greenyone

Maybe CA is not the best choice but...I worry that the E6000 may not even create a good enough bond to the smooth side of the vinyl? I ask this because I've only tackled covering the toe cap thus far, and any excess E6000 that got on the smooth side just easily peels off like rubber cement once it has dried. I feel like maybe scuffing up the area that the trim strip will cover may help create a rougher surface for the E6000 to bite into. Thoughts?

One other thing I found helpful in using these Kingshow boots. The type of leather used is not smooth. (I don't know the technical term for this type of leather finish) And the E6000 really soaked in to the grainy surface. Because of this I fought with the white vinyl adhering well on the first boot. It lifted back off very easily...even after a few days of dry time. I had to keep peeling back the vinyl in places to smear some more glue in there. Maybe this is less of an issue with a smoother tanned leather boot. Anyway , on the second boot I applied and spread out a thinner coat on the boot surface and let it dry/tack up for a couple hours. Almost like a primer coat. I then went back and applied another coat (thicker this time) before stretching the vinyl over the boot. Now it feels like I couldn't separate the two surfaces with any amount of force.

Here is a tag for reference.

Okay. Gave it a try and holy crap!!! Rit DyeMore "graphite" over the original dark navy blue US Navy coverall makes these things so black that you can't even see any detail in the photo. I took two photos in the same exact place for comparison just now. You can see how much darker the dyed US Navy coverall is compared to the RedKap. I used two bottles of the Rit DyeMore in a 3 gallon pot on the stove. The dye instructions said to simmer close to boiling for at least 1/2 hour. I stood over the stove stirring and turning the coverall over in the pot for a full hour just to be safe. After that you rinse them with warm then cool water until the dye stops flowing out of the garment, then a regular warm cycle in the washing machine with soap, followed by a tumble in the dryer. I'm not sure what version of these the US Navy uses nowadays, but the ones I have were used in the 80's, 90's and 2000's (to the best of my knowledge). If anyone is interested in going this route I've seen them on Ebay. I think the Navy must use several contractors to manufacture these for them though. I have 4 pairs. They all look/feel exactly the same but show a different govt. contracted manufacturer on the tag.

For those of you looking for a lightweight alternative. I decided dig into my old US Navy Seabag to pull out an pair of GI issued dark navy blue coveralls. These are a very nice thin weight coverall that has the same 65% 35% poly/cotton blend as the popular RedKap coverall (albeit a much thinner weight version of that blend). I believe the Navy used these in the 80's up until the mid 2000's if you care to try and find them on Ebay, a govt. auction site. or wherever. I gave them the old sailors try with the Rit DyeMore "graphite" fabric dye. This is the closest thing to black that they make in their line of dyes for poly blended fabrics. But for all intents and purposes...it's black. I'd call this a success. After an hour in the stove-top dye bath, rinsing followed by a cycle in the washing machine they are in fact more black than the brand new RedKap garment.

Aaron, at the end of your tutorial you said 'tay tuned for a cummerbund tutorial'. I'm anxiously awaiting.

Something I found helpful in working through this tutorial. If you have a boot stretcher handy, it really helps to keep the boot stiff while manipulating the vinyl over the toe.

Yes. I'd be game for that. But as I said, I'm not a fan of the heavy RedKap material. I may try it with another brand that uses a thinner more breathable fabric.

It doesn't seem that a 1 piece suit is a CRL requirement....is it?

I'm new here and just started the gathering process for my scout build. In the 'Undersuit Mods' thread I mentioned that I was a bit disappointed in how heavy/thick my recently acquired RedKap coverall is (I'll also add here that it's a poor fit for my body type). As to not hijack that thread I'm starting a new conversation here. Anyway, with my RedKap disappointments, I started to turn my attention to an old pair of US Navy Utility coveralls I have lying around my from military days. It's a much lighter weight composition of the same poly/cotton blend that most Civvy coverall are....which is desirable if you are looking to keep a bit cooler when in full TB garb in the warmer months. So as I'm inspecting the USN version and thinking about attempting to dye it black and make the necessary alternations I started obsessing on how poorly these things fit me. I'm not a big buy. About 5'-9" 163lbs but I have somewhat broad shoulders for my height. So a size 40 fits well in the legs, but not so much in the shoulders. I have the same problem buying suits and dress shirts. To get them to fit me in the shoulders I need to get a 42 which then causes the bottom of the shirt to hang to my knees. With the coveralls I end up with a properly fitting top portion and at the bottom I'm "bustin a sag" in the crotch/butt. Which is fine for working conditions, but maybe not if you are trying to do cosplay and want to eliminate the sag. I think the ultimate reason is that coveralls are probably meant to be worn over pants. That's how we were instructed to wear them my Uncle Sam anyway...take off your over-shirt and put the coverall on over your undershirt and uniform pants. We never did this in the Navy. Most of us squids just had the coveralls on with nothing but skivvies and a white undershirt underneath to keep cool and flexible while crawling around the belly of a boat or in my case an aircraft. Anyway...the point here is, why are we using coveralls anyway? With only portions of the neck, legs and arms visible couldn't we turn to better fitting pants and shirts for the under-suit? If so I kinda like the idea of a pair of black cargo type pants with external pockets that would be easy to remove paired up with something like a black 1/4 zip tactical shirt. Is anyone doing this...if not..thoughts?

That's a nice thing about the old military (USN) coveralls. All the pockets are external, including the waist pockets. I'll have to see if it takes to the dye and report here.

I'm tempted to try and dye a pair of my old GI issued ones from navy blue to black.

I just received my RedKap coveralls. Having spent a number of years wearing military issued coveralls in the Navy, my first impression is that the RedKap suit is comparatively very heavy weight fabric. I assume this will also mean very hot to wear in warmer climates. Does anyone have a source for a lighter weight coverall/suit?

I'm curious as to how well the E6000 holds up over time. I ask because other boot-makers suggested using Barge Contact Cement. Is there any advantage with using one or the other?

Very nice. Do tell which boots you used underneath.