Probably most of you guys are familiar with my GB style 1 Ecto goggles, but have not seen the process in which they are made. This thread will show detailed pictures, I’ll explain the methods I used to complete them, and finally I hope to inspire others with their Ecto Goggles build.
Let’s get started.
Everything begins with the casting of the AN/PVS-5A frame. The original frame was modified by adding a plate from the inside prior to molding, making it easy for the installation of the aluminum plates and other components on the resin cast. These frames are pressure casted by my friend Neal, painted with “military or camouflage green” which can be obtained at your local Ace hardware, and a final clear coat is added to the casting. In addition, a mold was made for casting of the metal battery cover. The battery cover is casted in 2 sections allowing the cap to be taken off, and finally they are painted in grey.
The front and back plates are cnc, they are placed on the goggle frame, and the screws are installed. Once the aluminum plates are properly installed, I then make the holes through the front of the frame to install the “installation implants” for the lenses. The “installation implants” were originally made out of aluminum, a mold was made, and they are casted with black resin.
Once the holes are made and I’m happy with the way that the plates look on the frame, I take everything apart, sand the aluminum plates one last time, paint them with the same color as the one used for the frame, and apply the clear coat. The frame is clean and I install the finished aluminum plates back on the frame to make sure the “installation implants” fit properly as shown in the pictures.
Let’s move on to the making of the Ecto Lenses.
The Ecto Lenses are made from aluminum. The bases of the lenses are either milled with the cnc to save time, or sometimes I cut a small section of the aluminum tube and tun it on the lathe. The lenses take several hours to mill and I sand off the imperfections in the aluminum to prepare them for the anodizing. One the lenses are milled, I test them by putting them together to make sure that everything is in good order before anodizing them.
I prepare the new ano hanging rods by first sanding them clean and I use pliers to bend them to the proper shapes making sure that each part nicely installed.
Anodizing can be a real pain sometimes. There are many variables that will make the part not to anodize properly and will make you waits over 4-5 hours of work. For instance, if the parts are not prepared properly, the wrong hanging rod is used, the part is not making good connection with the rod, or sometimes there are other imperfections with the aluminum (things that you can’t see even after milled them) that will cause a section of the part not to take the ano dye.
It has happened to me before when I’m anodizing while it’s raining and it quickly turns into a storm (Florida is known for this.) After I spent 2 + hours prepping the parts, the power goes out in the middle of the anodizing session and the ano is ruined. There are times when you can strip the part and start over by prepping again, but I leaned that it’s more work than what’s its worth and the part is automatically a reject part.
I use 5 tanks with different chemicals to anodize aluminum. The parts are submerged in each tank, following a sequence for a specific amount of time per tank. It sounds like a lot of work just to get the part dyed in black but the results are incredible. The pictures below will show you the lenses right before the ano sequence and hours later.
When I’m done anodizing, the parts have a flat black color to them and they have to be spayed with WD-40 for several hours. The WD-40 penetrates the microscopic cavities created by the anodizing and brings out the nice black finish of the parts.
This is the parts 24 hours later after I clean the WD-40 off them.
At this point, I use epoxy to glue the base of all of the lenses and complete the small lenses one at the time. I also make the other sections of the tall lens tower once the epoxy cures. The tall lens tower is made from 4 separate main sections (the base, mid section (or body of the lens), the collar, and the optical base.) The small “lip” for the tall lens is cnc and carefully installed. This is no easy task even with a cnc. This part is so small and has nothing to hold it in place once the cnc completes the code. I either let the machine complete the code, and look to see where the part flew up to, or I slow the cnc way down in order to carefully hold it with my finger.
I check the inner diameter for the tall and short lenses and adjust the code in order to make the acrylic lenses. These lenses are cleaned, installed on each lens, and held in place by pressure. Once the lenses are completed, I check the “installation implants” one last time and use my lathe to make any corrections to them. Once they fit perfectly, I then start by installing the tall lens to the frame. I use this opportunity to place the red sticker to the side of the lens, this way I can install the sticker straight without the short lens been in the way.
Moving on to the small details.
The goggles side knobs I get them from a local surplus store but you can get then here at GB fans of I believe that MMM also caries them. I always look for the shortest screws but they don’t make them shorter so I have to cut them. I really hate cutting screws short because the finish looks awful and it’s a real pain to Dremel them short. Unfortunately until I find the correct screw, I’ll have no choice but to continue to cut them.
I use this small brass part as a tool to perfectly install the screw in the side knob. I place the brass part on the screw, a scrap piece of aluminum in the back of the knob (this way there no marks from the vise on the knob), and finally press them together with the vise. This small tool saved me a lot of headache in the past and makes the installation of the screw very easy.
Since I cut the screws really short, you can’t see them sticking out if the “screw implant base.” The “screw implant base” is cnc milled out of PVC sheet, painted and installed thought the inside of the frame. Once the Epoxy cures, I’m able to screw in the side knobs.
Let’s move towards completion.
Once the lenses are installed and secured, I cut the straps and the “accurate” buckle, place the remainder of the stickers on, install the battery cover, and finally check the Ecto Goggles for quality control.
A lot of research was done and a lot of love is put in order to get these GB 1 goggles to look like this. The best stickers, casting, techniques and other materials were used in order to bring this item to the community.
I like to give a special thanks to my friends Neal (Venky) and Todd for the stickers, research, and for helping me to make this project possible.
Franchesky
