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Latex neckseals?


Sonnenschein

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I just had this insane idea, making neckseal out of black latex.

You know, black latex has this silky, glossy sheen (speacial underwear is made out if it, if you know what I mean).

 

Or is it proven they were made out of fabric?

 

What do you think? Should I look into this?

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Well, we'll never know if it will work unless someone tries. ;)

 

I'd be willing to test drive one in the "wretched hive of heat and humidity" we call Florida. :)

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I say "Go for it!"

 

I've had a bottle of black latex sitting on a shelf for ages now waiting to make a neck seal. I beleive the original stunt troopers wore latex neck seals that were designed for deep sea divers or frog man suits. I have several of these but all are far too tight, and that's when I planned to make my own. But like everything else, I just don't have the time to make new things anymore.

 

Give it a try. You are definaley the right person to tackle this :)

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Wow, thanks Paul for the kind words!

So, this idea wasn't that insane after all.

 

Then I'd make the bib out out latex too.

 

Glue in a zipper in the back and done.

 

No sewing involved! Great! (because I can't even sew one stitch)

 

Thank you, Paul, thank you!

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You are definaley the right person to tackle this :)

 

Well that goes without saying! (That's why I didn't say it :huh: )

 

Would this be something you can ship across the pond or do I have more work to do? :D

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No zipper and almost no bib for latex stunt neck seals like this - NECK SEAL

 

The neck needs to be ribbed and the bib needs to be shredded to make an accurate replica. I personally wouldn't make a hero neck seal from latex, just the stunt version. I am sure there would be some hard core troopers out there just waiting to snag one of these.

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AJ,

 

we'll see. Let me finish a prototype first :)

 

Jim,

yes, it may be hot and sweaty, but accurate.

Steve, darling,

thanks for your kind words.

Eric,

you and AJ are the first ones on the list!

Paul,

thanks again for your input!

What do you mean with "the bib should be shredded"? Like cuts in the side for better fitting?

I'd better start a research/build thread!

Thanks everybody!

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No zipper and almost no bib for latex stunt neck seals like this - NECK SEAL

 

The neck needs to be ribbed and the bib needs to be shredded to make an accurate replica. I personally wouldn't make a hero neck seal from latex, just the stunt version. I am sure there would be some hard core troopers out there just waiting to snag one of these.

 

That neoprene neck seal above would be way too hot for sure but easily trimable. The neoprene is very very comfortable. Imagine having a soft wetsuit around your neck :) They're big and tall because they're meant to be folded over when you wear them.

 

The one below is also meant to replace a seal on a drysuit. The deal with a drysuit neck seal is that it is meant to be somewhat tight and flat against your neck to seal out the water. The ribs are guides to allow you to trim it down to your neck circumference with an exacto knife. My guess is that by the time you get it comfortable to wear for hours the ribs will all be gone. When you do trim it ensure that the edge is straight without any scissor cuts or nicks. If there are any nicks your neckseal will split when you pull it over your head.

 

Also you'll need to either lubricate or keep powder on your latex neck seal if you want it to stay pliable and easy to get over your head. The latex gets kinda brittle over time and splits if you don't.

 

Don't keep your latex neckseal near any source of ozone like electric motors or hot water heaters. The latex will degrade and crumble. I hung my drysuit in the basement and my wrist seals got super crumbly and broke.

 

There are folks out there who make silicone neck seals for people who have latex allergies but I've never used one. Just google "drysuit neck seal"

 

And if anyone is on Hawai'i Island and wants to go diving let me know.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

 

I found this one, with a hint of ribbing.

 

neckseal.jpg?t=1266056835

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I found this one, with a hint of ribbing.

 

neckseal.jpg?t=1266056835

 

That's just like one of the neck seal I have.

 

The bib needs to have slits cut in towards the neck so that it is shredded and will contour to the body. Evidence of this can be seen on some BTS photos of troopers without their helmets on and shreds can also be seen poking out from inside chest plates.

 

The neck will have to be made much wider than on a dry suit. This is partly why I think they may have been made for deep sea diver suits rather than a dry suit which are very tight as opposed to the loose fitting deep sea diver suit.

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Yes, Vern, as Paul said, want to try a screen accurate seal.

 

 

Eric,

you seem to be a diving sports expert. I have some questions for you:

 

-) What an average thickness of a latex neck seal

-) Are they produced as a 1-piece (seamless)or is there a (glued) seam somewhere?

 

Thanks!

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Interesting topic. I've been working on something similar for several months. I was just about to unleash it to see if there was any interest. It's made from a durable foam rubber. I plan on lining it with terry cloth and adding a skirt. The most unique feature is the rare earth magnet zipper.

 

Here's my prototype minus the drape and lining. I'll be posting the interest thread in a few days.

 

DSCN0789.jpg

 

DSCN0791.jpg

 

DSCN0790.jpg

 

DSCN0792.jpg

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