NASA Spacesuit fittings - High fidelity replicas
- Thread starter lmgill
- Start date
retrogamer7200
Member
Those are absolutely beautiful! Ever since I saw Adam Savage's video of him machining space suit parts I've wanted to try my hand at it, but I've never been able to find drawings for them. Would you mind sharing where you got the dimensions?
Thank you.
Drawings are hard to come by.
"Where did I get dimensions?"
I built my first set of Apollo suits in 1995, and I became friends with a few engineers and collectors of space hardware & suits. I caught their love of this stuff. On our first suit job, we were given one of the suits from "Apollo 13" to look at. I found, that in the suits (and sets) for that film had used real Apollo hardware and this hardware was now the property of Universal Studios.
Knowing that sets and costumes in the film business are just "working assets" and are subjected to harsh use and abuse, over the years, I was concerned that these real Apollo artifacts were destined to be lost or destroyed.
So I decided, that I would try to replicate these things, so accurately, that there would be no need to use artifacts in the future.
I would spend thousands of dollars flying to museums, hotels, rental cars and developing and printing. Still more thousands buying real hardware.
About 20 years ago I started making real pressure suits and working components for NASA and various commercial space companies (XCOR, SpaceX, T-Space...) so I was in a position to handle many pieces of real hardware. In addition, because of the accuracy of the pieces we were making, we have helped restore a number of real spacesuits for museums. (Many of the old spacesuits given to museums are missing the fittings)
One of the reasons I have decided to sell these replicas, is so much information is available on-line, that today, you can download a file and print pretty much anything you want. So finding the information is not too difficult, but finding nicely machined hardware is not as easy.
machzeropoint2
New Member
@imgill the wrist fittings were too good to pass up. Gloves are a ways down the project list but I didn't know when I would get a better opportunity!
Here are a few other fittings I have been working on.
This is the work in progress of the A7LB / EMU Glove disconnects. This is my clear 3D print on a real A7Lb lest suit side disconnect, and in the background is the EMU glove side.
I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings.
ACES glove disconnects have also been produced. (Currently not anodized)
These too were created using a real fitting. They have the same function as the real fitting, but with no pressure sealing capabilities.
Cast metal Koch fittings will be available soon as well. These are cast pewter with basic function.
I will be offering some of these replicas in different grades;
"Class I" - Are high fidelity plastic copies, molded directly off either real fittings or machined aluminum replicas.
"Class II" - Are non functional, or semi functional machined aluminum fittings anodized correct colors. (Some of these on on the Orbital Surplus eBay page now)
"Class III" Are fully functional machined aluminum replicas, nearly identical to the real fittings. (But without functional pressure seals)
If there is enough interest I have been considering helmet kits. (They would likely be in the $3500 to $4500 price range)
I can do
Mercury (early style)
Gemini (early)
S-1030 (SR71 / U2 pilot)
ACES (S-1035)
These kits would include:
FRP shell
Optically clean Visors - Pressure and sun (if applicable) visors
Visor reinforce surrounds (FRP)
Cast (pewter) metal fittings with limited or complete functionality (In most cases, molded directly off real components)
Keep building.....
This is the work in progress of the A7LB / EMU Glove disconnects. This is my clear 3D print on a real A7Lb lest suit side disconnect, and in the background is the EMU glove side.
I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings.
ACES glove disconnects have also been produced. (Currently not anodized)
These too were created using a real fitting. They have the same function as the real fitting, but with no pressure sealing capabilities.
Cast metal Koch fittings will be available soon as well. These are cast pewter with basic function.
I will be offering some of these replicas in different grades;
"Class I" - Are high fidelity plastic copies, molded directly off either real fittings or machined aluminum replicas.
"Class II" - Are non functional, or semi functional machined aluminum fittings anodized correct colors. (Some of these on on the Orbital Surplus eBay page now)
"Class III" Are fully functional machined aluminum replicas, nearly identical to the real fittings. (But without functional pressure seals)
If there is enough interest I have been considering helmet kits. (They would likely be in the $3500 to $4500 price range)
I can do
Mercury (early style)
Gemini (early)
S-1030 (SR71 / U2 pilot)
ACES (S-1035)
These kits would include:
FRP shell
Optically clean Visors - Pressure and sun (if applicable) visors
Visor reinforce surrounds (FRP)
Cast (pewter) metal fittings with limited or complete functionality (In most cases, molded directly off real components)
Keep building.....
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Last edited:
machzeropoint2
New Member
Yes yes and yes. Count me in for the Class 3 ACES gloves and helmet!
Beautiful machining on these parts.
Thanks. We eventually got the ACES glove disconnect into production, but ended up redrawing the ring in order for it to fit a real ring The client had the one side but needed the other side to replace the missing elements, so it needed to fit a real ring.
Here is the set we produced, anodized in special colors.
antarusfree
Well-Known Member
ACES glove disconnects looks nice, looks like you made your own versions.
sphericalcow
New Member
These look great!
They both have "OPEN <-> LOCK" engraved.
Shouldn't the one on the right have "LOCK <-> OPEN" engraved?
They both have "OPEN <-> LOCK" engraved.
Shouldn't the one on the right have "LOCK <-> OPEN" engraved?
antarusfree
Well-Known Member
Good catch
Yes. Turns out a friend had a real one and needed matching sides. Yours was very close.
Yes......
I intentionally made small differences, so they wouldn't seal or couldn't be passed off as real fittings, but this was a mistake. I mirrored the parts and forgot to reverse the Lock - Open
Hughes
Member
These pieces are so freaking awesomeYes......
I intentionally made small differences, so they wouldn't seal or couldn't be passed off as real fittings, but this was a mistake. I mirrored the parts and forgot to reverse the Lock - Open
Thanks,
but in this case awesome freaking.....
Apolloman
New Member
I just came across this thread and ...
WOUAH !!!! What a wonderful job, what a rendering close to perfection
For your information, please tell me how much an A7L pressure suit connector would cost.
You write (and I quote) : "I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings."
- will the copy conform to the original in size and function?
Sorry for my poor english (I'm french)
WOUAH !!!! What a wonderful job, what a rendering close to perfection
For your information, please tell me how much an A7L pressure suit connector would cost.
You write (and I quote) : "I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings."
- will the copy conform to the original in size and function?
Sorry for my poor english (I'm french)
