Costume & Crafting Help

[Savannah]

I am not a diver but I have a scuba suit. If I spray painted it black and added EL Wire would I be warm enough at night?

I don't know what thickness your suit is (they vary) but it will probably be quite nice if it gets super cold (high 30's) like it did a couple nights last year, although it will not be super breathable, and as Dragonpilot has said possibly too warm on the average night (50-60F or so). If you ingest any party substance that particularly disposes you towards overheating (such as ecstasy) you would probably not want to wear the suit at the same time.

[Drawingablank]

I am not a diver but I have a scuba suit. If I spray painted it black and added EL Wire would I be warm enough at night?

I have extensive scuba experience and generally find even the lightest of westsuits to be too warm in air. Perhaps at late nite it may be comfy, but don't plan on wearing it during the warmer hours.

[Drawingablank]

Flourescent paint update - have found paint that is neon color under normal light, reactive under black light, and glows in the dark when there is no light. A bit pricey, but it it works thats a lot of visual impact under any conditions. Of course once thoroughly coated with dust it likely won't make a difference.

I've ordered a sample to try and will post the results.

[illy dilly]

Flourescent paint update - have found paint that is neon color under normal light, reactive under black light, and glows in the dark when there is no light. A bit pricey, but it it works thats a lot of visual impact under any conditions. Of course once thoroughly coated with dust it likely won't make a difference.

I've ordered a sample to try and will post the results.

Could ya post a link?

[Drawingablank]

I was mainly there for the glow powder, but this is a link to the paint I was talking about:
http://glonation.com/pigmented-glow-paint.html

[illy dilly]

Hey DrawingABlank thanks for the link!
But Shoot!
Its $65 bucks for a gallon. I was gonna paint a 'brush wide' strip at the top of all our 'white picket fence' so that it is a little more visible at Night. Its gonna cheaper to just put solar garden lights duct taped to the top of the fence.

Wonder if I can find it cheaper.

[Drawingablank]

Hey DrawingABlank thanks for the link!
But Shoot!
Its $65 bucks for a gallon. I was gonna paint a 'brush wide' strip at the top of all our 'white picket fence' so that it is a little more visible at Night. Its gonna cheaper to just put solar garden lights duct taped to the top of the fence.

Wonder if I can find it cheaper.

Actually thats 520.00 a gallon (16 ounces is only a pint)

Well if you just want it to glow at night, the powder is a cheaper option - mix it with clear acrylic paint.

There is also a company that sells glow powder for oil based paints, but I don't remember how the price compares. Just google glow in the dark powder. I think glowink.com was the site, but I wasn't looking for oil based compatibility.

There are plenty of glow in the dark paint options.

[illy dilly]

Hey DrawingABlank thanks for the link!
But Shoot!
Its $65 bucks for a gallon. I was gonna paint a 'brush wide' strip at the top of all our 'white picket fence' so that it is a little more visible at Night. Its gonna cheaper to just put solar garden lights duct taped to the top of the fence.

Wonder if I can find it cheaper.

Actually thats 520.00 a gallon (16 ounces is only a pint)

Well if you just want it to glow at night, the powder is a cheaper option - mix it with clear acrylic paint.

There is also a company that sells glow powder for oil based paints, but I don't remember how the price compares. Just google glow in the dark powder. I think glowink.com was the site, but I wasn't looking for oil based compatibility.

There are plenty of glow in the dark paint options.

O yeah.... duh..... SHIT!
I often switch my OZ (weight) and fl OZ.

I'll do a little more digging on the powder.
Wonder what would happen if you sprinkled it onto wet paint right after painting it.

[Drawingablank]

[quote="illy dilly]I'll do a little more digging on the powder.
Wonder what would happen if you sprinkled it onto wet paint right after painting it.[/quote]

I believe that works, but the result is more fragile and likely to get rubbed off. Putting it in a clear base lets it charge and glow with minimal light blockage while protecting it.

The glow powder is nearly invisible in normal daylight.

[Eric]

Illy- if you want to use the powders I'd go with what DaB is saying- don't sprinkle it on, mix it in to clear acrylic. I know that Golden Acrylics make a heat-set additive for acrylics that will give you flexibility & washibility with minimum change to the paint itself. Any of the acrylic mediums would work- I would suggest a either a "fluid" or "soft" one, unless you want texture (more texture= less flexibility/ more likely to become MOOP)

I would recommend strongly that you mix in a separate container, not the one the medium comes it. This way you only make what you need & have the medium available for other projects as well.

[illy dilly]

Yeah,
It wont need to be 'flexable' mostly just for lighting our "little white picket fence"
Which will actually be a roll of 'snow fence' painted white. I'm thinking of just painting a white strip on the top of each slat.

[Drawingablank]

Glow paint update.

The sample of pigmented glow paint I ordered has arrived and is quite a dissappointment. Although it glows pretty well and is black light reactive, it is nearly invisible in daylight - even when painted on a white substrate. Apparently it is only pigmented enough to be black light reactive. I do have some other uses in mind for it, but its unsuitable for what I intended.

The glow powder arrived in the same package and seems to glow very well. They recommend 1 ounce of powder to 5 ounces of clear medium and we will be trying this out with clear silk screen ink next week.

[C.f.M.]

Here's a tip I just thought of that y'all probably know, for blacklight reactive body "painting" you can use regular office highlighters.

[Drawingablank]

Here's a tip I just thought of that y'all probably know, for blacklight reactive body "painting" you can use regular office highlighters.

Wow, I didn't know that. But then I generally don't have a blacklight in my office.

That does give me some great ideas though, because I have a blacklight room in my house. Highliters are nearly invisible on anything but white so I'm thinking funny messages on guest's beers for starters.

[jella]

Here's a tip I just thought of that y'all probably know, for blacklight reactive body "painting" you can use regular office highlighters.

Hmmm....I think I need to investigate this further

[Oldguy]

Most stationary stores carry UV pens to mark twenties at the cash register. Blacklight6 bulbs are easily available also. Snaplights come in UV color besides visible spectrum reds,greens,etc... Army scouts use UV minilights to mark trails and friendlies. Easy to set up false trails for ambushes too. Breadcrumb trails or ratlines or deaddrops can be marked. Good for mailbox flags good also (for all you secret agents out there)... Nightscopes pick them up easily. Moving UV signitures can defeat Deathstar scopes like aluminum shaff against radar. You can make invisible art on your body to be revealed under blacklight like club stamps, or the Vitruvian man message on the Lovre floor next to the Mona Lisa( for you Brown readers out there).

[Fufa]

Here's a tip I just thought of that y'all probably know, for blacklight reactive body "painting" you can use regular office highlighters.

Hmmm....I think I need to investigate this further

I did this at a science fair a couple months ago. Yellows and some lighter greens work the best. Sometimes you get lucky with orange. Avoid using purple, red or blue highlighters. And don't use the cheap brands if you want a good glow.

Not useful for what you're doing but: if you drop mentos in tonic water it also glows under a blacklight for a short time. SO COOL!

[moonrise]

I bought this wool hat for $5 last week. It's sort of a top hat, I think? Is it a women's top hat or what? I'm not sure, the label doesn't say more than large, 100% wool, made in USA. It's broken in just right though.
Anyhow, I like it and it fits, BUT! Powder Pink is NOT my color, nuff said.

I bought the hat thinking I'd come to eplaya costume thread and ask;
CAN THIS WOOL HAT & IT'S MATCHING HAT BAND BE DYED ANY HUE OF RED??!?? It says 100% wool, but perhaps with a mister bottle of 'wine red', low cost Rit dye; I could spray it with several light coats of the dye and achieve a nice hue of red. Anyone have any better dyeing ideas?
[snark door is now also wiiiiide open--plz, go easy] I'm all ears, thanks!

Update on the hat, it came out great, ribbon band too! I used Blood Red Rit Dye and soaked it really good.

First I used a sprayer bottle and tried to do light layers of dye, that turned into a mess fast...splattered the dye onto the hat big time so I quickly soaked the entire hat with the sprayer bottle. The photo isn't the best, it's actually more evenly dyed than it looks. I want it a bit darker so I think I'll either give it another sprayer bottle coat or dunk the entire hat into a bucket of the dye.

While dyeing with the sprayer bottle, I did turn the hat over and back over again, the dye tried to drain downward and turning it helped keep it more evenly coated/dyed (in the wool, har har)

A nice side effect was the shrinkage, it was a bit too big, now it fits juuuust right for the strong playa breezes and dust devils and I won't need to hassle with adding anything to size it

[MyDearFriend]

Moonrise, that looks great!

[Savannah]

Brilliant!

[jella]

Very snazzy

[VeganChoirGirl]

LOVE LOVE the hat.

[moonrise]

Thanks ladies!! (I kinda surprised myself to be honest, hahaha)

Next step is to figure out how to install an El Wire battery pack kit (10 ft blue) on the playa. MDF has kindly offered an extra she has and we'll attach it on playa. I am thinking I can sew velcro strips inside the hat, and attach the other side of the velcro to the battery pack with duct tape, then wrap the el wire around and around and sew it here n there and be done with it. If possible, maybe braid or perhaps design flowers or a moon (lol) and stars, but keeping it simple is best I think.

I promised I wouldn't tell, but MDF has a temporary bad back issue. I will be bringing playa proven, quality, 4 /12 inch & up to 9 inch thick, upholstered foam sleeping pads for both she and grai, but I won't arrive early entry, (Monday is the plan) they will be there early entry...I have insisted she buy a Quality sleeping pad until I arrive and can loan the pads out. She's agreed and this is the plan so far. I have a broken back, permenant nerve damage and I know what it is like out there in a tent. MDF is a super star stealth burngin, she's radically self reliant...sorry MDF I had to blurt the injury thing out, just a "sewing circle" slip of the toungue...take everyone's advice and/or help on this one, don't over do it and end up with life long back problems. Oh man...what a blabber mouth I am...please forgive me MDF!!

[MyDearFriend]

Thanks ladies!! (I kinda surprised myself to be honest, hahaha)

Next step is to figure out how to install an El Wire battery pack kit (10 ft blue) on the playa. MDF has kindly offered an extra she has and we'll attach it on playa. I am thinking I can sew velcro strips inside the hat, and attach the other side of the velcro to the battery pack with duct tape, then wrap the el wire around and around and sew it here n there and be done with it. If possible, maybe braid or perhaps design flowers or a moon (lol) and stars, but keeping it simple is best I think.

I promised I wouldn't tell, but <snip> ...

Moon! Stop it! I promised to be good. And, I will sew that wire on your hat. But, by all means let us scout for ideas. I'm not sure velcro will hold on the playa. But maybe a bonk on the head from your battery pack is just what you need... No no no we will secure it safely. Somehow.

Ideas, anyone?

[moonrise]

Uh, I just got bonked, haha, (walked into a beam)

Yea, ideas anyone?

Also, there may be a way for me to get the bed pads delivered early entry; since I'm local (Truckee, Ca/Reno-ish) I could try to find a reliable early entry burner and hand them off, then take them back to my place in CA after the burn. Just a thought...

[FIGJAM]

If you're going to sew lights on the top of the hat, make it in a pattern that will allow you to sew a pouch on the inside for the battery pack at the same time!

[MyDearFriend]

If you're going to sew lights on the top of the hat, make it in a pattern that will allow you to sew a pouch on the inside for the battery pack at the same time!

Hmmm, yes, so I should definitely make a pouch here, where I have tons of fabric scraps, and bring it with me...

[junglesmacks]

Just a reminder: Don't forget to check Ebay for things you might be making anyway!

We were killing ourselves the last few weeks on what to do about a nice fur playa coat for the girl. The fabric alone is $25/yard, let alone the fabrication time and effort.

I just found and purchased a super sick white long pile fur vintage womans coat for $19.97 with $7 shipping off of Ebay. Light that sucker up, and we're set..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWNX:IT

[lucky420]

so jealous of your find junglesmacks. I spent the last 3 weekends making my big coat. Thought I could make it in one weekend (fool that I am).

[Drawingablank]

For anyone who was interested in the results, the neon fabric paint experiment has been a massive fail.

I have tried many fabric craft paints and the only ones that are not transparent go on like a layer of plastic. I don't much see myself wanting to wear a coat with about 40 pounds of paint on it so it's now down to springing a small fortune for opaque silk screen inks or just making another coat from scratch.

Or sewing some pockets on that big fuzzy bathrobe.