The discussion of the Alien series of films and the props used in them is the aim, but if it's got Big Bugs and Big Guns, then they are welcome too!





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Simple patch conversion
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 10:07 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
Like lots of folks starting out I have the Colonial Marines patches that are commercially available and for the most part that's just fine. But I am not recreating the uniform of Hicks or Hudson etc., so the fact that it says 'Sulaco' is a bit of a problem.

Attachment:
patch original.JPG
patch original.JPG [ 397.87 KiB | Viewed 8966 times ]


Here then is a quick fix that worked for me (and my apologies if someone else has already covered this in the past).
The first step is to decide on the name of your ship. I decided on "Conrad" for two reasons: first, it is a subtle reference to Joseph Conrad, the author of Nostromo, and second because it has the same number of letters as Sulaco so the spacing wouldn't be an issue.
The next step is to take a black Sharpie (or other permanent marker) and black out any parts of the text that can't be used. In this case I lucked out as some parts of each letter were usable. [It should be noted that seam ripping the orginal text completely out was my first plan of action, but the back of my patch has been fused together to make it an iron on.]

Attachment:
patch sharpie.JPG
patch sharpie.JPG [ 436.04 KiB | Viewed 8966 times ]


The third step is to stitch yourself a simple guide for the new letters. Since you will need to stitch through the original embroidery it would be worth getting a thimble to help push the needle through. I also found a clothes pin helped for pulling the needle from the other end.

Attachment:
patch stitch.JPG
patch stitch.JPG [ 492.24 KiB | Viewed 8966 times ]


Then you simply stitch over your guidelines, trying to match the thickness of the origianl embroidery. I would suggest doubling your thread so that you get two stitches each time, and try to do as much as possible in one go as tied-off knots are difficult to work around in such a confined space.

Attachment:
patch final.jpg
patch final.jpg [ 160.03 KiB | Viewed 8966 times ]


Once the name was done I went ahead and added a few stitches to make the bottom say "8th REGT." instead of "9th".
If any of your stitches are a little uneven you can tidy them up with black Sharpie, and if any of the original stitching is still obvious (like the diagonal line in Sulaco's "S") you can add a few black stitches to cover it up.
All told this project took about two hours to complete.

I hope this is useful to folks who don't have custom patches (or ship assignments), and I would love to hear feedback on this.

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 11:11 pm 
You there! Get me a Turkey!
User avatar

Location: Oklahoma City, USA
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.62157E1
Country: United States
Quick, dirty and you've just created a new ship patch for nothing more than time and some thread!!

Now....can I order 50 of them? ;) [/sarcasm]

Love the guide. I'm tempted to try it myself on a spare patch.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 11:46 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
Thanks Sarge!

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 3:25 pm 
Mad Cat
User avatar

Location: Active duty: USS Catalpa
Service Number: AO3/TQ6.0.79749E8
Country: United States
That looks really good, nice work!

_________________
"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 8:33 pm 
Shithouse Mouse
User avatar

Location: Puyallup WA. USA
Service Number: A12/TQ1.0.22137E1
Country: United States
So how many Regiments in a Battal?

_________________
Image
A12/TQ1.0.22137E1
PVT. Schmaus, Christopher J.
2nd Batt 6th Regt
USS Tahoma


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re:
PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:33 pm 
DC DMZ Veteran '99
User avatar

Location: Eryri - Land of the Eagle
Service Number: A09/TQ1.0.02135E1
Country: United Kingdom
Doc wrote:
So how many Regiments in a Battal?

Well not sure about the US Forces but in the British Army you have several Battalions per Regiment not the other way around.

The following is plagiarised direct from Wikipedia which might help;

Wikipedia wrote:
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel. Several battalions are grouped to form a regiment or a brigade.
The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, for instance, some armies organize their infantry into battalions, but call battalion-sized cavalry, reconnaissance, or tank units a squadron or a regiment instead. There may even be subtle distinctions within a nation's branches of arms, such as a distinction between a tank battalion and an armored squadron, depending on how the unit's operational role is perceived to fit into the army's historical organization.
A battalion is generally the smallest military unit capable of independent operations (i.e., not attached to a higher command), although many armies have smaller units that are self-sustaining. The battalion is usually part of a regiment, group or a brigade, depending on the organizational model used by that service. The bulk of a battalion will ordinarily be homogeneous with respect to type (e.g., an infantry battalion or a tank battalion), although there are many exceptions. Every battalion will also include some sort of combat service support, typically organized within a combat support company.

USMC Specific which is most likely the closest to the USCM.
Wikipedia wrote:
A United States Marine Corps battalion includes the battalion headquarters, consisting of the commanding officer (usually a lieutenant colonel, sometimes a colonel), an executive officer (the second-in-command, usually a major), the sergeant major, and the executive staff (S-1 through S-8). The battalion headquarters is supported by a Headquarters and Service Company (Battery). A battalion usually contains 2–5 organic companies (batteries in the artillery), with a total of 500 to 1,200 marines in the battalion. A regiment consists of a regimental headquarters, a headquarters company (or battery), and two to five organic battalions (Marine infantry regiments – three battalions of infantry; Marine artillery regiments – three to five battalions of artillery; Marine combat logistics regiments – two or more combat logistics battalions).

In the U.S. Marine Corps, an infantry or rifle battalion typically consists of a Headquarters and Service Company (H&S Co.), three rifle, or line, companies (designated alphabetically A through M depending upon which battalion of the parent regiment to which they are attached) and a weapons company. Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. Marine infantry regiments use battalion and company designations as described above under World War II, with company letters D, H, and M not normally used but rather held in "reserve" for use in augmenting a fourth rifle company into each battalion as needed.

_________________
Cheers

Winch

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow I shall fear no evil for thou art with me. And together we'll kick ANY bugs ASS!" :twisted:
You know who you are! ;)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:01 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
Apone and Company wouldn't represent the entire regiment, right? I'm not a military man (and I don't know what others have established before), but it seems like there could be multiple ships in the same regiment. Thoughts?

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 4:03 pm 
Harvester of Sorrow
User avatar

Location: Lancashire (Wirral born)
Service Number: A04/TQ1.0.32156E1
Country: United Kingdom
I believe that most ships/vehicles and their crew are in their own battalions/squadrons, which are parts of bigger regiments made up of battalions of troops and command peeps.

I could be wrong but that's the way I've always seen it.

_________________
Image AKA: Simon


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:26 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
Okay: I don't have the Technical Manual that Lee Brimmicombe-Wood wrote (witing patiently for the rerelease), but I do have copies of the Technical *Readouts* he wrote for the UK Aliens magazine back in the early 90's.
He wrote one about what he dubbed MAU's (Marine Assault Units) each made of three companies with each company being comprised of three platoons and a headquarters squad. The 'paper strength' of each platoon is 25 personnel plus two synthetic humans, though "this is usually much less due to manpower shortages" (like in Aliens).
But where this fits into the battalion/regiment scheme still isn't clear. I'll scan the Technical Readout tonight and post it if people would find it interesting.

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:35 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
And this thread pretty much covers this question and more:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6942&p=100254&hilit=medic#p100254

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 8:08 pm 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
I just got one of the newer 3" Sulaco patches, so I wanted to try my conversion to see if it would work with the smaller size:

Attachment:
newpatch.jpg
newpatch.jpg [ 176.89 KiB | Viewed 8752 times ]


It was a whole different ballgame as the embroidery is much finer, but I'm pleased with the end result. The only bummer is that I was three letters in before I realized I wasn't using 100% white thread. It's damn close, but if you look you can see that the new stitching is off white. I may have to take some tea or weak coffee and stain the rest of the letters to match. It wouldn't be a big deal at all except that this patch is for my new Service C's, so I didn't want to do any weathering.

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:52 am 
Victor
User avatar

Country: United Kingdom
That's very impressive.

I wouldn't worry about the thread not matching 100%. I don't think anyone will get close enough to notice.

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:47 am 
Prop Churner Outer
User avatar

Location: Bath, Maine
Service Number: A03/TQ1.0.12143G1
Country: United States
Thanks Vicky! I get a little obsessive about the tiny details... 8)

_________________
:delta: My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751 :delta:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Simple patch conversion
PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 7:44 pm 
USCM Ambassador
User avatar

Location: Northern California
Service Number: AO2/TQ1.0.1233E1
Country: United States
That is awesome!!! GREAT JOB!! :delta: :delta:

_________________
Image Image

USCM- The Colonial Marines- A Brotherhood of Bad Asses!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 



You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron