DIY Gopro helmet chin mount. Custom mold.

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Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Skills required: basic molding, basic shaping, basic sanding
Project time: At least 3 days
Labor time: 2-3 hours

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Materials cost: $15 - $20

Problem:
Attaching a Gopro to your helmet using traditional/purchasable options often results in
wind resistance at speed, weight resistance not at speed, physical resistance when you
turn your head, and/or funny looks from others at all times.

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Solution:
Custom mount the Gopro to the chin to achieve better weight balance, reduce wind
drag, and hide the hideous cube on your face.

DISCLAIMER:

I am not an engineer or designer, my methods follow logic and not necessarily theory.
This is intended as an anecdotal DIY.
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For this demo, I am making two chin mounts, one for each of my Shoei helmets.
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For reference I am molding a RF-1200 (black on left) and a RF-1100 (white on right). Its
worth noting that the RF-1200 is matte black and the surface texture may affect the

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adhesion of the mount in the final steps.

Materials needed:
- Helmet to be molded
- GoPro camera and case

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- GoPro J-hook mount
- GoPro curved sticky mount base
- GoPro stickies (3M VHB 4991)
- 2’’ Blue painters tape (3M blue works best)
- Epoxy putty (milliput standard)

Recommended tools:
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[OPTIONAL]-Heat gun (for removal of old
mounts, old adhesive)
[OPTIONAL]-Xacto knife or craft blade (shaping)
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[OPTIONAL]-Razor blades (shaping)
[NECESSARY]-Dremel or similar rotary tool
(shaping , shaving)
[NECESSARY]-Old credit cards / room keys (for
removing old adhesive and squeegeeing tape)
[NECESSARY]-Netflix crack device of choice
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STEP 1: Prep

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First we will remove the adhesive (old or new) from the Gopro mount, this is a good
opportunity to recycle old mounts if you have them. It will be used so just ensure that
you have a good candidate that is not compromised in any way before you begin.

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Use your card key to wedge the adhesive off of the mount. This will take time and effort.
Eventually you want to end up with a clean plastic bottom. Remove all adhesive, clean.

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[OPTIONAL] if you have a heat gun and a blade, heat it up carefully so you do not melt
the mount, then slowly cut the adhesive off.
[NECESSARY] Take your rotary tool and using a med grinding disc or bit, score the
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bottom of the go pro mount. Try to do an even score with some sense of uniformity.
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Next, prep the helmet (it does not matter which you do first).
Tape over the target area of your mold in big long single strips, pressing gently as you

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go to decrease bubbles and ripples. The fewer strips of tape the better.
You want what looks like a skin tight tape job over your target, use your keycard to
squeegee out any bubble or folds in the tape. Be sure to get into the lines and curves of
the target area, this will ensure a closer more accurate mold.

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STEP 2: Molding

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Now that we are all prepped, take your milliput (or other epoxy) and start mixing. Take
equal parts of both sticks of putty, I used 1/3 of each stick to make two mounts. I would
suggest working with an amount around 1/4 of the sticks to start with. Because of the
working time, its better to have an excess, than to stop in the middle and mix more

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epoxy for use.
The intstructions recommend to mix by hand for 5 min at least. Be sure to have a dish
or cup of water to help you mold and shape the epoxy, this is especially helpful when
forming, the epoxy will have the consistency of play-dough.

Take your mixed and ready to work epoxy blob and set it into the scored bottom of the
Gopro mount. Use both hands to press and fold/form the epoxy into the bottom. Build
an excess and pile it up around the sides of the mount to create a “lip” or base around

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the plastic edges.

Press the mount onto the target area of the helmet, apply slow pressure as it flattens
out. Be sure to keep folding/piling the excess against the side of the mount like a mud
hill. Get to an acceptable mounting position/thickness and stop.

Using wet fingers, mold and shape around the sides of the mount, carefully pushing
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down and turning/correcting to finalize mounting position.

Do not worry about how sloppy it is, you will dremel shape it all later.

Set the helmet in a resting position with the mount facing up. Allow to cure for 24 hours.
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STEP 3: Shaping and sanding

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After you have allowed your mount to cure for 24 hours, carefully pry it off of the helmet.
Use a key card under the tape to help you lift it. Once removed, slowly remove the tape
from the hardened epoxy and you should have something like this

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You will notice that the epoxy has formed all the small details and imperfections, like
your tape lines and fingerprints.

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Use your dremel or rotary tool with a med-fine grinding wheel/bit and slowly shave down
the sides of your mount back to size. I leave a thin layer of epoxy around the sides
maintaining that “lip” to keep them cemented together for eternity. Do multiple passes

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until you have a shape you are happy with.

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STEP 4: Finishing

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Lastly, dremel/sand the
bottom of the mount lightly.
To remove the bits of tape

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and texture left behind, and
to create an even textured
surface for the adhesive to
bond with.

At this point you are finishing

the mounts. I masked the

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mount and bottom off with
tape and spray painted the
visible sides in high-temp
black silicone because…
motorcycle.

You can still sort of see the

“lip” we created, good
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sanding and paint helps hide
this.
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Take your finished mounts and clean the bottom with alcohol, allow to dry.
Carefully roll-on your adhesive sticky onto the mount ensuring you wedge it into the
groove created by the chin. Apply lots of pressure and allow to set for 24 hours.
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FINALLY. Take your finished, painted, and adhered mount and stick it to your helmet
chin.
Test fit it a few times to ensure its perfect (it will be)
Align by eye and fit slowly to get best adhesion to the helmet. Do this slowly to get best
fit and reduce air bubbles. Apply lots of pressure and allow to set for 24 hours. Then you
can go outside and play with it. Congratulations, we are done.
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