Walt is graciously providing me with new ears so I can attempt them again. More to come on that later.
In the meantime I have added a few pieces to the puzzle:
Untitled by
daryl doak, on Flickr
Going clockwise from top left:
Helmet trim: 16mm. Not sure I like this, may keep looking.
Hard-hat suspension: Going to use this in the helmet (duh). Planning to use the same technique as Jim Moser.
Frosted acrylic sheet: This will be used for the circuit board for the back. (it's covered in brown protective paper)
Testors Cream paint: This will be used to color the circuit board to give it that authentic yellow-brownish color.
Tin sheet: This will be used on the chest box.
I added links in my first post for these items.