Run before you can walk

So basically I thought I was going to Nepean Hospital. Then I get an email from the coordinator, saying that due to overlap of students from Charles Sturt University (damn you!) there were too many students at Nepean and someone had to pull the short straw and that was me. I raged a bit here, calmed down and read on to find that for now I would be in limbo with no clinical placement until he could fine me another place. Insert more useless raging.

Anyway, the coordinator got back to me and told me that he has found me a place in Cabramatta. I raged a little since parking is impossible to find in Cabramatta and would have to suffer more training, but its a new place with new shiny equipment. Can't say no to a place with new equipment.

Managed to get a bit of shopping done, my list was clear and definite as I needed a plastic bucket or similar, and two cans of black and silver spray paint. This is for prepartion of my friend's 21st where you have to dress up as a character from music or film or anything really. So I chose the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The plastic bucket was going to be my helmet and today I decided to make a start on it. My inital plan was rather...enthusiastic...yes that's the right word. I was going to cut all the holes and everything would be fine. Except I didn't realise plastic would be that hard to cut. Have a few pictures.

Finished cutting the eye slot, note the jagged edges

The plastic split, so I used super glue to hold things together

Black mark outlines for the overall designYou can see the small black squares I wanted to cut outMassive jagged edges

Long story short it was harder than I thought, and now I might not cut out the 18 smaller squares. I would need to start drilling small holes, then work my way up drill sizes until the hole would be big enough for the jigsaw. And the jigsaw causes the plastic to shake badly and split. I still might drill a bunch of holes for air supply, but it will be groups of small holes. The 'helmet' still requires a paint and extra strips of metal and bolts, but I might leave those out if its too difficult. The important thing is I have the iconic image rather than every single detail correct.

With a bit of luck, it'll come out good. I've never used a jigsaw and my experience in cutting plastic is zero. That's the problem. you don't know what to expect so you come up with an enthusiastic design and think everything is going to work out. Now I'm scaling back already.

When I finish my costume, I'll post more pics.