This is my little How-To on making a watch cap. I wanted one for my first kitbash but didn't want to pay and wait for one, so I looked around the house and this is what I came up with.

The materials used for this watch cap were:

1 thin polypropilene glove, any color - I used black (the glove I used was 1mm thick or less)
1 sharp scisors - dull ones won't cut the polypro
1 tweezers, blunt straight end
1 lighter
1 action figure or action figure head

This is a picture of the glove before I cut it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02574.jpg

I started by sliding one of the uncut glove's fingers over the figure's head, to make sure it fit, and sure enough it did.

Then I removed the glove from the figure's head and cut a finger off with a straight cut. First time I cut too short, then a second time I cut too long, but cutting too long is not a problem because I can trim it. Cut long when you do it.

This is too short:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02576.jpg

The cut finger is now an untrimmed hat. I slipped the untrimmed hat over the figure's head again and started folding the material upwards neatly, trying to keep the crease straight. You can also try rolling it.

Since the untrimmed hat was too long and the fold was huge and too thick I unrolled the hat and cut a little bit more (not much, cut only 1/8" at a time).

Second time was good, the hat length was fine and it actually looked like a watch cap.

I used the tweezer to wedge it between the hat and the fold to push the crease down while pulling the fold upwards:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02578.jpg

After the hat was formed I lightly passed a lit lighter near the watch cap to remove the fuzz and make it look more authentic.

Your het should look like this after the fuzz is burned out:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02577.jpg

This is what is looks like on the figure:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02573.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02572.jpg

I also tried making a balaclava, but I didn't have much success cutting the eye and nose hole, I will give it another try later.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/sanmusa/action%20figures/watch%20cap/DSC02575.jpg

In all, this custom watch cap cost less then $3, since the only thing I actually destroyed were the cheap gloves. You can also do the same with different color, it would be cool for a civilian dress figure to have a blue or red cap, or maybe if you can find OD green gloves you can do that too...

And you can still use the gloves too! Fingerless of course!

cool idea, do the same thing with 1/6th socks

Solid snake, good hint on the gloves, I was just gonna toss then in the bin...!

Too bad they are too big for me, I bought them one size too large...

Anyone want some size 6 fingerless gloves? (One hand still has all 5 fingers! Talk about versatile!)

ive been using that trick for years, sadly, it turns out 1000 times better than the 1/6th versions, they always seem to have a ball of stitching at the top.

Great post, now freezing people in alaska wont be able to get gloves to stay warm...

C'mon... those gloves were too thin for the Korean winter! Imagine in Alaska! They need mittens there!

Try making a watch cap from mittens!

LOL

Excellent technique, sanmusa. And a fitting use for polypro, which melts way to easy for my liking, as far as wearing it. Much better on 1/6 guys.
Welcome aboard.
Are you anywhere near 2-72 Armor? I have a buddy there.

Mike

Great idea.
I'm gonna try it.

Nando

Quote:

Anyone want some size 6 fingerless gloves? (One hand still has all 5 fingers! Talk about versatile!)




I do!!!! LOL

great tip though, Im gonna have to give it a sahot sometime...

Nope, no 2-72 Armor here, the nearest tanks must be like 70 miles away... Is he in Korea?

Cold, harsh terrain. Beautiful women, kimchee, bulgogi. Evil dictatorship massed to the north, wild-ass Aviation guys all over the place, bunch of tough guys called ROKs....Yep, he claims it's called Korea.
He's had his hands full from the gitgo, so I've only talked to him once and got one email, so I don't know exactly where he's at.

Thanks for the tip on the watch cap...and the Hookers!

Yep, lots of beautiful women here. Seoul doesn't cease to amaze me... They have the biggest women's only university in the world... 50000 women from 18 to 25! The ratio of women to men there is like 300 to 1! It's heaven on earth. Korea is Asia's best known secret...

Thanks for the tip and welcome to the board.

Oh yeah Korea, probably the best 12 mo's of my life! i was at Osan from 98-99.

that's a brilliant idea.

payneja... I've been here since 2002 anfd I won't leave until 2006... I love this kimchi stinking land!

I think it is the yaki that does it to you!!! The first newspaper bag full of the stuff is free, then you are hooked and forced to pay for it on your way home from the bars trying to beat the 2:00 am curfew.

Or i could be completely wrong, and it could be the girls (Russian, Thai and Filipino dancers and/or the Swedish and canadian english school teachers in Seoul) you take your pick....

BTW, do the Russians still have Sunday nights off?

god i miss it!!!

Things have changed abit since you left...

Curfew now is midnight sunday night through thrusday night, and 0100 on Friday and Saturday nights and holidays...

There are no more Thai girls (I do miss them, though), the Filipinas are still here, so are the Rusiians (mostly). Most of the bar girls nowadays are Filipinas or Koreans. The girls usually have one day off every month. And you still can "buy their night off", but you run a great risk since Eight US Army is cracking down on prostitution and human trafficking...

There are still plenty of Canadian, New Zealanders, Australian, American and British English teachers and they are generally easy... It's easier for male American Soldiers to find female companion with Korean females then female American Soldiers to find companion with Korean males. I've only seen one female American Soldier date a Korean man in two years here... The English teachers are always lonely and horny. Good combination. They can be found in great numbers on the bars in Itaewon, Sinchon, Jongro, Apgujeong, etc...

I had two years of absolute balls to the wall fun here and then I got married... got me a Korean girl and we've been married for six months... Bad thing is that before I only had a boss at work, now I have a boss at home too! Good thing is that I can eat Korean food anyday. Right now she is cooking some bulgogi.

I will miss this place when I leave it, but being that I decided to stay in the Army for 20 years I am sure I will return later...

Where were you stationed in Korea? I am in Camp Humphreys, which is one of the best places to be in this country, short of Yongsan. I feel bad for those 2 ID guys, they were in the DMZ before and now are in Iraq... what a drag.

It does sound like things have changed a bit........ I definitely took a liking to the english school techers up in seoul and the Russians!

There was a place up in Seoul called the brew pub (or something like that) and you could always find the teachers there!

I was stationed at Osan AB and was attached to the Aerospace medical Squadron. I worked in Medical Readiness, so i was able to take part in planning all of those fun excercises we got to participate in.

I never made it to Humphreys, wasn't that pretty close to Osan? I would usually head up to Seoul on the weekends and i made it down south to Taegu and Kimhae (if I remeber correctly). Also visited Kunsan once and vowed never to go back!

My boss (it was his 2nd tour there) was married to a Korean and was able to bring her back for an accompanied tour. I know for the most part it was an unaccompanied tour. I do not know if it was because he was an officer or not?

Yes, it is definitely easy to go crazy in Korea. I partied like a rock star for 12 mos, but I now have a boss at home too! I am glad i was over there while I was single.

Those guys up on the DMZ have a rough job, but they are doing a fine job. Visiting the DMZ for the first time was a real eye opener!!

I do miss the food though, but I really never got into the kimchi. I have found a couple places here in So. California that serve up some good korean, but nothing compares to being over there!

Matter as well bring life back to this topic? Where did you fine these gloves? Where they at any WallMart? Where?

I bought them at the Military Clothing Sales shop in an Army base... however, they are made by Brigade Quartermasters, you can find them here:

http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/agcatalog/index.tam (Action Gear)