Purchasing of Materials

Steeling myself for a shopping spree, full of odd-looks—as well as a hefty expenditure—I set out for Des Moines two weeks prior to the deadline. Places of note that I visited included the standard home improvement stores Menard's and The Home Depot. I also made a stop into a little junk tool shop located across from Southridge Mall in south Des Moines under the advisement of a friend, where I located some of the more unique items used I the creation of the helmet.

For the paint, glue and any other "oops—I need some [fill in the blank]," I made runs to Wal-Mart in Knoxville. Some of the items, such as the dead hard drive, I had on hand and didn't incur any cost.

I decided my budget was to be $100.00 or less, and the final bill came in just shy of $80.00, including gas and food for my day-trip to Des Moines and night-runs to Wal-Mart.

Items List

• one - 12" diameter, 48" length of concrete footing mold
  
• one - 4' gutter guard mesh
  
• one - 24" length of foam insulation trim
  
• scrap 3" diameter PVC pipe
  
• one - 3/8" diameter, 24' length of electrical conduit
  
• one - PVC electrical box
  
• two - blister packs of (2) disposable LED lights
  
• one - box of (5) eye loops
  
• one - variable lenses attachment for glasses
• one - package of (6) aluminum circle vents
• one - package of colored tissue paper
• one - aluminum downspout elbow
• one - bottle of Elmer's white glue
• five - cans of Krylon paint - maroon, dark olive, light olive, black and off-white
• one - tube of latex caulking
• scraps of wood in various sizes
• one - computer hard drive
• various length of electrical wire in different colors
• two - lengths of steel rod
• scrap metal
• one - length of water heater pipe insulation
• one - package of letter and number stencils (unused)
• scrap of thin plastic
• assorted screws, bolts, etc.