Becoming Darth Revan: Part V, Connecting the Mask Straps and Padding

[L Kamino]

I purchased the Deluxe Revan from My Wicked Armor.  The mask has two elastic straps coming out from each side that tie onto or slip through a third elastic strap with a loop that comes off of the top/forehead of the mask.  I attached a Dritz 1/2" parachute buckle onto the side straps to keep my fit adjustment in place and to make it easier to put on and take off the mask.   

 

http://www.mywickedarmor.com/

 

 

I also wanted to add strap adjustors, such as these on this tank top below:

 

 

I had another top like this one that was getting worn out, and the adjustor was the width I needed.  It was used for parts.  I only used one of the strap adjustors.  Incorporating the circular adjustor was not necessary, as I had plenty of elastic strap to feed through.

 

 

Before attaching the buckle, I tied the mask straps on to get an approximate measurement.  I then made adjustments considering the width of the buckle and allowing one strap to feed through the looped elastic further than the other so my buckle would sit to one side of the loop and not directly inside of it. 

 

I fed the end of one strap through the female end of the buckle, folding over the fabric and pinning it in place.  I later hand-stitched a seam across the elastic strap.  In the photo below, I fed blue thread through the strap to show placement.

 

 

I fed the other strap first through one opening in the strap adjustor, through one opening in the male end of the buckle, looped it back through the other opening in the buckle and then through the other opening in the adjustor.  The buckle is designed to grab and hold the fabric, so there's a double-hold on the elastic from both the buckle and the adjustor. 

 

 

 

 

Here's a side view of the buckle and adjustor:

 

 

Here's the attached buckle disconnected: 

 

 

Here you can see how the connected buckle straps feed through the looped elastic piece.  With my straps adjusted and the buckle connected, I can pull the mask on carefully.  I opted to add a stitch into the strap with the adjustor to keep the elastic in place.  I still have a little room to tighten or loosen the strap, but now I don't have to worry about the strap moving out of the adjustor and my mask coming off.  I do have to remember to be careful when removing the mask and to either disconnect the buckle or hold the buckle if I lift it off to prevent the buckle from hitting my visor. 

 

 

I have not glued any padding inside of my mask.  I purchased the under mask, and this alleviates any need for padding.  It is comfortable, moves air and steam away from my lens and supports the weight of the mask.  All I need now are two cosmetic wedges slid under my balaclava at the hairline of my forehead where the top of the mask rests.  I can toss them after use, or wash them out.  I keep a bag of them on hand and they work great. They absorb moisture too. 

 

 

Here's my under mask.  (I came a little untucked at this troop but it's a good one to see the mask.) 
 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by L Kamino

[L Kamino]

I've since moved over to Flickr and my Photobucket has been deactivated.  I'm in the process of moving my images over to Flickr and updated this thread.

Edited July 14, 2023 by L Kamino