Soft Parts Mission: Make as accurate a Suit as possible.

[matth101]

Any progress on the undersuit Tsau?? I think I'm going to use the male version of the suit except make the base layer one piece out of my black single piece hockey under armor and building on top of it with foam rubber and vinyl. Ran your design by my mom when I was at her place the other day and she may be willing to help me out so I'm stoked on that
Now update us!!

 

[Kissker]

Wish I would have seen this when it started.

I have an oddly proportioned body and after months of debating decided a mannaquin would be the best way for me to work on and then when not in use - store - armor bits to keep from deforming/damage and hey, life sized "Statue" like old castles and suits of platemail decorating the walls.

Duct tape is one way to do this, and yes the plastic was a bad idea between you and it.

A 'better' (not finished with mine, not sure if it will be better in the end) is using an old shirt that fits snugly and Gummed Back Paper (shipping tape) that is water activated.

Put on the shirt, it should fit snug, for women, you will be wearing your bra (etc) to keep things "properly shaped" Then a buddy would cut strips and lightly mist the gummed side and press/smooth it against the shirt. V's for chest and back, and "around the model" for most other parts, takes a little time but can also be bonding (if your doing it with someone close to you and not just a 'buddy')

Down side is it takes a little to 'dry' and cure the bonding paste. You can speed it up with a Hair Dryer , if it's 'too wet' it will add a 'peeling effect' - just add another layer to cover.

Ideally the tape should be about 3 layers thick - double reinforcing the edges you may have (I did a simple TShirt torso, so the edges of neck, sleeves, and bottom reinforced)

I am going to fiberglass it like a pep project (using a trash bag filled with stuffing/pillows as the inside) then remove stuffing and fiberglass matt/cloth the inside in multi- layers, I plan to make this a bit crazy and so I need it Extra Super Durable.

Benefits are : easier to tack into and won't 'gum up' things like sewing needles, you can pin patterns to it without the smell of duct tape overwhelming you as well - also doen't seem to have the heat problem duct tape has (long car ride home, in 90+ weather, with no A/C) and that is if you use the mannaquin form as/is without fiberglassing it. I actually got the idea from some seamstress's who wanted to make their own dress forms to sew their own outfits on, cheaply.

Duct tape will loosen and 'melt" it's gummy adhesive tape inside 'extreme' heats. The car , in the sun, during a hot day is enough to destroy it. The tape will start to warp and move and eventually lose it's hold and 'fall off' - this will take awhile and it's really only in direct sunlight/Glass enhanced situations - but keep it in mind. I did a lot of LARPS where our weaponry was covered with duct tape - it becomes a mess, and a hassle (and expensive) to buy more tape and re-do work. That's why I decided to investigate this other method -using gummed back paper packing tape.

I found mine "reinforced" at Staples (had to order and ship to store) 500ft was about $15. I am a big guy so about 1/3 of it was already used for the torso. (3+ft round gut and 2ft+ shoulder span don't help that! told ya I was oddly shaped! lol.)

Being 6'3'' or so, finding a manaquin that could expand to my size was going to be around $300, minus shipping. Considering I bought some new titanium edged, no stick/gum lifetime warrenty bright pink soft handled scissors to help this has only cost me around $30 so far. (scissors were almost $15 as well! lol)

Still wanna see how it turns out, and I hope to get some progress done and pictures taken of mine as well to show.


Yours is still good - don't get the wrong impression please! My method was chosen to make a fiberglass reinforced/hardened version to use as a multi-seperation body support tool. (it will be cut into 3 parts vertically so armor can be form fit onto the torso, harden the outside, then remove the torso via the 3 parts to harden the inside - without cutting, moving or deforming the armor)

gonna use expansion foam, 2x4's some magnets and latches and probably pvc pipe to finish this, but like I said, the end results should be promising and maybe Tut-worthy.

 

[tsau mia]

Sounds like a good plan! You really have to go with whatever works better for you. I have a lot more experience making things in duct tape, so I figured that would work a lot better for me than anything else.

So anyways, for me it's been slow going. I started work on the first mock up to get shape. I'm hot gluing it as I go to keep the shape of the fabric and make easier pieces to cut out, since the first mock-up is just going to be turned into pieces. Basically I'll draw the pattern on it in sharpie, and then transfer that to the second mock up materials. The second mock-up will be sewn, so that I can cut the pieces apart and trace them onto the final materials. Once I finish the first mock-up, I'll post more of a step-by-step progress guide to help people out, with pictures too!

 

[J326]

awesome. I'm still not sure if i will do an under armor but this is neat stuff incase i decide to do it. At first I thought of just sticking craft foam down my skin tight under armor suit lol.

 

[tsau mia]

OMG!!!! An update!!!

Finished Dummy

Finished "Template suit #1". I call it Pink Spartan of Girliness. Actually, it was the cheapest fabric Wal-Mart had available, and I don't want to spend a ton of money on something I'm going to cut into little pieces and not wear. Also, my cat wanted a debut on the 405th as well, so she says hi.

Last night I began transferring the design onto the suit so that I could cut it up. Should be finished transferring the design by tomorrow night or the next night

 

[ventrue]

Lovely design, really

 

[gcnywaldork]

I subscribed to this thread a while ago, and I just got really excited to see how this turns out!!! A quick question though, will you be putting up and kinds of patterns for this in the future?

 

[tsau mia]

What do you mean? If you could be a bit more specific, then I could answer

 

[Hyokenseisou]

I subscribed to this thread a while ago, and I just got really excited to see how this turns out!!! A quick question though, will you be putting up and kinds of patterns for this in the future?

They're asking if you'll put up patterns for the suit on a site somewhere so they could make a suit themselves off that pattern.

 

[tsau mia]

Hmm, I can try, but I don't know how good I'll be at putting up a pattern. This is my first real sewing project, so I'm not even sure if I'm doing it properly, haha.

After this is done and I have a little more knowledge, I could probably attempt to make a pattern.

 

[marshon]

Hope you don't mind me joining in this late, but i have to say that without an under-suit it just ain't the same.

I was intending to use a full length rash vest, but I think that would just be too hot!
After watching Vince struggle (with two people) to get into his armour, and then be pretty restricted for movement, I made a few decisions about my suit. The undersuit will be made from a full body lycra / spandex suit, light and cool. My armour is all foam, so I am going to glue arm and leg armour to the undersuit. That way it will just pull on in one go.
The undersuit panels will be made mostly of black foamies, stuck on with upholstery foam adhesive (super strong and super flexible).

Only the helm and body armour will be separate and they are simple pull ons.

Oh, and if you're making a duct tape dummy, try using a painters paper suit to build it on. Cheap simple and not as uncomfortable as plastic.

 

[Starvinartist80]

Mai,
glad to see your back at it and posting updates. You still seem to have potentially the most detailed undersuit project in the works. I'm looking forward to your progress.

 

[j0wE]

both men's undersuits looks awesome, good work

 

[tsau mia]

Sorry guys, I've had a lot of work to do lately around the shop. I should be completing the second part of the suit sometime next week. Then it's on to the final stretch!
I did finish cutting out the parts of the suit to make a "pattern" but it would only fit myself. More updates to come!

 

[brkat02]

thank you for the awesome designs, I'm hoping to start on my undersuit sometime next month, have to have something to do inside when it's 100+ degrees outside, can't wait to see how your's comes out.

 

[smallluke172]

just been hit with a heatwave in the UK reminds me a cool undersuit would be good lol

 

[crookisj0kis]

Tsau-Mia,

I saw your thread, one of my first to read through, and read through ever comment posted in it and have subscribed to await any news from your build. I downloaded your male build designs and am currently going through several craft stores in my area to find supplies.

As well I also started to ask around for any "Lightly-Used" materials such as UnderArmor to use for the dark grey areas.

Can't wait to see the final product as well as to join the many on branching off your Under Suit Design. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Necrogenesis]

Greetings Tsau-Mia,

First off i must say that your work is very inspirational; i have been lurking on the 405th the past couple days during my "free time" (ha), and it is in direct response to your comments in entry # 13 that prompted me to create an account. After looking at a menagerie of projects great, good, and nicht so gut, i agree the undersuits 'make' the Spartan epic. So far as a lack of response i agree w Alix965, a million watchers is a million interested people regardless of feedback; furthermore, as a third party with no MJOLNIR experience i believe people actually building these things may be scared shitless by your initiative. This suit is revolutionary and will probably put even Bluerealm to shame when completed So far as more people 'getting in on the discussion' i made Necro to offer collaboration on a few of these really kick ass projects..

In entry #10 you mention magnets, to attach the backpiece i believe, and then in entry 46 you mention the need for a removable piece for 'bathroom mode'; perhaps you could use the same trick from 10 and make the cod piece magnetically detachable, and then in the undersuit have a velcro/zipper bilayer, the seams would be similar to the old long johns that are portapotty ready.

Have been thinking on what firevoid said about sewing margins [entry#28], with the shear number of them inherently created by the pieces of your innermost suit you may find them most uncomfortable as the other layers press down (i assume this construct is going to be very compressed) and you move around: i recommend an inner 'inner' layer, or at least a lining to the inner layer. Personally i would recommend a surplus 'ninja suit' as they call them in the service to wear as a base layer. they are an early 'underarmour' concept but you could find a set much cheaper than the name brand from a local army/navy store. if you cant locate a set then i will ask my wife if she has a pair, the only problem is she's 5'8" and you would have to resew the design and with the amount of sewing already on your hands i would try to find a smaller one but hit me up as a last resort to that concept.

my only other thought for the day is to put a couple of 80 or 90 mm computer fans (powered by 9V) in your outer armor, housed so that they vent outward (the mjolnir armor design already has vent ports on the backpiece) , the inside of the sealed fan box would connect to a spider like array of 10-20 various lengths of aquarium air tubing distributed throughout the suit, terminating between the inner layer and the jacket, the inner layer and the thigh guards, boots, etc. The design acts as a distributed heat pump, and serves to pull stagnant air trapt between your compressed multi-layers. we used an amped up version during the war, one guy even reversed the process with a dorm style refridgerator cooling unit for when we had access to vehicle power.. i would post a schematic for the heat pump design but cant post attachments yet so will have to update that scheme later. i should probably get back to the project at hand anyway lol. Again great job thus far and i look forward to spying on your future progress

Good luck Spartans! H-Minus!!

 

[tsau mia]

Wow! Thank you! I don't know if it will be as good as Blue-Realms, but I will try my best to live up to your expectations.
I don't really expect to need a cooling system, as I live in the Pacific Northwest, where Halloween (main focus for project) averages about 45 degrees F at night.
I haven't had time to make any progress on the suit in the last week (Lavender Festival is in a week and a half, and due to tourists, I'm already on overtime making sure I have enough product)
Still, The deadline for entire completion of this project is Halloween, so this thread won't die until it's done!

 

[dsbass09]

Thank you so much for this thread. Your work looks awesome! I have come up with my own design for an undersuit using moldable materials (probably from smooth-on). Not that yours isn't great, because it is, and it is the building block for my design. However, because I'm using different materials, I needed to change some things up. I can post designs if anyone would like. I've spent the last few days running around in Forge then watching the video in Theater so I could get some good angles on armor details as well as soft parts. I also noticed that some "soft" parts seem to be attached to the hard armor. I'm actually sitting in my boring college calc class right now but once I get to the apartment I'll post some screenshots of what I mean. Anyway, thanks so much for this and I can't wait to see more progress!