Need Help On Constructing Mark Vi Chest Armour.

[jgilpin101]

I've nearly finished the construction of the pepakura mark vi chest armour, however I'm am a bit confused as to how to fit the lower half of the front of the armour to the upper half as there no matching tabs and sides.

I would like to know if you simply have to fit it together without the numbers, or if the interior supports that i have not printed off have the matching numbers to fit it together.

 

[BFDesigns]

I just superglued them together along the very back edge and then resined them as normal. Just make sure that everything is centered when you do it. If you're really careful you can resin them together and avoid the glue entirely.

 

[Balthezar]

Its pretty much the same with me. FlyingSquirl's chestpeice doesnt have them attatched with tabs, only supports. You can always make your own tabs out of scrap cardstock. As for me, I going to resin them seperately and bolt a hinge between them, because I want to be able to crouch pretty low.

 

[BloodAngel011]

I was wondering about this, too, but now I know how to do it! (I haven't printed this out yet, though, and I was also wondering if the entire chest armor is one piece or do I put straps to attach the front to the back?)

 

[mkshane81]

I taped mine from the back so that I could resin the front, then took the tape off to fiberglass the inside. However, according to the wiki, and various resources throughout the 405th, the stomach plate is actually free floating from the main chest. It is designed to "hinge" and move independently so that you can crouch lower, as Balthezar said.

 

[Balthezar]

Ecept for the small front section in question, the torso is all one peice. You'll have to cut it at key places (preferably AFTER you fiberglass) and strap it back together. Ive been trying to find a tutorial for this... but all Ive managed to find is a pic of where to cut it, and a tutorial on basic strapping in general. I personally want to figure out how to physicaly 'hinge' the peice, and secure it with toolbox pop-clamps. But everyone's armor is thier own, and some parts just have to be costom, and done on a peice by peice basis, tutorial or not. Or... so I have found.

 

[mkshane81]

I would agree with that. After doing my first, I learned a couple of things. The first is that the stomach plate SHOULD be free moving from the main chest, for fitting purposes. The second is that it should be connected somehow temporarily so that it can glassed on the correct line. I am going to be doing another set of armor. If you get to that part before me Balthezar, keep me posted on how you do it. Or if I think of something, I will pass it your way.

 

[Balthezar]

Sure thing dude. I actually messaged Abrant3 on youtube about how he did his torso (as I was not a member and registration was closed at the time). He said you cut and hinge it, and that the next tutorial vid he makes will cover the topic. Maybe he'll mention the floating stomach plate? Either way, keep your eyes out.

 

[Outlaw Tiger]

Sure thing dude. I actually messaged Abrant3 on youtube about how he did his torso (as I was not a member and registration was closed at the time). He said you cut and hinge it, and that the next tutorial vid he makes will cover the topic. Maybe he'll mention the floating stomach plate? Either way, keep your eyes out.

hey balthezar, i was just reading your posts... for the hinging... have you ever thought of piano hinges ? i know they work amazingly for forearm armour like medieval bracers and whatnot (so you don't have to have someone always help you tie them onto your arm), and after reading how you want that lower chest peace to be able to move a bit more independently, and it got me thinking of piano hinges... they are thin and small enough to be mounted and not noticeable at all unless someone is looking right at them and you point it out (if you paint over them), and they are possibly flexible enough for what you need/want ?

not sure if it will help you, but its at least an idea to look into if you are still stuck.


Outlaw

 

[BloodAngel011]

I think that ought to work, Tiger! I'll try that.

 

[Outlaw Tiger]

I think that ought to work, Tiger! I'll try that.

haha glad i could be of some help =D

 

[Balthezar]

I was actually thinking about making my own hinges, Outlaw. Since the surfaces are curved, the lines of rotation wouldnt line up if you put more than one hinge on. You have the same problem with the shoulders if you put hinges on flush with the cut points. Im still not sure how I would tackle that problem... but here's some nice visual aid:

The red is the line of rotation. Notice that the natural shoulder hinge rotations dont line up. This would want to 'split' the front in two when they opened, or warp the shoulders inward... cracking your fiberglass, or not moving at all, even though there are hinges. I have the stomach line in the ideal place. In that position, the plate can rotate almost 70 degrees out from the chest. The green lines show where I would attatch mounting points, which can easily be made out of metal. The hinge rod could be made out of 1/4" all-thread, using nylon nuts to lock it in place and keep it centered. Also, weights could be added to the bottom half of the floating face so that it 'hangs' correctly. Or, one could physically strap it to the under armor.

Sorry if this is getting off-topic. If this needs to all go in a seperate thread, someone say so; I just havent gotten to this stage in my own building so I havent had the need to post it as 'progress' yet. Maybe we could all get together and make a 'detailed chest build' tutorial?

 

[Outlaw Tiger]

I was actually thinking about making my own hinges, Outlaw. Since the surfaces are curved, the lines of rotation wouldnt line up if you put more than one hinge on. You have the same problem with the shoulders if you put hinges on flush with the cut points. Im still not sure how I would tackle that problem... but here's some nice visual aid:

The red is the line of rotation. Notice that the natural shoulder hinge rotations dont line up. This would want to 'split' the front in two when they opened, or warp the shoulders inward... cracking your fiberglass, or not moving at all, even though there are hinges. I have the stomach line in the ideal place. In that position, the plate can rotate almost 70 degrees out from the chest. The green lines show where I would attatch mounting points, which can easily be made out of metal. The hinge rod could be made out of 1/4" all-thread, using nylon nuts to lock it in place and keep it centered. Also, weights could be added to the bottom half of the floating face so that it 'hangs' correctly. Or, one could physically strap it to the under armor.

Sorry if this is getting off-topic. If this needs to all go in a seperate thread, someone say so; I just havent gotten to this stage in my own building so I havent had the need to post it as 'progress' yet. Maybe we could all get together and make a 'detailed chest build' tutorial?

ok yeah that dose help a lot actually (i'm a visual type of person), and having seen that, piano hinges for sure would not work for you. sorry i couldn't help lol... i'm 100% noob when it comes to this style of armour haha, my thing was always historically accurate European and samurai armour lol