the project..

[STEVE S.]

O.K., I feel confident enough now that this will be completed, so going to show some pics. My B-2 project is almost finished, down to installing the liner, pocket flap & some final stitching & detail work, such as trimming threads, buffing belt edges etc. This has been scratch built, using only pictures sourced from the net of a couple originals & a few key measurements/pics provided by ausreenactor from his reproduction jacket (thanks again!). only real decision to make now is whether to leave the double liner, which is currently a thin wool blanket faced with polartec fleece, or remove the wool & go solely with the fleece. I'm looking to get something to fit the area between the A-2/M-422a's & my shearlings. i'm almost afraid that with the extra wool layer, it will push it into the shearling level. now for some pics;

 

[John Lever]

That's very impressive. One point that might be useful is that from photos it looks as though the pocket did not simply lie flat to the body but had sides.

 

[Smithy]

Holy smoke! You made that yourself??!!

I had heard that the B-2 is one of the hardest flight jackets to make due to the components and amount of sewing/sewing techniques needed but you've done a fantastic job with a jacket it seems many professional makers shy away from.

Awesome :!:

 

[jack31916]

Looks very good and very promising. Good job so far!

 

[ausreenactor]

Nice.

 

[Roughwear]

Well done! It's looking very impressive.

 

[Falcon_52]

That's pretty amazing. Well done. How long have you been working on it so far?

Noel

 

[dmar836]

Strong work! Easy isn't it?
Please keep the projects coming!
Dave
P.S. What equipment do you use?

 

[FlyingYankee]

Very Impressive!

 

[dujardin]

very very nice job

this will be a splendid jacket

congrats for your work

 

[STEVE S.]

thanks for the kind comments! to answer a few questions:

That's very impressive. One point that might be useful is that from photos it looks as though the pocket did not simply lie flat to the body but had sides.

i could only find pictures of pockets on the reproductions as most were removed on the originals i found pics of. i think the Buzz jackets had a pleated pocket, the rest seemed to be simple "navy style" with the flat pocket & button flap. figured i had enough to figure out on this prototype, so went the easy way out on the pocket! would love to find a pic of an original with a pocket.

That's pretty amazing. Well done. How long have you been working on it so far?

Noel

been working onb it for about 3 weeks in my spare time which is sporadic. afterall the "head scratching" stuff on this first one, could probably knock one out start to finish in a couple days of solid work.

Strong work! Easy isn't it?
Please keep the projects coming!
Dave
P.S. What equipment do you use?

i have a Consew 206RB-5 industrial machine that i just set up with a new brushless servo motor.

 

[John Lever]

Someone posted a period photos a few months ago and it clear showed that all the repro jackets were wrong. The pockets were bellows like not flat.

 

[STEVE S.]

kind of similar to how a B-3 pocket is at the bottom?

 

[oose]

Here is the link...
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=17716

Looks great Steve.
All the best
Stu

 

[STEVE S.]

thanks for the link! yes, that original pocket is stitched like the later B-3 at the bottom. dug out a few from the stockpile to check. would not be hard at all to replicate that in a regular flapped pocket.



been playing around with some scrap trying different pocket flap designs & have settled on this style. will make the final version tomorrow. also found a horn button in the parts bin that i'll use.



i also noticed in that other thread mention was made at a fully lined pocket. i lined the patch with canvas on this one, but would not be any problem to fully line one in the future. maybe the next one will be a B-1 shearling lined jacket with these revisions added. :mrgreen:

 

[Clark J]

Hey Steve take a pic of your stock pile I'd like to see what else you have stuck away buddy boy.

 

[STEVE S.]

Hey Steve take a pic of your stock pile I'd like to see what else you have stuck away buddy boy.

ha! i've got so much crap stored in so many different places that it would take a few days to find all of it for a group pic!a couple of those B-3 pockets should look familiar, those are from that box of stuff you sent me many years ago.

i still have a complete B-3, M-445a & AN-J-4 stashed away, but lost the supplier i used for shearling. their minimum order has changed to 300sqft which is way out of my price range at the moment.

 

[STEVE S.]

made & attached the pocket flap today, finished some stitch lines & installed most of the liner. still have to attach at the sleeves & waist & it will be getting close.

 

[Falcon_52]

The jacket looks like it will be very cozy and comfortable. I'm still amazed that you were able to make it just from photos!

Noel

 

[STEVE S.]

The jacket looks like it will be very cozy and comfortable. I'm still amazed that you were able to make it just from photos!

Noel

i have to work from photos on my paintwork constantly. i recently painted a 1931 harley & had to do it all from photos taken of an original paint bike at the harley museum. that one had over 100ft of striping on it to sort out. the key is to find something you know the size of & work from that. on the jacket, a little research showed that the bottom belt & buckle were the same used on the shearling flight trousers. knowing the size of those, i could work out the size of the lower waistband etc. same with the windflaps, i worked backwards from the width of the zipper tape.

on that 31 harley, i sorted out the fender stripes based on the width of the head of a rivet that showed up in a closeup pic.