Diving Helmet: Make Your Own Outdoor Sculpture
By Yvonne Anderson | Feb 2021
Sculpture making can often be a lonely affair so that’s why this project was so special. Two friends having a conversation that went a little something like this:
KIM: What do you want to make next?
JANE: An old diver helmet!
Diving helmets from the Victorian period are gorgeous to look at and Jane wanted one to go in her garden. It had to be robust and withstand the elements.
First off, who are we and why do we love sculpting?
We're the crew from Pal Tiya International, and sculpting is what we care about. Between us, we've sculpted for decades and used every sculpting material on the planet (no joke). We created Pal Tiya Premium, a versatile weather proof sculpting material that is non-firing, and gorgeous to use. We share these stories to help thousands of our artists around the world to make the coolest stuff. Thousands of creative people across the globe have fallen in love with the possibilities of our medium. Kim is Pal Tiya International's Creative Director.
Jane was clear that her idea was a surprise to Kim. It was highly ambitious, and would need some precise work. But time was on their side and Jane said she would be patient. Jane is very creative, has some experience sculpting and is an incredibly talented painter. She also sews Victorian Steampunk clothes that are simply stunning.
KIM: What do you want to make next?
JANE: An old diver helmet!
Diving helmets from the Victorian period are gorgeous to look at and Jane wanted one to go in her garden. It had to be robust and withstand the elements.
First off, who are we and why do we love sculpting?
We're the crew from Pal Tiya International, and sculpting is what we care about. Between us, we've sculpted for decades and used every sculpting material on the planet (no joke). We created Pal Tiya Premium, a versatile weather proof sculpting material that is non-firing, and gorgeous to use. We share these stories to help thousands of our artists around the world to make the coolest stuff. Thousands of creative people across the globe have fallen in love with the possibilities of our medium. Kim is Pal Tiya International's Creative Director.
Jane was clear that her idea was a surprise to Kim. It was highly ambitious, and would need some precise work. But time was on their side and Jane said she would be patient. Jane is very creative, has some experience sculpting and is an incredibly talented painter. She also sews Victorian Steampunk clothes that are simply stunning.
Cost
This homemade diving helmet, which can stay outdoors all year round in any weather, would cost approx US$85 to make as Jane and Kim used 19lbs, just shy of half a 40lbs Pal Tiya Premium (currently retailing for US$169.99). Tinfoil, hot glue, paints will be extra.
This homemade diving helmet, which can stay outdoors all year round in any weather, would cost approx US$85 to make as Jane and Kim used 19lbs, just shy of half a 40lbs Pal Tiya Premium (currently retailing for US$169.99). Tinfoil, hot glue, paints will be extra.
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DIY Diving Helmet
Making a vintage diving helmet led Kim and Jane on an amazing journey of research of the different kinds of old time deep diving helmets. They collected photos of the most likely candidates for inspiration, and read schematic diagrams to understand what each of all the knobs taps and bumps were to make two dimensions into three. |
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Kim and Jane began in March 2020 and worked 3 hours each Friday, till Nov 2020. One 4 week break was taken for the Covid pandemic.
It was a delightful, gentle project to do together over several months. With almost all sculptures of this size that we make from our medium Pal Tiya Premium, we use cardboard, tin foil and hot glue to build out the armature shape. |
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Just after Covid lockdown ended the ladies checked the correct outline with a cardboard pattern. The foil cores and temporary stand ins. These remaining components were pulled off the main body and prepped for coating. The ladies never ever used these but it reminded them to make the parts.
Jane wanted the actual helmet part to be separate from the shoulder plate as later she might want to put lights inside! |
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They made every single component separately out of foil, and in a way it could be removed. The pieces were held in place with sewing pins. The work could be checked and rechecked for size and placement till it was perfect. Each piece was manufactured separately in advance of the big core. This allowed each batch plenty of time to cure and strengthen.
For full curing instructions please visit our Curing page |
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Making The Finer Details Of The Old Diving Helmet
One of benefits of working with Pal Tiya Premium is that you can pre-make pieces of a sculpture at any time and attach it later (we'll show you how further down the page). First, Jane and Kim made the lugs that would eventually go on the collar band. They decided to cast in molds they made using Newplast non-drying, re-usable modelling clay. They then cut the delicate complex shapes in the soft green clay and the holes were filled with the dough like, freshly mixed, Pal Tiya Premium. To find mixing instructions for Pal Tiya Premium visit our Mixing page |
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The lugs were then cured over the next week and cleaned with files and blades for crisp edges.
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They also made all the fixtures this way.
Making the main faceplate with Pal Tiya Premium
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Coms panel & lifting rings with connector & flange
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Left window & valve with pipe & 2nd flange
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Right window & large valve
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Top window center decoration
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Once cured, the pieces were all cleaned with files, blades and sandpaper to achieve a smooth metal-like surface. Matt knives and 80 grit sandpaper were used to achieve a smooth metal-like surface.
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