Attaching armor..

[Spartan122]

Perhaps the way I have engineered my ''attachment system" will be of some help. (for extremities only-arms,legs). I have considered many different options and various means of 'rigging' and the idea of straps and buckles hanging out all over the place just tweaks my OCD.... So with that said... 1st, I'll start with wearing the full 1pc. body under-suit. 2nd, After you have your armor shells pre-hardened (you can skip the fiberglass process all together as the foam will provide rigidity and strength) I recommend only doing one limb at a time ... Wrap your arm and/or leg with plastic 'cling' wrap, making sure it's as smooth as possible. Then test-fit each armor shell for location and proper fit. (the plastic wrap is to keep your underarmor clean and provide easy lift-off from the foam) Once this is acheived, secure them inplace using elastic band(s) around the exterior (not too tight). Now this is where the 'cling wrap' comes into play... next is to fill the voids inside the armor shell using expanding foam. The excess will plume out around the edges and can be easily trimmed away after taking the core off. The resulting piece can then be sanded and resined over the inside for an extremely strong composite armor core. What you have after finishing is a form-fitting armor core that can easily accept velcro, or any other internal attachment system you desire, due to the smooth internal surface. I suggest 2 inch wide strips as long as possible for maximum retention. The next step is to sew the corrisponding velco strips onto the body suits exterior with a thin foam backer so as to keep them slightly lifted from the body for cooling and a free-floating appearance .. I suggest splitting the arm and leg armor cores into 2 seperate shells and closing the open edges 1st. This will allow for stretching of the body suit, allow ease of movement and minimize any sag from armor cores after they are equipped. The inherant beauty of this design allows for many other types of armor/combos to be easily fitted with one body suit. I will be using other methods to attach the boots, torso and cod piece. DO NOT use this method for your helm. More info on these will be coming shortly... so stay tuned !

 

[Toacrabman]

Just make sure you dont cut off your circulation with all of that expanding foam, and make sure that your armor is fiberglassed and bonoded or you could get some warping, also, be sure to allow room for muscle movement, and move around in the suit. If you dont allow for muscle room by flexing those muscles, you probably wont be able to move that muscle in the suit.

You should also already cut each piece in half along the invisible seam, and then tape it together. That way you dont have to cut it off, because if its that tight, your gauntlet wont be able to slide over your wrists, and you would have to cut it off, but with alot less precision.

Also, good idea saying its only for extremities. Some noob would have tried it with a helmet. It would be just as bad with a chest piece, because your lungs cant expand, but yeah, dont put plastic wrap on your heads and then fill a helmet with expanding foam kids.

 

[Akademee]

but yeah, dont put plastic wrap on your heads and then fill a helmet with expanding foam kids.

well I did that and it worked out fine!

posted from heaven at 11:00 pm via Godexting Mobile

 

[Spartan122]

Hahaha... aye.. this is definitely not recomended for your helm. I did mention that splitting the armor cores was recommended ... You won't have to glass the insides as the foam provides the stiffness so long as you've pre-hardened the shell with resin...

 

[Spartan122]

Attaching Armor part 2 (boots)

The idea here is to have your shin and boot armor cores all attached to one sub-strait while remaining individual of one another... I will be using the foam-core method as described in part 1. with the exception that Vasoline will be used as the releasing agent. I have opted to use black knee-high rubber boots for this part of the build. After the armor cores are completed as described in part 1, I will attach them using rubber/latex glue. DO NOT go cheap on this glue. I recommend the high-end glues provided in a Zodiac or Avon rubber boat repair kit for this. these are easily found on the web. This will provide some 'give' to the armor cores so they wont come off as the boot flexes with movement. Here is where a rough surface is desired so as to provide a good contact area for the glue. Be sure to thoroughly clean and scuff all bonding/glue surfaces prior to gluing !

 

[Spartan122]

Attaching Armor.. part 3 (cod piece)

This part is actually quite easy ! First you'll need a 3-4 inch black elastic band from the local craft store, and cut to your waist size. Sew the 2 ends together to make a belt. (I recommend making it 1-3 inches shorter than your actual waist size) Next using the foam-core method described in part 1, make your cod piece into 4 seperate pieces so you have a front, 2 sides, and a butt plate. And attach them using the velcro method also described in part 1.

 

[Toacrabman]

you could put these on the same thread.

 

[Ithica]

Why are these seperate posts and there are no images. There is a tutorial on Armor Strapping already. If you are doing tutorial then complete it before posting and keep it together.

Ithica

I'm merging now....

 

[Toacrabman]

These could just be on the same thread.

 

[Spartan122]

Attaching Armor.. part 4 (Torso)

For this part of the build I have desided that I will use my foam-core method (desribed in part 1) and split the front and back like a 'clam shell'. The top hinges are black webbing easily aquired from the local craft store or military surplus outfitter. Thes dont need to be very long, but long enough to glue to the inside and provide a relatively tight flexable hinge. Now... for holding the front and back together (under your arms). Many options are available here, however, I prefer the 'clean' look so I will glue in the 2" velco straps here for adjustability.... because Master Chief loves pizza

 

[Ithica]

Ok I merged them but stop making new ones that fall under this thread......

Ithica

 

[Spartan122]

Ithica.. thanks for merging those.. didnt think of it ... Pics will be posted shortly

 

[Toacrabman]

So they can do that. Thats definately better than all over the place.