I think I kind of follow.
Yeah, it's a little tough to explain. I looked for a few hours online trying to find a picture or video of an example to better explain. However, it's irrelevant now. I've moved onto a new method, and I don't like to look back (which is why I destroy any failed armor pieces).
I've gone back to what I originally had planned, and what most people use, magnets. First, the reason I was avoiding magnets in the first place. When I first tried on the torso, I realized that it fit, but was pretty snug, so I thought that magnets would not work well. Then, in one of Cereal Killl3r's videos, he brings up a good point, what if you move too fast or oddly and the chest plate gets knocked off? His solution was to put in a retaining strap for such emergencies, a good solution. However, magnets still will not work at the underarm connection points since they are put under constant tension. This is why I have the post lock system there, the tension (or rather outward pressure from my body) keeps the pieces connected naturally. I have to consciously take the pegs out when I go to remove the torso, it will not come apart otherwise. Yesterday when I was testing out the top latching system, I noticed that every time the top latches failed, the torso fell open, pivoting on the underarm connections points, but would only move about an inch before it stopped. So, without even trying, I created a system that makes the chest plate falling off accidentally practically impossible. And pushing the top back into place is effortless, so, magnets are once again possible for the top connections points.
So, after a bit of research, I went into good old Harbor Freight, in search of their neodymium magnets, a 10-pack of cylindrical rare earth magnets. This is the picture that is on their website...
Looks pretty good, right? I figured that if I used 4 for each connection (2 in front and 2 in back) at four connection points, then there would be more than enough strength to hold the top connection closed and 16 magnets would mean purchasing two packs. Well, I got to HF and took a look at the packaging, and here is what twenty of the magnets look like IRL...
TINY! I was a little skeptical at first, but all the reviews I read online said that they were incredibly strong, and the two packages were clinging together pretty well, so I took a leap of faith and forked out the $7. So far, I'm not disappointed, they are quite strong, even stronger than the cube magnets I have.
So, I set about creating the mounting points for the magnets. To start, I traced out some cardstock over the openings of the connections points...
Then I hot-glued them on to the front and back...
So, tomorrow, I will resin the cardstock and prep the areas for a resin pour. Then I will place the magnets I will use on the cardstock, held in place by magnets on the outside, like so...
...and pour in some resin. Then I will connect the torso halves, position the magnets into place on the back, and pour in resin there. The cardstock will (hopefully) keep the magnets from breaking free and will form a dam for the resin pour.
Now with all this figured out, alignment once again has to be addressed. Well, allow me to present Detail Alignment Version 4...
Yup, version 4 doesn't look all that different from the first iteration that I showed you all, but it's different, trust me. First, the shape is more accurate and will fit better onto the armor. Then, the fit of the alignment post is FAR improved from earlier versions, as you can see...
To attach the detail parts to the armor, I took a moment to think ahead. Eventually, I will want to build permutations for this armor (especially CQB and Recon) and I will need a method for attaching those add-ons to the chest. So, rather than epoxying the detail into place, I'm going to attach bolts to the underside, and bolt it into place. That way, when I want to attach the permutation chest plates, I simply remove this detail, and bolt the permutation into place at that location, possibly through a dummy alignment part so the chest place remains aligned. So, to accomodate that, and to accomodate the resin pour that will make the detail part solid, I designed the file so the bottoms were open...
There is an added benefit to leaving the bottom open, it makes it easier to pep the parts.
So, ok, not the biggest update, but there was a lot of explanation there. I hope that it was clear to everyone. If not, keep watching and you'll see it all unfold.
Until next time!
