How to Make a Straight Padded Helmet

A helmet protects your head by interposing a surface between your skull and the impact from a hard object. You can pad a helmet to increase the comfort as well as decrease the vibrations felt when hit. Supplies from a hobby store will be needed, as will tools and supplies found around the home.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspaper
  • Paper towels
  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Baseball helmet
  • 2 baseball helmet pads
  • Pencil
  • Utility knife
  • Bonding epoxy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a sheet of newspaper on a table. Place the helmet on the newspaper with the open end facing up. Moisten a paper towel with isopropyl alcohol. Wipe the inside of the helmet and around the inside edges with the towel. Let the helmet air-dry. Repeat the procedure a second time to clean the inside of the helmet.

    • 2

      Place the baseball helmet pad inside the helmet. Press the pad against the inside of the helmet. Mark the edges of the pad that overlap the helmet’s rim with a pencil.

    • 3

      Place the pad on the newspaper. Cut away the excess padding that has been marked with the blade of a utility knife. Dispose of the excess padding. Place a second pad on top of the one just cut. Cut the second pad to the same dimensions as the one beneath it with the utility knife.

    • 4

      Turn the pad over so that the bottom is facing up. If there is an adhesive backing on the bottom, remove the paper and dispose of it.

    • 5

      Apply a line of a plastic-safe bonding epoxy around the edges of the bottom of the pad. Apply a diagonal line of glue from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the pad. Apply a diagonal line of glue from the top right corner to the bottom left corner of the pad to form an “X.”

    • 6

      Turn the pad over. Insert the pad into the helmet. Press the pad’s side and bottom against the helmet. Hold the helmet in position for two minutes, so the glue can take hold. Let the glue set for a day before repeating this entire procedure with the second pad. Leave the helmet alone for a day before removing the newspaper and disposing of it in the trash.