs For Happy People". One of my favorites. The sound is very similar.
I identified the song from min 2 to the end of your video. But please tell me what the music of the first 2 minutes is. Explosion in the Sky, too?



Yes, I know Mogwai very well. I actually almost used them in this video. Other good post rock bands are Sigur Ros, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and A Silver Mt Zion.

The first song in the video is by "The Fucking Champs" as listed in the credits. I am not sure of the title (away from home right now) but it is either off of their "IV" or "V" album.
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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What was it that motivated you do build something yourself, rather than buying a FTP ?



In order of importance:

- Less exposed surface area than an FTP = less drag (this is very important for me since I fly wingsuits exclusively)
- Better fit, more stable video platform
- Lighter (in theory, though it did not actually work out this way, the next revision will)
- More versatile
- The satisfaction of doing it myself
- It makes me feel cool
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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