SeattleZam
Jr Hunter
Hi Dented Helmet!
Your diehard Zam in Seattle here. Just completed the Starlight parade, two miles long, last weekend, in the Zam. That's over 35 troops in that costume, and it got rebuilt for the parade. Repainted the greeblies - that's the twelfth time, I do it about three times each year, from chips and damage - and had to glue bits of the leather back together where I got collided with another costume a while ago.
Parts are still badly faded, still need to address that. The sun is baking the purple out of the leather.
But here's the good news!! I got the wrinkles and sagginess out of the vest!
Went to Joann's fabrics and picked up some encased plastic "boning" stuff used for corsets and the like. Comes thick and not wide, and also wider and super flat. Got both types. Put the thicker stuff into the sides of the vest, just inside the grommets for the laces, on each side, four total. Putting the flat stuff in the back down the center, just gluing it straight onto the leather with leather glue.
It works!! Man, that vest is snug on you and hotter than ever, but it looks awesome. Now movement of the skirt and sitting down and posing doesn't cause bunching up of the leather. And with the gloves and gauntlets on, you can't adjust or tuck anything back in. (And I don't always have a spotter.)
I can post pics if you like of the before and afters, but it worked so well I had to share!! Zam is trooping up again tomorrow, a toy store in Everett WA named "Bobakhan Toys" for both Boba from SW and Khan from Trek.
THey love us.
Deunan
"Seattle Zam"
Your diehard Zam in Seattle here. Just completed the Starlight parade, two miles long, last weekend, in the Zam. That's over 35 troops in that costume, and it got rebuilt for the parade. Repainted the greeblies - that's the twelfth time, I do it about three times each year, from chips and damage - and had to glue bits of the leather back together where I got collided with another costume a while ago.
Parts are still badly faded, still need to address that. The sun is baking the purple out of the leather.
But here's the good news!! I got the wrinkles and sagginess out of the vest!
Went to Joann's fabrics and picked up some encased plastic "boning" stuff used for corsets and the like. Comes thick and not wide, and also wider and super flat. Got both types. Put the thicker stuff into the sides of the vest, just inside the grommets for the laces, on each side, four total. Putting the flat stuff in the back down the center, just gluing it straight onto the leather with leather glue.
It works!! Man, that vest is snug on you and hotter than ever, but it looks awesome. Now movement of the skirt and sitting down and posing doesn't cause bunching up of the leather. And with the gloves and gauntlets on, you can't adjust or tuck anything back in. (And I don't always have a spotter.)
I can post pics if you like of the before and afters, but it worked so well I had to share!! Zam is trooping up again tomorrow, a toy store in Everett WA named "Bobakhan Toys" for both Boba from SW and Khan from Trek.
THey love us. Deunan
"Seattle Zam"
