Tails to Regulation - Looking for advice on conversion

[Bassbarijpm]

Hello,

I'm geting ready to beging to plan for a tails coat coversion to a Regulation Doublet. My goal is to finish it for New Years Eve 2010. I am choosing this because I'm a former US Army (so I'm inclined to a more military look) and I want something other then a PC. I also found a cheap tails coat in my size (41R). This will be a conversion so I may not be 100% true to the regulation's styling but I want to know where I have deviated.

Some questions:

What type of cuffs?

What type of epualettes?

What does the back look like.

How long are the tails?

Shawl vs Notched laples are there any major issues here (the donor coat has shawl)?

What is the normal vest to wear? Ive seen both ones that are straight at teh bottom and rest just over top of the kilts wais band and onee that are pointed like a normal suite vest.

If you have a Regulation doublet and could post some pictures it would be helpful. The regulation double DYI thread no longer has any pictures of the conversion.

The wisdom of the Clan is welcomed. I wil post as I go. ith: