Wooden Football Helmet Bank

One of the most memorable and life changing classes for me in Middle and High School was Woodshop. It taught me how to work with my hands, create one of a kind masterpieces and to take pride in your work. Unfortunately, trade classes have slowly gone by the way of the dinosaurs, gradually disappearing over the years. Whether due to budget issues or safety concerns, the current generation of young people will no longer have an introduction to something wonderful that doesn't require them to shoot it on a computer screen. To pay homage to this long lost time, I am recreating one of my favorite projects (with a few minor improvements). Enjoy!

Dimensional Lumber

Wood Glue

Rubber, Plastic Plug

Finish

Clamps

Bandsaw

Drill Press

Spindle Sander

Disc Sander

Random Orbit Sander

Router

Locate a 2D picture of a football helmet online to use for reference. Cut and paste it onto a Word doc to make sure the size is correct, before printing out a few copies. I chose to go with 5 1/2" inches at the widest point, which would make for a medium sized bank. I did need to make some adjustments with the final design and added some curves to make it easier during the final sanding process. Once you are satisfied, trace the design onto your wood. I used 3/4" maple and needed 5 helmet pieces. The darker wood in the picture is 1/2" walnut (I'll get to that later).

Bonus Tip: If you plan on making multiple banks or gifts or to sell, make a template that you can use with a flush trim router bit to make exact copies.

Cut out your traced helmet pieces on the bandsaw. I used the drill press and forstner bit to cut out the curved sections to make sawing easier, but this is optional. Make sure to cut on the outside of the line, leaving about 1/8" inch room to spare. You can always remove extra wood during sanding, but you can't add more if you cut too much (like I did). If you come close to the line, it will leave you little room for error in the glue up and finishing.

Glue 3 of the helmet pieces together that will make up the center portion of the bank. Make sure to align the pieces as close as possible, especially if you cut too close to the line. If you are using trigger clamps like I am, the pieces will tend to want to slip around. Use minimal pressure until you have all clamps in place and the pieces correctly positioned. Then start applying more pressure one by one. Allow to set up overnight for best results.

Bonus Tip: You can sprinkle a little table salt between the pieces after adding the glue to prevent movement

Extra Step (optional): I cut a small section from the tops of two of the pieces and glued the 1/2" walnut to the top. This will add stripes and elevate the finished product. I did need to trim the 3/4" maple down to 1/2" on the table saw, since they didn't have it in stock at the home store. Here are the options for the project based on difficulty and desired outcome:

1. Easy - Use the same type of wood for simple, but uniform look.

2. Moderate - Use different wood for 1 or 2 of the center sections to add dimension and stripes. Stripes will be visible along entire project.

3. Harder - Use different wood for 1 or 2 of the center sections, but only to the top of the helmet. Will require additional cuts and fine tuning, but will produce a more professional result.

After the glue has set overnight, remove clamps and sand/scrape any dried glue from the 2 outer flat sides. You don't have to worry about the edges, as they will be smoothed in the final finish. Cut a 1/4" wide slot centered at the top of the helmet for the coin slot on the band saw. I used the drill press with a large forstner bit to remove a large chunk of the center that will hold the coins. This step is optional, but will make it easier to remove the excess with the saw. Make sure to leave a good amount of edge for the final glue up (I left about 3/4").

Glue the outer 2 helmet pieces to the center section, taking care to align the pieces as close as possible and allow to set up overnight. See Step 3 (Glue Up Part 1) for tips to prevent shifting.

Remove the clamps and scrape any dry glue from the 2 outer flat sides. Use the disc sander to smooth the back and top of the helmet. Then use the spindle sander to smooth the bottom and front of the helmet, using different diameters for the various curves. Sand the outer sides with the random orbit sander. I used 220 grit on the final sanding on all edges and surfaces.

Next, use a roundover bit on a router on the outer edges. Make sure to raise the router bit a little at a time to reduce the chance of edge burning. I raised the bit to full height to produce the full bit radius with the bit of flat edge exposed.

The last step before finishing is to cut a hole just larger than the diameter of a quarter for the plug to rest on the drill press. There are lots of plastic and rubber plugs available, but I found a stainless steel bathtub drain plug that had a handle in the middle for easy removal. The stainless steel finish and tiny holes also gave it a cool modern industrial look. Cut a recess slightly wider than the size of the hole for the lip of the plug to sit flush (approximately 1/8" - 1/4"). This should be done before drilling the smaller diameter hole all the way through the bottom of the bank.

This next step is optional based on the level of difficulty and desired outcome. I am adding 1/4" team logos (Dallas Cowboy) to the outside with the same walnut wood used for the stripes. I cut them on the band saw and slowly and carefully routed the edges with a chamfer bit. This bit will give a 45 degree angle cut and is perfect for geometric designs. I cut about 1/8" off the edge of each star point to prevent tear out by the router due to the thin stock. Don't worry, the chamfer bit will allow for a visible point in the end result.

Bonus tip: If you are fortunate enough to own a CNC machine, you can produce the more intricate team logos.

Locate the desired position on the helmet (use the original print out as a guide), glue and clamp. You can also use a 23G pin nailer instead of the clamps if you have one. For this step, use less glue than previous steps and remove all glue squeeze out with a damp rag right away. It will be very difficult to try and sand/scrape any dry glue afterwards and you want to ensure that no glue "spots" are visible once you apply the final finish.

Use your original template to locate and mark the position for the helmet hole at the bottom of the bank. Use a 5/8" forstner bit to drill a hole about 1/8" deep into each side of the helmet with the drill press . You can use the depth stop to make sure you don't drill too deep.

Inspect your project to make sure there are no gaps, dried glue or burns. You can wipe on mineral spirits to reveal any hidden glue spots that will appear in the final finish and fill, sand or scrape if necessary.

For this project, I wanted the natural beauty of the woods and the contrast between light and dark to be fully displayed. I chose not to use stain, but instead applied semi-gloss polyurethane spray that will bring out the color of the wood and not darken it. Apply 2-3 coats and let dry 15-30 minutes between each coast depending on the temperature and humidity. Once the last coat is dry, liberally rub paste wax over the entire bank using 0000 steel wool. This will remove any imperfections from the spray and impregnate the finish with the wax to make for a strong, clear and durable finish. Use a cloth, rag or towel to buff off the excess wax and reveal the buttery smooth finish. Add coins and enjoy!

Bonus Step: I screwed in some stainless steel hex head screws to add an extra touch of realism and texture.