Hey Jessica, thanks for thinking of me, but I just got home with a pot that I think will work. It's 12 quarts. I was running errands with a family member at the Family Dollar store and they had some in various sizes. I was even able to try this one on - it's a cheapy, so it's light and thin. I paid $9 for it, so that would be about as much as I would pay to have you ship me one. Again, thanks for keeping me in mind.
Congrats on finding your pot! I'm a new member, and was looking over the threads, and spotted yours regarding your 'headgear'- an unusual and innovative choice of costume, by the way. I see the last post was way back in January, so I am probably way late in offering, but- I make armor for fighting in, and have experience at this, if you'd like some tips on the helmet, which is one of the hardest items to set up correctly, whether you plan to wear it as costume only, or to fight in.
I'll put out a few tips I use, in case someone else can use them, and hopefully, they'll be of help to you as well.
Use pillow foam for costume helmets to pad out the inside to keep it sturdy on your head, and comfortable for fit- you can duct tape it in place, or use auto trim adhesive for rubber door seals, or the 3M spray adhesive (let it air out REAL good before wearing it). Once it fits, you can do the eyes and other openings.
When lining up the eye holes, you will want a trust worthy friend to help. Stand in a doorway, facing the frame, and have your friend tape a pencil to the door frame so it is level, and level with the center of your eyes, for the height. Now, put on your 'blind' helmet, and stand in the same spot. Have your friend guide your head toward the pencil point to mark the height for eyeball center. Remove the pencil from the door frame, and the helmet from your head. Mark out the center of the face portion, and have your friend determine the distance between your eyes center to center with a ruler. Mark this on the helmet at the height line you just made- you now have centers for the eye holes, and the maximum visibility from whatever eye hole shape or design you use.
Cutting the sheet metal, you can use a normal hole saw, just go slowly, and be sure to make a pilot hole for it first, to prevent the cutting teeth from making the tool 'walk'. Use light pressure, and some oil wouldn't hurt to save the teeth. Hole saws leave VERY sharp edges, so undersize your hole and finish with a file to get your final measurements and the edges clean and smooth. Emery paper pinched between fingertips can round off the cut edges as well. If you need a special shape, consider using a tool called a "nibbler", but keep in mind they are not usually made to handle more than very light gauge metal. A Dremel tool is the prop builder's best friend- you can get a nice Dremel set for around $40 US. with that you can cut, grind, sand, polish, and drill- just remember the TV ad- it doesn't make a good hammer
Hope this helps someone, and shoot me a PM if you would like more info! Post pics of the costume!
