This is what I am about. (A little rant, sorry)
I have an acquaintance that runs an internet company involved in the sale of Space exploration related merchandise. Toys mostly and some “replica” space suits. These are mostly low fidelity generic looking Apollo and Shuttle suits.
And every so often he will call or email wanting to buy one of my suits, at an insultingly low price, usually less than I have invested in it.
Now I understand where he is coming from: He wants something that looks kinda’ like a space suit, that can be made quickly, doesn’t cost a lot. And he can sell a million of them.
I just don’t think he understands where I am coming from: I want to make something that looks, feels acts, and smells exactly like a specific suit from a specific mission. And I don’t care how long it takes to build it, or how much it cost. If I am building a Buzz Aldrin suit, I want it to be so close that Buzz would say “Yep, thats my suit.”
Now there is nothing wrong with selling a bunch of low fidelity toy spacesuits. But thats not what I am about. I want a suit that someone can look at or better yet, put on and say “Oh, thats what it must have been like.” or “Hey, now I know how that works!”
Well, I doubt if this person takes the time to read my blog, but if he does, perhaps he will understand a little more.
Alison, (And anyone else that is interested) Here is how I see it: The male connector fits snugly inside the female on the suit, the red “O” ring provides the airtight seal between the outside of the hose end connector and the inside of the suit connector. The latches lock it all in place to prevent accidental removal. Now remember, the Apollo suits were only pressurized to 4.3 psi. So with the mechanical seal that little “O” ring would have been plenty.
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Thanks for the help in visualising things, but I’m afraid I still don’t see how an airtight lock is made. Again, the engineering escapes me. Certainly I can basically see the interaction between the parts, but I can’t visualise the ultimate function. Where does the seal occur? Outer housing? Inner housing? Both? Have you managed to make your hand machined connectors make a tight seal? Questions, questions, questions, eh? Sorry about that.
Oh, and by the way, you might enjoy this link–they have the same dedication to detail that you have:
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=34659
Hi Alison, Here is how I see it: The male connector fits snugly inside the female on the suit, the red “O” ring provides the airtight seal between the outside of the hose end connector and the inside of the suit connector. The latches lock it all in place to prevent accidental removal. Now remember, the Apollo suits were only pressurized to 4.3 psi. So with the mechanical seal that little “O” ring would have been plenty.