I spent some of today making a couple pressure relief valves, one for my suit and one for a friend. Here are a few pictures. They are turned from some scrap plastic I had left over from some castings.
Here is a picture of the real thing:conradsuitpressrelief.jpg
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The worst thing about putting on one of my suits is: by the time you get everything zipped, Velcroed and snapped. The helmet and gloves on, you are so hot the helmet steams up and the perspiration is pouring off of your forehead into your eyes. The padding and foam I use to create the pressurized look is so insulating you could die of heatstroke in the arctic.
My answer is the same one the guys at Hamilton-Standard came up with years ago. Cold water running through small tubes next to the skin.
I purchased some “net” fabric with holes just slightly smaller than the tubing I had. I the “threded” the tubing in and out of the shirt I had sewn. I divided the shirt into 4 “zones” . Each arm is one, and then the front and back. A small pump pushes ice water from a 1/2 liter bottel to a “header” that sends it to all 4 zones then back to another header and back to the bottel.
This should help me “keep my cool”. I’ll let you know the next time I put the suit on.
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I have been working on the black bands that hold the ITMG to the suit side glove disconnects. Also continuing the work on the pressure gage. 
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I finished the detail under the UDC flap today. And I finally sewed the name tag on the front of the ITMG. So I thought I’d put up a couple of pictures.
Here is a photo of the UDC flap open on Ed Mitchell’s flown suit from Apollo 14 for comparison.
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I moved the thigh pocket. I believe it looks better now. Now I just need to make the name tag, and the UDC injection site, fix a few small things….
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Well it had to happen, I just spent an hour removing gas connectors, glove disconnects and other assorted attachments between the ITMG and the inner suit. Then I removed the ITMG for the first time in weeks.
All this is necessary so I can move a pocket and add some details, including the name tag, and the injection port under the UDC flap.
I managed to acquire some thick black rubber to use as the glove disconnects restraint bands. I had black zip ties there, but was not happy with the look. So when I re-assemble the suit it will look better.
I will be checking and re-checking the details while I have everything apart. And adding some small details I have put off. (such as the velcro for the Lunar Overshoes) And just generally tidying up.
Update: The aluminum template worked fine for the pressure gage, I now have a good fit between the lens and the body for a realistic look.
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This weekend between other projects I have been working on a second prototype of the pressure gage. I know, most of it is covered with a piece of the ITMG. But I think I need to keep the detail up.
I think I have almost got it. The problem has been the template I was using to rout out the gage face area was made from plywood. It seems the bit on my dremel would burn and deform the edges making the cut irregular.
To remidy this I got the drill bits and files out and made one out of aluminum. I will cast some new blanks tomorrow and see if I can get a better fit on the lense.
One another note, After looking at some pictures of the suit, and just looking at the suit its self, I have decided the pocket on the left thigh needs to go outboard and down a tad.
So I am working up the fortatude to disasyemble the ITMG from the inner suit, and then remove and re-attach the pocket. I hope to get that done this week.
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Ok, its not really part of the suit, But I found this on Ebay and wanted to share. Its a vintage 1960′s Plantronics headset. The very same model used by Mission Control throughout the Apollo program.
Its really a nice piece.
I have to thank Matt at Audiology Associates in Lancaster Ohio for fixing me up with a new audio tube and ear piece connection. Now its like new!
I can almost hear Gene Kranz asking for go/no go status when I look at it…
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