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Step 5Final Thoughts and things I have learned
Here are a few things I found during this project.
Most spray paints will eat Styrofoam like acid. Found this out after taking two hours of sanding and carving and gluing on a piece and was about ready to paint it. Thankfully I decided to test the primer out on a scrap piece first. It wasn't pretty.
Foam Dust from sanding and cutting makes coffee taste terrible.
Using hacksaws, puzzle saws, and files to cut foam is to much work and mess. The best way to cut is to use an exacto knife and several cuts. Next time I do this, I will build a hot wire cutter.
The flight suit is new and never worn, there for never washed. This is why it looks like plastic. I should have washed it first.
I never got the GB patch for the arm or the name tape (It would have been Venkman). There is a tailor shop near the local Air Force base that will hand make patches for about eight bucks. So about $16 for both. Every Military Post or Base I have been to has one near by for uniforms. Or I could just order a set online.
For added realism I was thinking about using detergent as slime stains on the arms and legs.
The light kit was from a set that is used for lighting up t-shirts or hand bags. I would have loved to set up a proper light set, but time and money was a factor. Other things I looked at were light sets that were in the auto detail department of Wally World and my local Auto Part store. Almost everything was either 12V or ran off a battery pack. Plenty of light sets that chased or flashed in order. Also with the holidays now here, LED Christmas lights seem to be the rage. I have seen a number of small sets for wreaths ect. This would work nicely also
Spray Paints, Primers and Polyurethane are highly flammable. Use in well ventilated areas and avoid smoking cigars while applying to any project. (poof!)
I did the whole thing in about three weeks and under fifty bucks. Even though time was a factor, patience is a virtue and I ended up having to redo pieces because I just could not wait for something to dry or I wanted to make one more piece late at night.
Oil based polyurethane takes up to five hours to dry. Next project I am going to use the latex version. Less fumes and quicker drying time, also clean up is done with soap and water instead of mineral oils.
I didn't get a trap or PKE meter built but they were in the planing phase. The PKE meter was going to be built from a lint brush with the same basic shape. The Trap was just going to be a foam box with hinged doors and a flashlight inside. I was also trying to figure out how to add a bit of dry ice in the trap to make it smoke a bit.
Most spray paints will eat Styrofoam like acid. Found this out after taking two hours of sanding and carving and gluing on a piece and was about ready to paint it. Thankfully I decided to test the primer out on a scrap piece first. It wasn't pretty.
Foam Dust from sanding and cutting makes coffee taste terrible.
Using hacksaws, puzzle saws, and files to cut foam is to much work and mess. The best way to cut is to use an exacto knife and several cuts. Next time I do this, I will build a hot wire cutter.
The flight suit is new and never worn, there for never washed. This is why it looks like plastic. I should have washed it first.
I never got the GB patch for the arm or the name tape (It would have been Venkman). There is a tailor shop near the local Air Force base that will hand make patches for about eight bucks. So about $16 for both. Every Military Post or Base I have been to has one near by for uniforms. Or I could just order a set online.
For added realism I was thinking about using detergent as slime stains on the arms and legs.
The light kit was from a set that is used for lighting up t-shirts or hand bags. I would have loved to set up a proper light set, but time and money was a factor. Other things I looked at were light sets that were in the auto detail department of Wally World and my local Auto Part store. Almost everything was either 12V or ran off a battery pack. Plenty of light sets that chased or flashed in order. Also with the holidays now here, LED Christmas lights seem to be the rage. I have seen a number of small sets for wreaths ect. This would work nicely also
Spray Paints, Primers and Polyurethane are highly flammable. Use in well ventilated areas and avoid smoking cigars while applying to any project. (poof!)
I did the whole thing in about three weeks and under fifty bucks. Even though time was a factor, patience is a virtue and I ended up having to redo pieces because I just could not wait for something to dry or I wanted to make one more piece late at night.
Oil based polyurethane takes up to five hours to dry. Next project I am going to use the latex version. Less fumes and quicker drying time, also clean up is done with soap and water instead of mineral oils.
I didn't get a trap or PKE meter built but they were in the planing phase. The PKE meter was going to be built from a lint brush with the same basic shape. The Trap was just going to be a foam box with hinged doors and a flashlight inside. I was also trying to figure out how to add a bit of dry ice in the trap to make it smoke a bit.
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