Home made

Tools and equipment to get the job done.
Post Reply
CookieThief
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:06 am
Contact:

Home made

Post by CookieThief » Mon Jul 11, 2016 3:18 am

There can be a lot of benefits to making opping gear yourself like no paper trail, customizing it to your taste, and saving money. I however have no skills in making things, like sewing, welding, or anything like it. So as an experiment I am going to try to a mask out of some cloth and see if its worth me learning more. Any websites, guides, or advise is welcome.
The world is dark until your eyes adjust.

User avatar
Xanatos
Moderator
Posts: 2675
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:51 am
Location: The last place you look.
Contact:

Re: Home made

Post by Xanatos » Mon Jul 11, 2016 8:33 am

A shemagh is basically what you're looking for; any square (or triangular, really) piece of cloth can serve the same function. Or were you looking for something more akin to a balaclava? Get some stretchy material (available in virtually any crafting shop), cut two pieces roughly the dimension of your head, sew them together and cut in an eye slit. There are other configurations & patterns available (including 3 or more separate pieces of material) but it's up to you.

On the subject of lockpicks, these can be easily made from a variety of materials. Thin sheet metal of the hardened variety serves well for the picks and wrench, but since the wrench is the one under the most tension you may need something stronger, like filing down an Allan key.

As for knives... well, if you're a competent blacksmith you can make whatever knives you want with the right materials, but for those of us without the skills or equipment for smithing you can still make a serviceable knife out of other tools. Sawblades, lawnmower blades, chisels, paint scrapers and bits of scrap metal can be cut & ground down into a functional knife - although the end result will look more akin to a prison shiv than anything released by Gerber. Here's an example of a knife made from a sawblade.


I haven't tried any of these (except making a balaclava ~10 years ago) but those are some ideas you can start with.
We are all books containing thousands of pages and within each lies an irreparable truth.
What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

User avatar
wfff024
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2015 3:33 am
Contact:

Re: Home made

Post by wfff024 » Mon Jul 11, 2016 8:25 pm

For my mask I just cut a large rectangle out of a shirt then punched some holes in the middle, very simple method.
Fear is a reflex. Courage is a choice.

User avatar
Xanatos
Moderator
Posts: 2675
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:51 am
Location: The last place you look.
Contact:

Re: Home made

Post by Xanatos » Mon Jul 11, 2016 8:39 pm

You can just use the shirt itself as a mask, completely unmodified (look up "t-shirt mask" on Youtube, you'll find over 9,000 tutorials). Plus side is you can wear your shirt on your torso to the op location and then as a mask when you get there if you've got a longsleeve layer underneath.
We are all books containing thousands of pages and within each lies an irreparable truth.
What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

CookieThief
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:06 am
Contact:

Re: Home made

Post by CookieThief » Mon Jul 11, 2016 8:49 pm

I already have a half mask I got from a sports store and I clip my hood on my head, that's what I do now. I have done the t-shirt mask, though wearing it as a shirt then turning it into a mask is a useful idea. The point is making something anything from scratch which I have zero experience in. I plan on learning more on sewing to make a full load out but this seemed the easiest to start with.
The world is dark until your eyes adjust.

User avatar
Psychlonic
Member
Posts: 1202
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:30 am
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Home made

Post by Psychlonic » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:05 am

I'm in the process of making a comprehensive guide to dirt cheap knife making for the guy who's starting out with absolutely nothing. Was planning to post but it's taking longer than I would have hoped to cover all the necessary details. Keep an eye out for a new topic within the next couple of days. By "knife" I mean a quality knife that justifies the labor by being equivalent to a crafted blade you'd find for $100+, with a price no higher than around $40 depending on how much work you want to save yourself. Can be made for less.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

Post Reply