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Apocalypton Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 02-2004
Posts: 1676
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Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Following are directions and pics for making epoxy-Kevlar® cowl armor segments, and lining the inside of the cowl with them.

Start with any cheap modeling cowl from which to trace the armor segments – unless you want to risk the steps below with your actual suit cowl, which is not recommended. The armor segments include the following:

• Top skull plate.
• Back skull plate.
• Temple guards.
• Ear surrounds (contoured around the sides of the head).
• Cheek guards.
• Nose guards.

Begin by tracing and cutting out paper templates from the modeling cowl, using thin tracing paper for the guard templates. Next, mark Kevlar felt around the templates with a ball-point pen, and cut the Kevlar segments with Fiskars® scissors. Use double layers of segments. Next, wrap the modeling cowl in a couple tape-fitted vinyl produce bags (electrical-tape wrapped around the ears; Scotch tape the rest). Note slight cuts on only the skull plates for contour fitting; and the Kevlar segments are temporarily glued together, and on, with a little Elmer's Glue All:

Image

Here's black-pigmented epoxy saturation. Epoxy is RAKA #127 with #606 Hardener (also get the Kevlar felt and a couple ounces of liquid black pigment from www.raka.com):

Image

To examine the fit, temporarily Velcro® the cured and trimmed guards onto the modeling cowl. Note the modeling cowl is undamaged (and outside Velcro strips were later removed from these guards in favor of taping inside the actual, worn cowl).

Image

But the molded guards were too thick for my 23.5" head, inside the custom cowl to be worn, so I power sanded the guards to make them only about 1/8" thick (the guards are actually darker than they appear in the pics):

Image

Here's the custom (Clooney-style) cowl with all the armor (plus electronic listener and 2-way radio) installed; but there wasn't enough room to cut vents over the eyebrows, due to interference by the top skull plate. The armor is taped inside with 1.5" wide, smooth black Scotch 190 Vinyl Tape:

Image

Zane

---
As a symbol, I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.
9/3/2005, 5:23 pm Link to this post Send Email to Apocalypton   Send PM to Apocalypton
 
Proximo Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 12-2004
Posts: 4384
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Wow, Your really ready to kickass now :toocool

Nice work.
9/3/2005, 5:48 pm Link to this post Send PM to Proximo
 
joeker89 Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 02-2004
Posts: 779
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


just curious..

i noticed the nose part is devided in two.
i'm assuming its either due to comfert or space..

my questions is with that parting does it actually offer proper protection?

---

[email protected] - We put the Fun in Funerals.

ITS NOT PLEATHER!
9/3/2005, 6:19 pm Link to this post Send Email to joeker89   Send PM to joeker89
 
Jokerswild7 Profile
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Apprentice

Registered: 08-2004
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 292
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


That is really amazing Zane!
I am going to have to try this one day. Quick question though, How much heavier/hotter is the cowl after the Kevlar inserts are in?

Looks great
 Glenn
9/3/2005, 6:20 pm Link to this post Send Email to Jokerswild7   Send PM to Jokerswild7
 
Bountys Hunted Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 08-2005
Posts: 647
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Oh, that is just toooo darn cool! :dropjaw

I'm just smiling with this possibility of actually armoring my cowl!!

 emoticon
9/3/2005, 6:25 pm Link to this post Send Email to Bountys Hunted   Send PM to Bountys Hunted
 
Apocalypton Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 02-2004
Posts: 1676
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Thanks for the good words, guys! To answer questions:

joeker89: Good question! And yes, full nose protection is compromised due to space requirements. It would take a specially designed cowl to accommodate an undivided e-K nose guard. Too tight of an angle for the space to curve around in, without extending the cowl’s nose too far out. And even a special cowl would likely need a nose ridge instead of a sharp angle, which would go against the Batman look. 'course you could substitute the e-K guard with one of bar-folder-bent steel that should work.

Jokerswild7 - Glenn: Even with most of the electronic listener in one cowl ear and 2-way radio in the other, the cowl’s total weight is 2 lbs. The armor makes the cowl no hotter than the hermetic latex already does, but all molded cowls that are functional should be vented:

Image

Image

Bountys Hunted: And I’ll help ya, Bro; and per above, you should probably use 10-guage bent steel as a 1-piece nose guard, instead of e-K. Also, allow a little brow room for cutting vents over the eyebrows.

~Z


---
As a symbol, I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.
9/3/2005, 7:18 pm Link to this post Send Email to Apocalypton   Send PM to Apocalypton
 
batman182 Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 12-2004
Location: Dublin Ireland
Posts: 565
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Thanks for the info Zane, I love that people are making Batman into more of a reality :up

---
John


9/3/2005, 7:45 pm Link to this post Send Email to batman182   Send PM to batman182
 
Jokerswild7 Profile
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Apprentice

Registered: 08-2004
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 292
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Thanks for clearing that up Zane. I did not notice the vents before(makes the cowl meaner-looking in my opinion). Thanks again for the info and keep up the good work!



Glenn
9/3/2005, 7:50 pm Link to this post Send Email to Jokerswild7   Send PM to Jokerswild7
 
KnightStix Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Jupiter, Florida
Posts: 2200
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Really cool stuff Zane! I'm tempted to do this to the new Returns cowl I got from Janty. It's a silicone cowl & I've got LOTS of room in it. It's really flexible & comfortable too. So, space would not be an issue - I've only got a 22" head & this cowl will probably fit between a 23" & 24" head. I need to really aggressively pad it anyway, so this might be the time to create my first functional cowl. Great tutorial BTW!

Another question... How do you go about getting the epoxy Kevlar? Where do you go for such a thing?
9/4/2005, 9:36 am Link to this post Send Email to KnightStix   Send PM to KnightStix
 
Apocalypton Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 02-2004
Posts: 1676
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Re: Kevlar® Armor Your Cowl


Good to see your enthusiasm, KnightStix, and all of Janty's stuff rocks! And in this fast-paced world we also tend to read too fast. Your question is answered under my first coupled pics in this thread. But there are some potential new developments. A Bro and I are considering molding my present armor elements so I could cast the e-K parts. Everybody knows I hate to make extra stuff for trades 'cause I really love my spare time. But e-mail me (you have my addy) if you want, and we can see. Even with reliable sources, Kevlar is getting very scarce and lead times are growing long, but I still have some biaxial Kevlar cloth -- stronger than felt while more tedious to work with.

TTYS?

Zane

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As a symbol, I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.
9/4/2005, 10:51 am Link to this post Send Email to Apocalypton   Send PM to Apocalypton
 


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