Need help with a costume

[JGregory332]

I'm going to be attending VCON in October (http://www.vcon.ca) and I'm working on a costume. The theme this year is military might, and as VCON is very much a sci-fi convention I thought I might go as a spaceship engineer/damage control.
I've got a set of coveralls as the base, and a Halloween mask I'm going to modify.
I need help in finding patches that I can add to the coveralls, and some gadgets that would look right for a sci-fi engineer/damage control person to wear.
I'm on a bit of a budget so no suggestions for extremely expensive kit please.

[Zeropoint]

I don't have any suggestions (sorry) but as a former Nuke ET in the US Navy, I have to say: MAJOR props to you for expressing "military might" in terms of the men and women who keep the lights on and the screws turning.

Oh, wait, I do have suggestions. Pretty much any modern electrical worker's tools, like a multimeter, lineman's pliers, etc. would fit right in--basic hand tools are unlikely to change much in the near future. There are also such things as portable oxy-acetylene torch kits . . . maybe a bit expensive for a prop, but you'd have a real tool (edit: they're over $200, way out of range for a budget prop. sorry!). You could save money and weight by just getting the torch part and dolling it up a bit, or by making something like that little torch Vasquez had in Aliens.

Also consider safety goggles and high-voltage gloves as part of the costume. Maybe add some sort of respirator?

[Borgholio]

Why not take some of Zero's ideas (goggles) and go a bit steampunk with the whole thing? That'd look neat.

[The_Saint]

Instead of portable oxy-acetylene, you can get portable propane/butane burners dirt cheap and some of them look quite sci fi... bit of spray paint and soem quite concerning warning labels and you have something loooking high tech, futuristic and expensive.

[Mr Bean]

Instead of portable oxy-acetylene, you can get portable propane/butane burners dirt cheap and some of them look quite sci fi... bit of spray paint and soem quite concerning warning labels and you have something loooking high tech, futuristic and expensive.

Don't forget radiation badges, search for dosimeter stickers. They are peel and stick radiation badges worn in radiation spaces in case of a radiation leak so you know your going to die. No seriously they are worn when your working around in someplace where a leak is possible. They also look future tech and part of safety equipment that would be perfect for you.

[madd0ct0r]

Let's see, if I'm in the crawlspace of a medium size ship, what am I going to need?

Screwdrivers. Needle nose pliers x2, wirecutters, clips, cable ties, tape (both in many colours). Headphones. glasses. a little light that clips to the glasses or can be set up as a lantern. can of compressed air. digital tempeture probe. digital calipers. box of spare screws, bolts, washers superglue, resin

Nothing key worn on hips, most on chest , with some on front belt on small of back.

more scifi.

diagnostic glove.
magnets in fingertips (in the presence of a current they'd have an induced mico current which would be picked up by your nerves.)
flat flexiscreen on back, can be used as manual. small bar up the side is a volt/amp meter. Other hand maybe temp and radiation readouts?


Smart ass putty - put it on twisted wires. It oxidies, hardens and insulates on the outside but ensures perfect conductivity between internally.
Chokebomb and oxygum - choke bomb blows out carbon dioxide, fills compartment, chokes fire. Oxy gum keeps you from dieing while that happens. One of those things you hope you never have to use (along with the aforementioned rad stickers)

powered screwdriver with smart tip. moulds to fit the end of the screw, hardens while you screw/unscrew it. Can also be used to twist wires together tightly.

Glasses, with white light and black light LEDs and a HUD.

You shouldn't be welding in small spaces and definitely not with a flammable gas on a spaceship - something more like a MIG welding wand or pure current welding with a bank of capacitors.

endoscope worm or eye drone riding on your shoulder. Hell, maybe a miniature toolbox version of the Luggage?

[JGregory332]

Thanks to the great comments and replies I've started ordering some items that I feel will really help out with my costume.
A question to our Navy-Vets, what's usually on the BACK of damage control overalls? Also I MIGHT want to add some rank tabs so I was wondering what would an appropriate rank be for a damage control engineer who has has been trained to work in reactor country?