Suit Up!

So, I spent another lovely day in the PNW listening to the whitewater gushing out of my gutters.  I love the smell of hot glue gun in the morning...;)  Here's where I'm at as of today:

I think it's starting to look pretty good...;)

I was able to connect/articulate the biceps to the back so that it can be put on like a long sleeve shirt, barely.  The thighs are also suspended from the codpiece.  They work pretty well, considering they're only attached at one point by 1" webbing.  They're all quick-release buckles, so it can be taken apart to be painted.  The problem with having a single point of articulation is that there's going to be a trade-off somewhere.  The range of motion is pretty good, given the limitations.

Decent articulation...

I also installed the speaker mounting bracket inside the chest and I will also build an iPhone pocket in there.  Plenty of room.  Note to self:  do more pushups!

The shoulder bells will be installed next.  I figured out away to hang them so that they overlap and flop correctly.  I'm going to create a slot in the back piece for the webbing to come through.  That way, the webbing can be anchored with hot glue on the inside and the shoulder bell will cover the slot.

Now that's a selfie!

The shoulder bells really make the whole costume.  I can't wait to get them installed.  The shins are going to be problematic.  I don't know how to articulate the knee.  It's the most problematic joint in nature for a reason.  It has to be strong and flexible.  I hope to get the shoulders done tonight.  Wish me luck!

Captain Skully out...

Iron Man II

So, I setup several inspirational reminders on my phone, and the 1 month until ComiCon went off last week!  I'm still really struggling between PlastiDip and StyroSpray finishes.  I only have one shot and I want to do this right.  If I use something that's truly hard, I'll be able to sand and fair the seam lines into a much better contour.

Two heads are better than one...

I dove back into the helmet pattern.  The first thing they tell you on the forum is don't make the helmet first.  Your foamy skills will drastically improve while you build the rest of the suit.  But did I listen?  They were right.  I'm happy to say it because it's incontrovertible proof as to how much you improve.  As you can see the second helmet is much less torqued and also happens to fit with enough room for the faceplate lifting mechanism (stay tuned).  Ironically, you have to glue the whole thing together first so that all the parts are supported and are the correct shape while you apply your stiffener of choice, then you have to cut the faceplate away so that it's rigid and fits the helmet perfectly.  Note, I also used contrasting foam colors for dramatic effect...;)  The original helmet was done using the heat gun/form it over your knee technique that some members on the forum are able to so quite successfully.  I, however, am not.  I liked the lack of seams, but didn't like the randomness of the curve.  I guess I was a phrenologist in a former life...;)

After an acceptable level of success with the helmet, I tackled the mind bending glove pattern (see below).  Titled "easy" version on the forum, I was emboldened to give it a shot.  HA!  The pattern only looks like a glove after it's completely assembled.  Along the way, it's a 3D Rorschach test.  I used thin foam to build the practice glove (2mm?) and had to use all of the pics of the finished glove on the forum to put it together like so.

TA DAAA!  Ugh...

As I said, you can only see how it's supposed to look after it's all put together, so I had to glue the parts where I thought they should go.  I was close.  As you can see, I made several notes on the glove about where things really ought to go.  I've also got a better idea as to where I should use the 6mm foam to beef things up and for the 12V LED repulsor housing.  It's nice to work in a marine store...;)  

Easy Peasy...

I'm going to blow up the pattern by 5% and give it another go.  Some folks use Velcro and some use rare earth magnets to hold the gloves together.  It may be dependent on whether they leave their gloves foamy soft or harden them.

 I've also made a few boots, some out of card stock paper and at least one foam version.  I'm trying to find the right size to fit over some cheap Crocs ripoff shoes at the local discount store so I can permanently glue the boots to the shoes and hope to be able to have some semblance of mobility.  I find it rather funny that when I'm goofing around and do my "Iron Man" walk it's actually a "RoboCop" walk.  I guess I'll have to work on my strutting.  Once again, even at this stage in the game, the second boot came out better than the first one...

Das Boot!

So now I'm down to some of the gory details.  I've got to get the gloves ironed out, then all the damn finger pieces.  BTW, one of the tutorials suggests you hot glue gun the parts to a glove while you're wearing it and warns that it's going to be hot!  Actually, that is the best way to get everything to fit correctly.  Sigh...  Luckily, as a rigger, I'm pretty immune to hot stuff...:-\  Don't try this at home, kids!

My favorite hyperbolic paraboloid...;)

So, last summer, and planning ahead as always, I saw that Pringles was giving away MP3 speakers that fit into the empty can if you sent in an obscene amount of Proofs of Purchase.  Loving Pringles and thinking it would be a great gadget for the Iron Man costume, I plowed through several cans, which I think made my suit a bit tighter.  Finally it came in the mail, and like Ralphie in Christmas Story, I raced into the house to open it up.  Low and behold, it was even Iron Man red!  How's that for a sign?  Anyway, it's pretty cool cranking out a certain Black Sabbath tune from inside the chest piece!!!  These are the kind of touches I'm hoping will help me win some contest ca$h...;)

Strap on!

Oh, I forgot that I'm also assembling all of the parts to make the suit wearable, keeping in mind that some articulation will be required for me to freely move about the cabin.  Here's a shot from inside the chest/abs assembly of how I positively locate the two parts so there are no gaps, the parts don't interfere with each other and the two pieces can move independently.  Hot gluing 1" webbing and making it easy to disassemble with Delrin clips.

Today, I'm hanging the legs off the codpiece, which is permanently attached to the abs.  Any articulation between those two pieces is problematic because the edges interfere, so I locked them in place, which surprisingly doesn't limit my movement because there's so much room between the codpiece and the thighs.  NOTE:  When shimmying into your costume in your skivvies, make sure to lower the blinds so your neighbors don't think you're a freak!

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival!

This year's logo from poster on ferry.  Have to get a t-shirt!

So, I've been planning on going to the Port Townsend Wooden since I left PT last year...;)  As a sailor and a woodworker, it's Disneyland for me.  It also happens to fall very close to my birthday every year, which is kind of cool.  An added bonus is my newfound passion for building a wooden boat.  As you know, I've been looking seriously into building CLC's Eastport Pram and they're an exhibitor every year!  Being able to see one built in real life with the new eyes I have from doing all of my research proved invaluable.

Why I go every year...

After drooling my way through the awesome chandlery at the entrance to the festival, I slowly made my way past Brion Toss' rig shop and other holy ground to the CLC "booth".  I say booth in the loosest terms possible.  They own a whole corner of the grounds.  Their boats and kayaks are everywhere.  The brightwork is dazzling.  Anyway, right there was the Eastport Pram, nesting version with sail kit, all setup, along with the Passagemaker take apart dinghy!

What all the fuss is about...;)

Seeing both together, I vacillated between them.  Then a couple of things clicked.  I could build the small one for practice to get better at the techniques so the large one would turn out better.  I could build the small one and sell it to pay for the materials to build the large one.  I think the most compelling argument as a novice boat builder is that the small one doesn't require a scarf joint, meaning I can make it out of one sheet of plywood.  It's easier to move with my back acting up, and because there's no scarf joint, I could theoretically not have to paint it and leave it bright...;)  Also, the large one would probably cost three times the price to build of the small one, which is a factor right now for this particular hobby.

Passagemaker in back, stern of Eastport Pram in front...

Upon further inspection of the nesting version of the Eastport Pram, I had a couple of observations...  First, there are a lot of aesthetic tradeoffs to make this thing nest.  The stern thwart that you see in the photo above must be removed in order for the bow to fit, hence the knobs (the line from the boom is tied to one).  I had planned on making that removable if I don't make it a sealed buoyancy tank.  Second, the "curvilicoius" center thwart isn't "curvilicious" on the nesting version because the curves don't fit when nested.  Sigh...  So now I'm torn between building the nesting version for ease of transport or making the much prettier one-piece version (see photo from previous post).  At approximately 75 pounds, maybe I can swing it (literally).

I talked with one of the guys working the booth, and the cost of the plans at the show was $9 less than online, without the additional $9 shipping.  I decided to hold off on buying plans until I metabolized my conundrum.  I then thought about building one of the cheaper or free boats from www.Bateau.com, but they don't have the same lines.  I don't want something that looks like a couple of plywood planks epoxied together, I want something graceful, so I think I'll wait until the Lummi Island dry-dock season is over and start bringing some 4' x 8' sheets of 1/4" oak plywood home.  My landlady is a totally cool lady from Alaska with tons of boating experience, so she's offered me a place to setup shop to build.

Happy as a clam in a pram...;)

I will say that an 8 foot boat for a 6' 2", 200#  guy is a bit of a stretch, but I think it's doable for a daysail.  I've also done some research on trolling motors.  Evidently, the only real difference between a fresh water and salt water versions is about $200 and some metallurgy that can be addressed by hosing the motor off when you get back.  I am very serious about the possibility of building two prams or at least using the parts for the first one as templates for another one to save lofting again in the future.  One option is Tyvek templates, but I don't want to risk the flexibility factor.  I also don't need to haul around another 75 pounds worth of templates for the foreseeable future.  Sigh...   All of these mutually exclusive criteria...  The good news is that I found some adjustable bars for my pickup that would allow me to stow the pram upside down over my bed/cab (much like those cargo photon torpedo capsules you see on top of Subarus), and they're only $50!

I've looked at building an Optimist or a Pelican, but those boats require you to build a jig, which the boat is then build onto, then when done, you cut your boat free from the jig.  While this is attractive in a classic boat building sort of way, I'd rather spend my time building the boat than the jig, and possible two boats in succession to have a fleet to race against...;)  CLC's stitch and glue method means that once the boat parts are cut out (or delivered if you order the kit), then the boat basically gets stitched together in one day, with the bulk of the work epoxying what you've put together.  I'm banking on building two is only 50% more hassle than building one, but I'll be happy with one for now.

Keep in mind that one of the goals of this project is to put together an event where people build these at home and then we all hit the lake together for a big BBQ.  The only way I can pull this off with any kind of credibility is if I've already built one to show off.  I think it makes a great centerpiece...;)