Mini DIY Projects: Custom Fit Mesh Mask & Super Mini Bonus Project

[beta678]

So, after finishing my previous mini project, modifying my pistol's sights, I've gotten somewhat bored and decided to start another.

I'm the type of person that likes things to fit me properly so I wasn't happy with the mesh mask I picked up a few weeks earlier. It was uncomfortable, the dual straps were gimmicky, and it didn't really work well with my headset as the strap splitter sat over my ears and my headset didn't have a good seal due to that and the edge of the mask. It also didn't really match up with either of my goggles so I decided to customize it for the perfect fit.

Cue a bit of brainstorming and a shopping trip to Home Depot and I was ready to get started.

And here we go, the mask itself, two D-ring hangers, and a couple of rivets.


First things first, I needed to remove the straps from the mask so I cut off the velcro loop which held the dual straps to the mask.


Next, I went ahead and peeled off the elastic nylon webbing which lined the edges. Its held on by hot glue so it came off with a tug or two. The remaining glue needed to be removed from both the mask and the strap as I'll be using it again later on, so I did that while catching up on some news.


Removing glue.


Once that was done, I grabbed my dremel and trimmed off both sides of the mask, just in front of the rivet. Sometime between doing that and removing the glue I also painted the D-rings black... somewhat regret doing it after but its fine either way.


Now I was ready to profile it for my goggles. Stuck on some painter's tape (don't want to scratch up the lens), did a bit of test fitting, and marked off a very general cut.


Went at it with my dremel and touched up the ends with a file. Stuck on some tape again and this is what I ended up with.


Did a quick test fit and it fits very well with the boogies, not so much with my Bolle's so I'll probably need to modify another mask for those goggles. Overall, there's room for improvement but I was happy with the results.


Next was to glue back on the lining and rivet in my D-rings. Some of the tools I used.


Getting an idea of where to rivet the D-ring.


Glued on the lining. Definitely wear gloves and get an extra pair of hands to help with this. It's not as clean as I would like but its not bad. Would've been better if I had some new elastic lining but it does the job.


I punched a couple of holes and riveted in the D-rings the mask but didn't get any pictures of it as some of my rivets didn't pop correctly and I got somewhat pissed at that point. Fixed that problem with the dremel in a few minutes though.

After that I cut up the strap and stitched up the end. I was planning on using a head strap but after a bit of testing, it didn't work that well. The mask ended up pushing my goggles up and sat somewhat uncomfortable against my face.


Got stumped for a bit as I had the same problems I wanted to get rid of but after a bit more test fitting I cannibalized the straps again and hooked up my mask to my headset.


Problems solved! Its a perfect fit! The mask pretty much floats on my face, there's no pressure anywhere and it doesn't move at all even with all the jumping jacks I did. I'll need to refine the straps a bit but it works. Though I really feel like the mask is missing something... Might spray/paint on a decal and give it a bit of character.


Now I'm ready for that game on Sunday! Or am I... lol

Mini Bonus Project!

There's one thing I hate with goggles & visors and that's fogging. I hate fogging when I'm snowboarding and I hate fogging in motorcycle helmets so I'm pretty sure I hate fogging in airsoft as well. That being said, I haven't gotten my either of my Boogies or my Bolle X1000 dual lens to fog yet (Bolle's passed the boiling water steam test) but since my cat crap anti fog solution hasn't arrived yet... I decided to make a mini fog wiper!

Got the idea after seeing the laylex thing and turns out its not a new idea. Lots of stuff like this out there for visors and goggles for firefighters, scuba divers, swimmers, etc. Since its pretty much two magnets with a piece of cloth on it, I'd rather not throw $15-20 on it when I can make it for less than a dollar myself.

Got a pack of neo magnets, punch, some very nice German quality cloth thingy I had, along with some super glue.


Stuck on some tape (works better if you tape one side, taping both sides does not work well, and I did it again with tape on one side), punched out some circles and glued the taped side to the magnet. The tape is needed as the cloth will just pull off otherwise.


And this is what I ended up with. I also cut out a small square, put it between them just to let it magnets press the circles down so it gets glued down properly and evenly.


Quick test on my shop goggles and it works fine. I may make another one with larger magnets but I'll see how these work out first.


I'll be fully testing both of these mini projects at my next game so I'll do an AAR if I run into any issues. I've got a bunch of other small projects and DIY, maintenance write-ups in mind so I'll probably be doing more in the future.

Lemme know what you think! If you've got any neat DIY projects or ideas for improvement, let me know!

[beta678]

Ok, a quick AAR for the mask and fog wiper.

After gaming both on Sunday I can say that both work well... to a certain point.

The modified half mask fit very well and stayed in place despite all the running I did and didn't cause any noticeable discomfort. I can cheek weld perfectly w/ my AK as is, but not so much with my G3.

The makeshift straps need more work as they required tightening between matches. I need to find something to replace it, maybe something with Velcro or a button snap for quick removal.

One unforeseen issue was that the mask was still trapping too much moisture, causing water to condense on my goggles. I didn't experience any normal "fogging" during the games but it sorta felt like looking through a fishbowl full of water and I was pretty much "combat ineffective" for a large part of the afternoon game. I might see if I can attach a mini fan to the mask and either draw out or push in air to prevent it from happening again. I'll also be applying a coat of Cat Crap anti-fog on my boogies and see if that helps.

Onto the magnetic fog wiper. It works as expected but I ran into an issue with them on my boogies, the goggles are too low profile. When I went to drag the magnet across them, the magnet inside the lens would actually be close enough to touch/get stuck against my eyelids. I can see it working well with other goggles but I ended up removing it as I couldn't use it effectively with mine.

[Short Round]

Ish very gud.

[Dustin_d]

you think the cloth would get to damp at one point and just smear the moisture around the goggles ?

[Dynamo]

nice, here's mine

[beta678]

Originally Posted by Dustin_d

you think the cloth would get to damp at one point and just smear the moisture around the goggles ?

I thought about that problem, but I think the amount of moisture from fogging might be negligible. That being said, I'll keep a look out for that issue on the field and see if it turns out to be a problem.

Originally Posted by Dynamo

nice, here's mine

Neat! Hows the cheek weld with that mask? I'm trying to find a solution to get more of a tactile feel, might make a stock cover out of some thin but soft neoprene.

Also, digging the strap system. Did you pull it off a respirator? I'm looking into other strap mounting options for a second mask as the D-rings I used were a last minute idea. They aren't ideal in my mind but they were all I found to work with at the time.

[p0nch3]

Where'd you happen to get those magnets? I love me some neo magnets

[CR0M]

looks good, very cool

[Jimski]

the magnet idea is brilliant.
the mask+goggles is quite common, because it's so efficient and practical.

[beta678]

Originally Posted by p0nch3

Where'd you happen to get those magnets? I love me some neo magnets

Got them at Princess Auto of all places, picked them up at $2.69 during a sale, think they're about ~$5 regularly.

[The Mutt]

Quick top for antifog, we use vegetable oil, apply the night before game, and then buff in the morning, gives a fog free day of Airsoft

[chaz]

Very nice write up. I am actually working on the same thing right now myself. I hate the fit of the mesh mash as it comes. I have torn mine apart to reshape, trim, etc to make it fit my face and glasses better.

[lurkingknight]

I cut my mesh mask in more of a T shape, so I can cheek weld very nicely with it. The only issue is it pushes into my face and my fat head looks like it's mushing out.

https://www.facebook.com/forcerecon....668518/?type=1

in the middle. I kind of did it haphazardly it's kinda messy but it works... even with a p90. I need to work out a better strap configuration as with a headset and goggles there's a lot of straps.

I also glued foam blocks on the inside to pick it up off my face and seal around the nose better.

[beta678]

Originally Posted by The Mutt

Quick top for antifog, we use vegetable oil, apply the night before game, and then buff in the morning, gives a fog free day of Airsoft

I'll give that a try if the Cat Crap anti-fog stuff I have doesn't work. Same idea, apply and let it sit, buff off in the morning. Short of the bb's flying at me, fogging of any type is my worse enemy...

Originally Posted by chaz

Very nice write up. I am actually working on the same thing right now myself. I hate the fit of the mesh mash as it comes. I have torn mine apart to reshape, trim, etc to make it fit my face and glasses better.

Thanks! Good luck w/ the mask, takes a while to get a nice fit but its worth the time and effort!

Originally Posted by lurkingknight

I cut my mesh mask in more of a T shape, so I can cheek weld very nicely with it. The only issue is it pushes into my face and my fat head looks like it's mushing out.

in the middle. I kind of did it haphazardly it's kinda messy but it works... even with a p90. I need to work out a better strap configuration as with a headset and goggles there's a lot of straps.

I also glued foam blocks on the inside to pick it up off my face and seal around the nose better.

Ah, so that was your mask at Night Fall, I looked through some of the NF pics and that mask caught my eye, very nicely done. Thought about doing a similar profile but opted for a bit more cheek coverage lol.

Perhaps try mounting it similarly to mine if you have time, via straps to the headset? Mine held in place relatively well with no movement (short of the straps loosening but that's a WIP) with no pressure on my face at all. I hate dealing with all the straps as well so it helps a bit with strap management.

[lurkingknight]

I don't always wear the headset.. it's a bit warm when I do. I was thinking some sort of velcro attachment to the hat... like hand some loop from the inside and use some hook strapping on the mask to secure it.. meanwhile use a very loose strap around the back to hang it around the neck.. that way it hangs like a pilot's oxygen mask... I found it hard to undo to get a drink lol.

cheek shots are tolerable. It's the teeth shots that concern me. Once I get it ironed out I will redo it in tan or od... the black really stands out.