How to make gasmasks/breathing apparatus?

[Red Orc]

I realise technically this should go into 'Workbench' because it's a technique request, but as it's so closely tied to the setting (unreal Victorian aeronauts) I figure it makes more sense to post it among the collective brains (and beards) of the VSF forum.

I'm aware of Thunderchicken's great work on preparing some gasmask marines; and I know that various manufacturers produce gasmask heads. What I want to do is find a cheap and easy way to produce 10-20 gasmasks for addition to existing figures, without the necessity to buy more heads.

My plan is to create a unit (or two) of Aetherines using the Wargames Factory British as base figures. The main modification to make the Aetherines will be the addition of breathing apparatus. I had in mind something like an aqualung - probably, two small cylindrical 'tanks' (I have plenty of different sizes of round sprue), some tubing made of guitar string, and a facemask of some kind.

It's the facemask that's causing me headaches. I had been planning to use some plastic widgets I have that are small filler-pieces from Platformer terrain kits. There are two kinds, rectangular and triangular. Unfortunately, both kinds look too big on the test head I used.

So what I'm after is something that I have, or can make a lot of, that will look suitably uniform. After all, these things are probably been made by the hundred at Braithwaite's Aetheric Supplies in Walsall, or something.

My best idea at the moment is pinching a blob of green stuff on their faces and hoping it looks like a canvas mask. But I'm not very confident it will.

Any ideas of small bits I might be able to use, or any alternative suggestions, or advice on greenstuff technique, grsatefully accepted.

Thanks chaps for your collective wisdom.

[Froggy the Great]

I just went with a breathing tube on my Martian Hinterlands troops, glued across the mouth.

[gamer Mac]

Have you thought about totally replacing the heads with beads?
Like this

[Red Orc]

Froggy the Great: that's pretty simple but effective - I was thinking of a similar mix of those with their masks on, and some with it dangling from straps round their necks, and yours certainly look good. Have you posted them before? I don't remember seeing them, if I had I probably wouldn't be panicking now! I can certainly imagine my marines with something like your version. Perhaps a tube and a single 'brass lung' would do.

Gamer Mac: I have considered a complete head replacement, I've been rummaging through my bits box and found a few things that might make good helmet parts. One thing I thought might be suitable was the searchlight lenses from GW kits - they're a circular, convex shape with a grille over them. I thought they might make a good faceplate for a 'diving bell' type helmet. However, I only have a few (3 I think). Getting more parts would have me back in 'getting a load of heads' territory, which I'm trying to avoid (I need at least 10, possibly 20, for my Aetherines). When I make some Aquanauts, however, they're at the top of the queue of parts!

Thanks you both for your suggestions (and photos!); even the ones I don't follow are certainly appreciated. If anyone else has any suggestions, please feels free to join in!

[Bullshott]

How about this for real 19th century breathing apparatus, on which Jules Verne based the breathig gear used by Captain Nemo:

http://www.divingheritage.com/r+d.htm

[Red Orc]

Certainly inspirational, and indeed that 4th shot down looks kinda sinister. Very nice indeed, if a little beyond my capabilities (especially to produce 10 or more of them). But lovely nevertheless, cheers Bullshott.

The other bits of the site are pretty groovy too, by the way!

[6milPhil]

Perhaps make just one piece/item and cast off it?

[white knight]

what I would do is something along these lines (provided you can lay your hands on the required accessories):
1. put a blob of greenstuff on the face and give it a roughly appropriate shape;
1bis. if desired, texture it by gently pressing it with a piece of cloth or somesuch
2. get a small diameter tube or hollow rod that's an appropriate size for the eye lenses, dip it in water so it doesn't stick to your greenstuff and then press it in the mask where the eyes would be. This way you get perfectly round and identically sized circles every time;
3. if desired, add something to the bottom of the gasmask, like a piece of sliced up plastic rod, to add as the filter;
4. if desired, add a piece of wire/tube to that going to a small box/bead/backpack/whatever that you put on the back.

[Red Orc]

That could certainly produce cool looking masks WK, but it's more complex than I want to do. At the moment I'm thinking something simpler than your idea, but a little more complex than Froggy's - a tank, a tube, and a small blob of greenstuff for mouth and nose probably. Texturing it to look like canvas would be neat, I'll do some experiments and see what I can manage.

[Commander Vyper]

I did some ages ago for a squad of metal GW cadians.

i) Drill a hole in the mouth and just above the belt on the right of the torso.
ii) Add a blob og GS to the lower part of the face, just under the nose. Use a putty tool to work into into a cone point, then cut the tip off.
iii) Work the putty into a leather/rubber mask, under the eyes (following the cheekbones) and acoss the bridge on the nose (I didn't do googles these were just masks much like the ones Han and Leia use in the space slug's gut in ESB). use a sharp edge to line the stitched edges of the mask. (As they have helmets on no need for straps).
iv) push a cut lenght of wire/paperclip into the nose of the mask after about 20/30 mins setting time, then glue this in place on the torso.
v) make a little ball of GS, push over the end on the torso, square it off and add some vents with a scapel.
vi) add a little GS to the paperclip, make it even all the way round then using a blade add the little vertical ridges in the pipe, (now days you can get pewter pipe of the appropriate scale, back then you had to improvise).


I'll try to find some old pics but hope that makes sense.

The Commander