FIRST FITTING OF THE WHOLE SUIT!!!
(I have actually had all the parts on once before but everything was held together with tape so it wasn't a TRUE fitting.) This time everything (minus the head antenna) was fastened together in basically the way it will be once the suit is complete. This is NOT something a person who is claustrophobic EVER wants to wear. I actually found the process of putting the parts on more unnerving than wearing them. Once it was all together it wasn't bad at all.
As for the setup, overall, everything worked really well.
We didn't get the shoulders quite snug enough but it's an easy fix for next time. (I reconfigured the connectors since last time...)
The eyes are SUPER bright and overpower photos taken with indoor lighting. I'll be adding a dimmer knob to the rear pannel so the eyes can be turned up for times when I'm outdoors in the sun, but turned back down for indoor use. It'll make for better photos. ;)
When it's all finished, the power supply will be in the back of the suit but for this fitting I actually had the 9v battery inside the mask, just above the eyes on the inside of the forehead. Surprisingly it didn't get in the way at all. Not a bad spot to mount some batteries in a pinch.
A few parts are at the chrome shop for testing, which is why I have mismatched hands and the older vacuformed foot shells that are VERY small. I have no shoes on under them and the don't even come close to closing in the back. This is probably the most uncomfortable part of the costume during this fitting. They made it very difficult to walk.
The new versions are larger and flexible which is much better, I'll try to have them on for the next fitting in about a week.
The knees were super squeaky when I walked. After chroming/painting I'll lube them with something to keep the noise down.
I put a crack in the front of my neck piece. This one was more for a template anyway. I'll use slightly heavier plastic next time. Seems like that would make it uncomfortable but I think it might work better. Only one way to find out....
Once the neck fit is really close I'll make a template and post it on the forums.
I'm very happy with the profile view. The smaller shoulder bell openings look exactly how I wanted them. The parts still require a bit of cleanup and sanding but I was waiting to see how they looked in case I needed to mod them further.
Also looking at this photo, I think the small chest would fit me now that I've dropped a few pounds. Although, the extra room in the larger chest will be good when the speaker is mounted. The new parts from shapeways are scheduled to ship on Monday. The updated center disc with speaker holes should be here if the order didn't get rejected again. Going to start on the wiring this weekend.
I tried to wave at the camera and one of the bicep greeblies popped off. There was only a dot of hot glue holding it in place so no big deal.
Chroming place is being VERY slow responding about getting my suit finished. I may have to come up with something different for CVI but this protocol droid will be there one way or another!
