Coastertk

As far as your comfort goes, a lot of the screen captures show that many of the troopers had cut out or arched the back bottom of the thigh and the back top of the shins. Cut away until you can get up and down stairs. Keep it clean looking though.

Since the bottom (wrist) has absolutely no return edge I would align the top, tape your two halves together and follow the line of the shorter piece.

I am. People for Eating Tasty Animals!!

Sorry. Didn't mean to kill the thread. For those of you new to the forums, Walt enjoys making kids.........armor.

I think anybody that's been reading the forums for a while knows exactly what you get up to in your spare time. Too funny!

Are you using a template for the tube stripes? If so I would recommend painting the first coat in a gloss white. After that dries then paint the blue. Remove the template immediately after painting the blue. Any bleed through that might have occurred will be white and easier to deal with. Hope it helps.

Doesn't mean I dont like Fishing and Boating too.

I don't know how to add a link but I can copy and paste. Thank you TI-3844 for originally posting this Contents [hide] 1 HOWTO: Make Your Own ABS Paste 1.1 Step 1: Cut ABS Strips 1.2 Step 2: Mix with Acetone 1.3 Step 3: Wait 1.4 Step 4: Apply Paste 1.5 Step 5: Let Dry HOWTO: Make Your Own ABS Paste Author: TI-3844 This HOWTO describes how to mix up a batch of ABS paste to fill in gaps and repair your armor. Step 1: Cut ABS Strips Cut thin, short strips of matching ABS into a (clean) cup or similar. A glass vessel is preferred! Don't go pouring acetone into a plastic cup. Step 2: Mix with Acetone Carefully pour acetone so the fluid covers the ABS shards. Go easy on the acetone - add a little at a lime instead of drowning the ABS shards. We're talking really small amounts of the stuff here - a couple of thimbles worth of shards and acetone. Step 3: Wait Depending on the thickness of the ABS pieces, acetone dissolvation time might vary. Check progress every now and then, stir a little with a (clean) rod or stick. Apply more acetone if plastic won't dissolve in a satisfactory way. Go easy on the acetone though - you want a runny, but not watery substance Step 4: Apply Paste When the acetone/ABS concoction is a bit on the runny side, begin applying to damaged area on armour or helmet. Easy does it - make sure you fill the gouge properly. Step 5: Let Dry When happy with the results, leave alone and let the acetone dissolve fully. ABS hardens and fuses with your armor/helmet. Regarding drying time, it depends on amount of ABS goo used and size of damaged area. YMMW. If your ABS milk is runny enough, it will just fill the damaged area - no need to sand. Still, if you get a bump, sand it down with fine-grit sandpaper, buff out the rest with Novus, and you're done! NOTES: This stuff is really flammable and generally unhealthy. Be careful! Remember that acetone starts dissolving right away, so one must keep an eye on the process all the time, and when the mixture is done, use it right away to repair the armour/helmet.

I've spent the last 15 years as the Chief Mechanic of a now 57 year old Wooden Roller Coaster in Vancouver. I used to be Coasterguy but thought that Coastertk was more fitting. Great thread btw

My ATA kit only came with outer drop boxes. I purchased a set of inner drop boxes fro KWDesigns here on FISD, ongoing sales threads. They fit like a glove. I would trip up your 4 pieces. Check to see if they are all identical, or if 2 of them are actually smaller, so as to fit inside the larger 2.

By "shims" do you mean"Cover Strips"? Shims are used to fill in gaps where your armor doesn't quite fit right because your belly gets in the way. Cover Strips are used to cover the Butt Joints or Seams of your arms and legs. Be sure to do the inside strips first. This way you can watch your pieces as they cure. Sometimes they shift on you. Either way... Measure, mark, score and snap.

Great tip!! I will be sure to follow. Thanks

Shorter in height not width. Yes!!! Then the notch will line up with the butt plate. Why was this so hard for me to grasp. Ugh!! Thanks man.

From the CRL: For level three certification (if applicable): Squared cut-out sections at the lower left and right corners of the Kidney Armor. The cut out is roughly 22 mm tall from the bottom and 22 mm in from the side. No mention of shims. The shim is just an extension of the kidney. That's why the seam must not be visible. To make it look like one piece. So then the 22mm notch should come out of the shim, after extending the whole kidney. Right?

It just came to me.. I need to notch the shim. Because if I notch the kidney, then shim it, it will be a 22mm x more than 22mm and not the 22mm x 22mm I'm looking for. Correct? Someone please advise.

Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I need to shim my kidneys. Do I 22mm notch the original kidney and then shim the rest of the kidney to the ab, or do I shim the whole kidney to the ab and then notch on the shim? I'm sure it will make sense to me when I hear the answer, but I think I may have hit research overload right now.

I had originally cut up some 1 1/2" abs squares but after more research I decided to buy some white 1 1/2" nylon webbing and have made all my plates out of that. It lays in much flatter and the webbing really sucks up the E6000.

Noted. Will do. Thanks Vern.

Better safe than sorry I guess. I'm going to give it a go. Thanks for the quick response.

I know I've read that a chemical reaction between the glue and the metal can warp or melt the plastic. My question is... Can I cover the metal part of the snap with a sticker or tape and glue over the whole snap plate and receiving area of armor?

Figure out where your ears are going to sit. Mark helmet lightly with a pencil. Keep all additional holes within these lines. Cover with ears. Then relax just a bit. Have fun with it. There is a lot of creative freedom on the inside of the lid. Cover the bolts with fabric or padding if you don't want them to be seen. Most importantly follow the CRL for the external components and make the internal parts work for your needs.

It's like this. You can have as many holes as you like on the inside of your bucket. So long as they are all covered up by the ears you will be fine. Purchase some 1/8 x 1" bolts with washers and nuts. Use a removable thread locker to keep them secured. Only 3 bolts on each ear are allowed to be visible from the outside of your lid.

My ATA kit cam with 4/40 (#4 with 40 thread per inch). They were brass, tapered head, slotted (flat). I believe they were about 2 1/2 or 3" to start. I have since cut them all flush with the nut and loctite'd the threads. Hope this helps.

Google "Cat Crap". Lens cleaner and anti fog protection.