Got my raw suit parts, now what?

[Round Hammer]

To any and all parties who have tips and tricks on starting a suit.

I'm aware of what needs to be done to paint it, prosaide, permawet. What I'm wondering is, do I need to attach the main body parts to an undersuit? If so, how?

 

[kithunter]

ok now your in trouble....starting from scratch. good place to start actually IMHO.

I'll use my first suit as an example, if the all the components are seperate arms, torso, legs...etc etc.

there are 2 ways to go about it
1st you can attach all the components to a undersuit with rubber cement and rubber latex for the seams
the pros of doing this is the hard work of sewing a suit together is all ready done for you. All you need to do is fit and glue the right pieces on the undersuit and then using the latex to make the suit appear seamless.

the only thing i have against this proccess is you can't really"feel" the suit on you. hard to describe

2nd proccess is to actually sew the suit together arms to torso legs to torso...you get the idea.
This proccess requires patience.
Once all the pieces are sewn together you can then take rubber latex and apply it over the sewn areas to secure the Stitches and again seam the suit together.

the only thing i have against this procces is the amount of time it takes to do it.

when i started building my suit, I tried both methods and I would say for me the best method was the 2nd. Find out what works best for you..

I hope it helps


here is an example of method # 2

 

[Round Hammer]

I think I understand the basis of both the processes you mentioned, a few questions on both...if you could answer them.

On process #1
-when you talk about using rubber cement to attach the latex to the suit, I assume you apply the rubber cement to the underside of the latex pieces and force it and the undersuit together, like you would when gluing two pieces of paper together?

On process #2
-You spoke of sewing the latex pieces together, arms to torso, legs to torso, etc. Now, are you talking about actually sewing the pieces to one another like a shirt would be, or do you mean sew them to an undersuit?
It would seem to me that sewing the latex pieces together would cause a big seam to form, like you would see on a couch.
Is there an undersuit involved in process #2?

And here's an overall question. Do I need to install a zipper in the back of the torso? I guess this depends if all the pieces are attached together or to an undersuit.

This is a big help Kithunter, thanks! And yes, all the parts I have are seperate - arms/legs/torso/feet/hands.

 

[The Mortal Immortal]

There probley not a muscle suit I don't have. If you tell which on it is, I have full instuction sheets on how to put together most of them.

 

[kithunter]

On process #1
-when you talk about using rubber cement to attach the latex to the suit, I assume you apply the rubber cement to the underside of the latex pieces and force it and the undersuit together, like you would when gluing two pieces of paper together?

that is correct, instead of rubber cement you can also use fabric adhesive spray to attach them together. Use the rubber latex to fix the seam. apply the rubber latex and get some paper towel and dab the latex till you get some skin texture.

On process #2
-You spoke of sewing the latex pieces together, arms to torso, legs to torso, etc. Now, are you talking about actually sewing the pieces to one another like a shirt would be, or do you mean sew them to an undersuit?

It would be like sewing a shirt together and it's not attached to an undersuit. and it takes patience to do it this way. best method i've found of eliminating the "seam" is to sew it in 3 key sections top front and back. leave the bottom or the underarm section open you will need to allow air into the suit.

if you look at the image you will see how both methods are applied. the top section of my suit is "sewn" together. The bottom section is actually attached to a pair of military cargo pants...an undersuit if you will.

as far as your last question, it all depends on what type of body suit you have. I have a large zipper on the dead end suit, but on my first suit i placed grommets on either side and laced it up like you would a pair of sneakers. do whatever method you feel can achieve the look your going for

best of luck

AM

 

[Round Hammer]

I see! Excellent ideas.

A few more Q's (it was bound to happen )

What is best to use as an undersuit, spandex, lycra, cotton? I seem to recall reading in another thread that a diving skin was used...this seems a little too "heavy duty" to me.

In process #2 you stated that an undersuit isn't entirely necessary. So you just slip it on "as-is"? I guess this is where liberal amounts of baby powder comes into play?

 

[kithunter]

I would say cotton, to help absorb all the sweat you WILL produce and to keep you cooler, the diving suit seems a tad on overkill, only because your skin won't be able to breath through it and the rubber latex.

In process #2 you stated that an undersuit isn't entirely necessary. So you just slip it on "as-is"? I guess this is where liberal amounts of baby powder comes into play?

correct again...regardless of what type of suit you have, i think baby powder is essential both for putting on the suit and for taking it off.

 

[Savage Yautja]

What is best to use as an undersuit, spandex, lycra, cotton? I seem to recall reading in another thread that a diving skin was used...this seems a little too "heavy duty" to me.

I disagree here with the above reply. Spandex will stretch with the latex and conform to your body. Cotton will stay stretched out after being worn for a time and will not return to it's original shape. (Conpare a pair of worn socks and a fresh pair). Spandex is stronger and dries quicker and doesn't hold oders as easily as cotton.

A dive skin is a lycra spandex layer which allows the neoprene suit or dive suit to slide on more easily. Don't confuse a dive skin with a dive suit. I've worn a dive skin with my Pred suit and it worked out great.

Regardless of what kind of suit you have any areas covered with latex will perspire some to cool the body. The good thing is this cooler moisture for better or worse tends to circulate around in the suit as you move. it also allows you to move more freely in the suit. JUst rinse it off when you get done wearing it to rinse off the body oils and sweat from the latex and hang it to dry between wearings.

A spandex suit coated with latex will not overheat you as much as my urethaene backed suit could.
Hope this helps.

 

[kithunter]

trail and error, find out works works best for you.

A dive skin is a lycra spandex layer which allows the neoprene suit or dive suit to slide on more easily. Don't confuse a dive skin with a dive suit.

this is true, 2 totally different animals

 

[Round Hammer]

So it's a dive skin I'd need and not a dive suitif I decide to go that route?

And here's a question about neck seals. Is it better to attach the neck seal to the mask, or to the suit?

 

[The Mortal Immortal]

I just used my old drive suit just for the zipper and chucked the rest in the trash. I like using lyrca suits less chance of snagging like spandex. The more air you can get into you suit the less heat it will have.

You can make the legs into chaps and sewn and glue them on to a lrycra suit or pants. This will help in those bathroom breaks and storage. If the legs are to wide in size you can cut up the seams to over lap the skins so it fits better. You can do the same with the rest of the skins as well. I'm not a large guy so I have to cut most of the muscle suits I have to fit.

 

[Round Hammer]

Just wanted to ask about the neck seal again. Is it best to have it attached to the torso, or to the undermask?

 

[The Mortal Immortal]

I think it is best to attach to the mask. If attached to the torso you have to tuck the mask in.

 

[NibsFlibble]

Don't forget to use Febreeze in between wearings!!!!

 

[Shataan]

LOL

 

[Round Hammer]

*Invest heavily in Fabreeze stock*
Got it!

 

[Rex L Adams]

For an undersuit, I've used Under Armor with excellent results. Glued my latex Bat armor to one, used it under Clone armor, Colonial Marine, etc. Just be sure to get the version that's designed for hot weather use...