N3rdyboy
Active Member
No, not that part, I think I know how I'm doing that, the tan part in this picture
Budget Mercury suit
- Thread starter N3rdyboy
- Start date
Hmmm. Strange that it's tan in this image - I've seen it as white/off white before. This almost looks like rubber tubing but the white ones I've seen were always a plastic type material. If I were doing it, I'd make this in clay or foam then seal and mold it, then cast a piece in a harder rubber material. Id use some some of the tubing from my local ace hardware. You might ask Ryan Nagata how he did his?
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N3rdyboy
Active Member
N3rdyboy
Active Member
Thanks!
Yeah, it's supposed to be a white cable, but the one in that picture was cast in urethane and turned that yellowy brown color very fast. I have a cable that was cast just like that and it's brown now. When I redo my mercury helmet I'll cast the cable in silicone.
Did you cast that part from a helmet master or create it from scratch?
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N3rdyboy
Active Member
Thanks!
That particular piece was purchased from another builder somewhere. I was only planning to make one suit then. When I revisit the Mercury suit, I'll make my own master.
N3rdyboy
Active Member
Thanks again! I think I'll purchase a tube at the local hardware store, work it from there and make a mold.
N3rdyboy
Active Member
Thanks! Glad that you've liked what you've seen.
N3rdyboy
Active Member
Let me first say, from February to June last year I stockpiled probably about 100 reference photos, and if you haven't checked out these two suits, please do. So the two quick place to get a general idea of how a general mercury suit is patterned, check out these two links http://www.tested.com/art/makers/460062-photo-gallery-adams-mercury-spacesuit-replica/ and http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=226612 these are the two beautiful suits that inspired me.
Essentially to pattern out the suit at Home Depot, Lowes or whatever hardware store you go to, ask where a Tyvex paint suit would be. That will be about $10, once you hace it layed out take a pencil and roughly sketch out, using the refrence photos, where the seams and zippers are. Once your pleased with how it looks, cut the seams and transfer it to paper with about a 1/2 inch added.
I hope that helped! If you need any clarification or have any more questions feel free to ask!
p.s. You won't need your waist measurements, the suit basilica lily runs straight from the chest to the waist.
dogstar
Member
Hi again...helps a lot...taking it a bit further and will start my own "budget" Mercury Space Suit thread in a bit (promises to be at least a contribution to the ongoing quest) but as to the whole helmet thing....it is a real sticky issue...but, how bout something like this process to control all aspects of it size shape and configuration https://www.instructables.com/id/Guy-Manuel-Daft-Punk-Helmet-with-Programmable-LED-/
of course, it would be great to see a dimensioned drawing of the Mercury (Navy Mk IV) helmet and so forth but haven't found one yet...still looking...
of course, it would be great to see a dimensioned drawing of the Mercury (Navy Mk IV) helmet and so forth but haven't found one yet...still looking...
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N3rdyboy
Active Member
I am looking forward to seeing your suit! Are you planning on 3d printing your helmet? If so that's extremely cool, I don't have any experience working with 3d printed props though. As for helmet size, I used an extremely low tech (and maybe not 100% accurate method). To get the basic size in both width length and height, I put a price of cardboard next to my face and traced that, with some help of corse, I then used reference photos to sketch the shape of the helmet. I repeated with the back of my head to the cardboard, noting where's things like my chin, mouth nose and eyes fit. Then I used the circumfrence of my head and some geometry to determine that 9" was the best size for my head to fit through.
Tomorrow I plan on working on the helmet, buying the Bondo, silicone and fiberglass materials for the mold. I'm thinking about showing that off video style instead of just pictures and a wor item explanation on here. I was also planning on casting extra and selling those depending on how they turn out.
dogstar
Member
hi...so, been looking around some more with the idea of 3D printing the helmet...but, take a look at this guy...he not only built his own Mercury suit and helmet...he built a Mercury capsule...and he's taken it on the road...amazing...anyway, couple of interesting ideas...he used a silver "sauna suit" for his suit...(like 10 bucks on ebay...) and he built his own Mk IV helmet out of aluminum sheet and forming the visor via heating plastic sheet and draping over a bowling ball...I'm thinking of doing his helmet building technique but using styrene sheet plastic instead which would be way easier than what he did (welding aluminum!)...Now, if only I could get my hands on some detailed actual sizes or drawings of the Navy Mark IV helmet...any suggestions?
Ooops...forgot the link to the guys build page http://mercurycapsule.blogspot.com/
Ooops...forgot the link to the guys build page http://mercurycapsule.blogspot.com/
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N3rdyboy
Active Member
I had come across his build after I finished my own though (well, I'm still not completely done!). I like your idea, however, I'm not completely sure that there was a standard size, maybe they were custom fit?
