I've wanted to own an Apollo space suit since I was a kid. I built my first version when I was 14 years old (I may post some pictures of that later). I want something more accurate than the versions that are available for sale online, so I'm building it myself and documenting it here. Some of you might have seen my Mercury space suit:
http://www.therpf.com/f24/my-nasa-mercury-space-suit-226612/
Just like the real Mercury program was a precursor to Apollo, I built that suit in order to learn how to make the much more complex Apollo suit.
I'm starting with the communications carrier, more commonly known as the "Snoopy cap." It seems like a simple piece, but it's actually VERY complex when you look at the real caps up close:
I started sculpting the "kidneys" using some good reference I had that was fortunately taken next to a ruler. I recast those sculpts in foam rubber so they would be soft and flexible:
I also scratch built the microphone parts and various cable plugs in styrene, then recast in colored resin (no paint):
After much trial and error, I created an accurate pattern that properly fit my head. I also got a custom fabric made. The real fabric was made of teflon and it had a very unique cross-hatched pattern on it. I could not find a suitable fabric anywhere, so I created the pattern myself in illustrator and got it printed. After much searching, I also found a spandex netting that was spot on to the stuff used on the real caps. The white fabric on the top of the cap is actually netting to dissipate heat (a real cap in the Smithsonian is shown on the right):
More to come.
http://www.therpf.com/f24/my-nasa-mercury-space-suit-226612/
Just like the real Mercury program was a precursor to Apollo, I built that suit in order to learn how to make the much more complex Apollo suit.
I'm starting with the communications carrier, more commonly known as the "Snoopy cap." It seems like a simple piece, but it's actually VERY complex when you look at the real caps up close:
I started sculpting the "kidneys" using some good reference I had that was fortunately taken next to a ruler. I recast those sculpts in foam rubber so they would be soft and flexible:
I also scratch built the microphone parts and various cable plugs in styrene, then recast in colored resin (no paint):
After much trial and error, I created an accurate pattern that properly fit my head. I also got a custom fabric made. The real fabric was made of teflon and it had a very unique cross-hatched pattern on it. I could not find a suitable fabric anywhere, so I created the pattern myself in illustrator and got it printed. After much searching, I also found a spandex netting that was spot on to the stuff used on the real caps. The white fabric on the top of the cap is actually netting to dissipate heat (a real cap in the Smithsonian is shown on the right):
More to come.
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. I also sewed the chamois ear cups for the inside of the cap:
