Wee Ninja - Epilogue

This past weekend I did some work on Wee Ninja but not on the uniform. Basically I wanted to finish the project off by creating a way to display the outfit because it's just too cool to stick in a bag till the end of October.

I decided to try and do it the same way that Samurai armor is traditionally displayed. I had a bunch of PVC pipe and fittings sitting around from installing some motion sensor lights on the outside of my house so I went about building out a frame to hold everything. Here's some pictures of the setup:

















After I put the thing on his dresser, Sunny Jim walks by and says "who's that in my room". Guess I did it right. That's it for this project - on to making something else!

Wee Ninja - COMPLETE!

Here's some final shots of the uniform on the munchkin. The shinguards didn't quite work so we had to leave them off. I think it looks great regardless.









SHINOBI NO MONO

Wee Ninja - Part 11

Project Wee Ninja is complete! Before we get to the finished product, let's talk about the last stage of construction.

The arm guards are the last thing I put together on this one. I ditched my previous soda bottle attempt because it was too wide at the back, and I remade the pieces using a broken off garden shovel handle:



I can't decide if it's funny or sad that his arms are this skinny.

After molding a couple of sets of these, I trimmed them and hit them with more of the Krylon Camo black:





I then used some foam padding to make the blades. This is the only safe way to do it that I could come up with. I wrapped these with gorilla tape, cut some holes in the arm guards, and taped them down:







I then glued some velcro onto both the arm guards, and onto the jacket.

Wee Ninja - Part 10

It's time for an updata on Project Wee Ninja. I've actually gotten a few things finished over the past week but I've been too busy to post them up because I've been A) Cleaning my work area's and B) Getting ready for my next car project.

With regards to the former, whenever I do a project I basically am a whirlwind of activity - tossing things here and there all whilly nilly. I suck at cleaning up as I go. I really need to work on that because I invariably spend at least a week cleaning up my garage/workshop several times a year. It also drives my wife crazy which is never a good thing.

With regards to the latter, I'll be starting that project this weekend so Wee Ninja needs to come to a close. I've got something on the order of a grand and a half of car parts strewn across my basement and garage. I'm a little more than anxious to start bolting things on.

As for Wee Ninja, here's where I'm at:

First off, my do-rag didn't work out as planned. Basically it looked like utter crap even after I cleaned it up so I decided to start the hat/mask completely over again. I figured out a couple of things:

1) Making hats is hard.

2) I really need to start with a template unlike some of the other garments I've made for this project.

I took a trip to Target a couple of nights ago and found what could possibly be the ugliest hat ever created by man (heretofore referred to as Ugly Hat):



Seriously: if you would put that on your kid for anything other than a hunting trip you need to be shot multiple times by a large caliber weapon.

It did however serve as a good template. I disassembled the hat, then used it to cut some patterns out of a lighter and more flexible cloth. Ugly Hat was a little too big for the munchkin so I appropriately sized the templates as I went.



What I ended up sewing together looks a whole lot better than my original attempt:



From there I basically sewed on a backing that goes over the base of the neck, then started working on the mask.



For the mask, I was wary of fiberglass or any other stiff material from the beginning. This is going on a rambuncious three year old afterall. The kid falls. I'd rather he not break his nose on the rebound. Instead of something terribly stiff I ended up using some foam from the laptop bag I'd broken down earlier in this project:



I covered this with some pleather, added some snaps and velcro to the hat and the outside then tried it out on Wee Ninja with the help of his mommy:








I'M GONNA GET YOU!!!!



While I was at Target picking up Ugly Hat, I decided that despite my original decision it was a good idea to add some shin guards. I went through the soccer isle and found a pair of Tiny Tots girls shinguards that were the right size:



These were orginally in a pair of socks which a quick cut with a pair of shears fixed. I covered these with some pleather tonight then added some velcro straps. The straps are really long at the moment but that's on purpose. I can trim them up once I get a chance to try them out on Wee Ninja.



Only the arm guards to go! I'll get those finished up hopefully tomorrow night. More to come!

32 Mods - Day 5, Tuesday September 9th 2008 - Finale

Wait. What!?!

No. No, that can't be it. you had me till right there.

You're going to end something this fun, this cool, this utterly epic on a a picture of a old workout mat on your back seat!?!?!?

Dude, I though you were cooler than that. I guess I was wrong.

You could have been my hero, but you're just a complete tool dude.

DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK I'D GO OUT LIKE THAT AFTER ALL THIS?

I needed a good picture to end this ordeal. I actually really didn't know how to finish it. I had put all my good ideas into my car and was out of any purely for entertainment value.



(I couldn't make this next part up if I tried)

My iPod, which was on shuffle, senses the epic level of win I've achieved and my need for a suitable ending. The current song is fading out and it switches to the next track.

The song it picked was chosen by the Car Gods to complete my weekend. A song about a car. A song filled with an epic guitar riff and a hard bass line. A song with screeching vocals for the ages. A song so perfect for the occasion, so filled with win, so utterly sublime for how I felt at that exact moment that in better times (with some, you know, sleep) I may have thought of it myself. It's even by a band from my hometown of Seattle...






Heart - Barracuda

This gives me an idea:



Because the song the Car Gods chose was classic rock, I decide to do a true classic rock style picture to end on.

But what to party with? I know, I have another Summit Hat:



(If you don't get all the clothing in this next picture, you didn't read all my posts in this thread and I have no pitty for you at all.)

bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bu-chika-bow-wowowwwwwww -reeeeeeeeeeeh!



THE END.

32 Mods - Day 5, Tuesday September 9th 2008 - Part 1

“I am not left handed either.”

Murphy spoke the truth. He indeed is not left handed. His newly displayed skills with the blade is dazzling and it takes every ounce of skill and training I have to avoid a fatal strike.

The last two mods didn't work out as planned and cost me more time than I wanted. I also am missing parts that I had planned on to get to 32. I must therefore find other things to achive the win. At this point my car was still mostly in pieces (some of the pictures above with everything assembled were taken post mortem) so I decide the best course of action will be to start putting the car back together and see if inspiration strikes.

It is at this point that I initiate a conversation in the midst of clashing steel.

Me: "You're amazing!"

Murphy:"I ought to be after fourty years."

Me:"There's something I ought to tell you."

Murphy:"Tell me."

Me:"I am not left-handed either."


After finishing installing the controller here is what I notice:



Holy crap I need some sleep. I also need a beer:



If the rest of my meth kit would have showed I’d be at 32 already but as it sits I need a few more and I’m out of parts that I have the energy to install, and ideas as well.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a very creative person. Inspiration strikes me a lot, and I’m always thinking about something I could do, change, or improve (this in pretty much all settings, work, home, school, etc.). I start putting my car back together and trust that inspiration will strike as I go. It does. I knock Murphy out for good with the but of my sword.

Mod #30: UTEC and Wideband Serial Cable Passthrough

Pretty simple really, but normally you have to hide the wires somewhere weird. This gives me quick access to tuning the ECU.





Mod #31 - Long hosed Methanol Funnel

You can, of course, buy things like this. You're not me with stuff lying around to make something out of and a modification # goal. This one counts as a mod even though it's not on the car because I won't exactly be using this to pour my kids milk through.

Step 1: Cut up old funnel you haven't used in years.



Step 2: Insert leftover rubber heater hose.



Step 3: Grab new tube of silicon sealant from the household chemicals section of your basement tool room.



Step 4: Avoid Murphy's desperate and juvenille effort to screw up your day when your $2 caulking gun breaks, goes in too far, and tries to shoot the glue all over you.



Step 5: Use the glue to seal the tubing to the funnel.



Step 6: Tape with gorilla tape just for good measure.



Step 7: Set funnel in your new methanol mixing station.



Step 8: Profit!

I am at 31 Mods. Murphy was beaten and knew it. He had only one option left: a death by papercuts strategy. Those always fail against the likes of me Murph. Always.

My BPV gasket looks bad. I have RTV Copper:



My nice, solid, aluminum intercooler spacer is missing. I have washers:



One of the clear hoses I cut earlier isn't up to the job. I have 1/2 inch heater hose:





The 1/2 inch hose is too big for the Catch Can. I have duct tape.



And finally, I can't just have the meth system loose in my car spraying all over the engine bay. I have zip ties:



Me: “Hey Murphy, you there man?

Murphy: [groans softly] “I can has chesburger? Ugh. My head hurts…”

Me: “Sorry to hear that. Maybe this will cheer you up: I’ve got a joke for you.”

Murphy: [whimpers] “Go ahead.”

Me: “What did the five fingers say to the face?”

Murphy: “I don’t know, what?”

[violently jerks hand down from the ready position and connects with Murphy]

Me: “SLAP!!!!”

Mod #32: Toddler Car-Seat Protection Pad

My car is completely back together. It's 4:45am. The only time I've been more tired than this was after the birth of my son. Murphy's unconcoius body is laying at my feet, but I need one more mod to finish him off for good. I realize at this point that I still need to re-install my sons carseat.

I've always hated these stupid things but I now appreciate their utility. They actually mark the location of the car seat buckle.



I notice that there is an impression in the seat from being secured for so long. Inspiration strikes, and like a light from the heavens the way is clear to my 32nd and final mod thereby completing the galactic connection that leads to a truely epic level of win.

I run into my basement and grab a foam mat from the workout room, then grab a knife...



I AM DONE!

ALL 32 MODS!!!

I AM ALL THAT IS MAN!!!!!!!