ukswrath

Suspension cont.... 25. Installing thigh and Bicep connecting straps. Starting with the thighs. Using 1" nylon webbing cut sections to 12" to be used for the center connections. One end will be glued to the armor the opposite end of the webbing install 1" male buckle. For the side thigh and bicep connections we'll be using 1" x 7" sections. One end will be glued to the armor, the opposite end will have a 1" female buckle sewn to it. Make four of these. Side and Bicep connections The legs install the straps front center and side. Bicep right (forefront), back ground is the left. Note: Install strap forward of side (pill hole) connecting strip. More thigh and bicep To be cont.....

Suspension cont... 16. Shoulder connecting brackets. The following connecting brackets connect the rear mesh shoulder connection to the front mesh connection, to the biceps. That's right, the biceps. First, the template. This will be used for the left and right sides. 5-1/2" Long 3" wide These holes will be used to connect to female buckles using zip ties. This slot will be used to connect to the rear shoulder connections using a 1" nylon webbing. This slot will be used to connect the the biceps using nylon webbing, male buckles and buckle sliders. The bracket material. 1.5mm ABS cover strip mater (specifically, ATA) 17. Trace the template to the cover strip material 18. Cut out. 19. Trace and cut out 1/4" foam padding. This is the same material I used on my waist belt. It will be placed on the side of the plate that rests on your shoulders. Install padding 20. Shape plate to the contour of your shoulders. Using a heat gun heat up and form and shape as needed. 21. Using 2 zip ties connect brackets to front shoulder female buckles. NOTE: My front buckles are swivel type so they can move side to side 30 degrees helping to eliminate pinching. NOTE 2: Use high quality zip ties Measure and make pre-bends in the zip ties. Easier to install this way. 21. Test fit 1. Connect to chest strap buckles. FYI I forgot to mention after installing the front chest nylon webbing, install 1" male buckles. 22. Measure and cut two sections of 1" x 16" nylon webbing. Sew one end the center section of a 1" buckle slider. These straps will connect the brackets to the biceps. NOTE: At the opposite end of the strap will eventually receive 1" male buckles. 23. Measure and cut a section of 1" x 16" nylon webbing. This will be used to connect the rear shoulder straps to the remaining shoulder bracket. First attach it to either left slider then feed it through the right bracket. From there feed it through the left bracket them back down to the right rear shoulder strap in a criss-cross pattern like this. 24. Test fit time. Either install the suspension system on your self or if you have a mannequin use that. Mannequin works best to see how thing work and should line up. NOTE: At this time the brackets were not molded to my shoulders yet so obviously they're laying flat. To be continued....

ah hahaha

Suspension (aka strapping) picture heavy To perform the following you'll need the items from the "Suspension Materials" list on page 1 1. Starting a square yard of mesh. Measure the inside diameter of the ab at the upper and lower edges. Use the longest measurement, you can always cut off what you don't use. Deduct approximately 3"+ fro the total measurement to account for the seam at the back of the armor. From one edge of the mesh sew in boning material to form secure edge. For those who don't know about boning material it's pretty much a piece of plastic you can sew through. 2. Using clamps secure to the bottom edge of the ab armor. 3. Slip the ab armor around your body. Bring the mesh to the top of your shoulders. Measure and cut off excess. 4. Measure approximately 11" from the boning edge (lower seam). This should be the approximate distance from the lower edge of the ab to the top edge. NOTE: The ab height is 11" at the rear of the ab and taper upward to around 12" at the front (measuring from lower return edge). Since the lower seam will not be attached to 8/10 of the armor there'll be a lot of room for adjustments. Before making any final cuts and sewing take plenty of measurements and fast forward to final sections in this tutorial to get an idea of how it look when finished. Another Note: During final assemble the lower seam will be connected to the ab behind the ab boxes. Your ab may need to be removed to perform this task. 5. Sew in boning material at upper seam 6. Check fitment Lower edge front Lower edge rear (rear ab seam indicated by red line) Upper front & rear 7. Starting at the top of the mesh (aka shoulder area) cut to within 1" of the upper seam, left and right sides of the ab Right Left Back (no need to cut) 8. Cur the front like a tank top. Everyone's measurements will be different. The inside cut will be you neck line near your collar bone. 9. So this is where things get a little tricky. Cut the inside as illustrated below tapering from the bottom seam to the top seam. The lower seam supports your thing armor (legs) and besides being secured to the armor it's also velcro strapped around your waist. Since everyone's waist is different this is where you'll take another measurement. I personally remove almost 8" from the lower edge at the center of the back, 4" on each side of the ab entry. The area that is cut out will be replace by a 1-1/2- 2" (your choice) of nylon webbing and velcro forming a waist belt. Be sure to leave enough mesh at the lower edge to sew in the nylon belt. Remove and check. The result should look similar to this. 10. Measure, cut and sew waist belt nylon webbing to lower left mesh & seam. 10b. At the opposite side of the nylon sew hook portion of velcro to one side and loop side to other. Note: The loop side will be your waist adjustment, make sure it's long enough. 10c. Measure and sew nylon webbing to right side lower. At the opposite end of the nylon sew in buckle. The velcro from the left side will feed through it. You should have something like this 11. Upper back mesh. Sew in 1/2" ribbon or edge material at each edge, from the boning edge (upper) to the top pf the mesh (do not use the same boning material used in the lower and upper sections. It's not flexible enough). This section will eventually be used to connect to the shoulder plates. 12. At the upper edge of the mesh sew in a 1" slider buckle. From the center of the buckle to the lower edge should be approximately 6" Since you're probably a bit confused at this point here's what it look like with the suspension system installed. 13. Front straps. Similar to the rear upper straps sew in ribbon or other into all the edges cut including the front strap sections. Measure and sew in ribbon material, or other down the length of the mesh (front) and around all newly cut areas. 14. Measure, cut and sew 1" nylon webbing into upper ends of front shoulder straps. So far you should be looking something like this 15. Install thigh support strapping. Since eveyone's thigh connection measurement will be different the most important information is the positioning of the straps. The thigh will have a strap mounted approximately dead center of the armor and at the side. The front mainly controls the height and the side mainly controls the position. The following illustrations will give you an idea of how the straps will be sewn to the mesh. I'll also thrown in some pics of the thigh inner strapping to help understand how they work together. First off, the mesh supports. Center strapping Side strapping Laid out before sewing Center sewn in Cut off excess where it exits mesh and sew back in running vertical. Sides sewn in at a 45 degree angle approximately 6" from the center straps. Back to center straps. Sewn in 1' female buckles Side straps will the make 1" buckle. The obvious reason for the different buckle connections is eliminate frustrations when putting on your armor. And as promised, the legs for reference. To be cont......

Right!? Doesn't look like much on the floor now does it? lol

Thanks Shaun I've purchased 3 blasters from 3 different builders (not includiing PP) not putting my eggs in one basket and still here I am.

Thank you

Thanks Eric. It's actually very comfortable, I love it.

A submission photo, wishing I had a gun. Serious build tutorial update in the works.

Hey David, thank you for submitting for EIB, let's get started. CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All photos are present and your armor represents all necessary elements to qualify for EIB. With that we'd like to congratulate you on your new "Expert Infantryman" status!! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: Sly and myself would like to commend you on your build and nice work on the NE and ATA combination. Overall your armor is well balanced. Centurion Suggestions: As mentioned by your Trooper brethren, if you could shorten up those top shoulder bell straps so the bells virtually touch the shoulder bridges it would be appreciated. Should look more like this We would also like to see you trim your sniper plate return edge a bit tapering it instead of rounding it off. Here's a screen shot As mentioned by Brad we'd like to see you bring your butt plate forward edges inward closer to your body. Also mentioned, please eliminate or minimize the gap between your back and posterior. Should look more like this. As for your TD clips. Though bends are perfectly acceptable yours are a bit too much. If you could straighten those out a bit that would be awesome. Here's another reference picture. Forearms are to have absolutely no return edge, they should look like this. And finally as also mention, for Centurion the six kidney to ab rivets, and cod rivet rivet will need to be split rivets as well. As mentioned in the CRL: "For level three certification (if applicable): The original rivets used for the TK armor were bifurcated rivets or split rivets A single split rivet or brad is present on the lower tab of the abdomen armor. Rivet does not need to be functional." Thanks again for your application and welcome to the EIB ranks. Excellent job!

Like getting that ANOVOS armor built so you can finally come trooping with us right

Get in line and be prepared to divvy up some serious mula schlanger!

HAHAHA Just thinking the same thing

You're welcome

Not asking you to make several, just one, for me

Tim, start with the side that faces forward, the front of your body. Install the inner cover strip on both halves, let dry. Now remove any excess glue and install the outer cover strip on the same side, let dry. The front side is done. Using painters tape close the gap at the back half. Install the inner cover strip. Using a wood clamp or similar gently squeeze the two side parallel. Using addition clamps and magnets support the remaining areas of the cover strip. Let dry extensively. Finally, remove tape, clean off any excess glue and install outer cover strip. I have a AM build tutorial that talks about this procedure extensively. Cheers

Spectacular

Are you kidding she helps me get in the thing. During one of the test fits, before the suspension was anchored to the armor, one of the back connection points popped out, my wife exclaimed "Oh honey your bra is showing" lol

Thank you all very much. Well I can't take all the cred. All these behind the scene shots have reveled a wealth of information. Had we seen these earlier there's a few other things I would have done differently that's for sure. Major props goes to those who designed this dang suit, and I'm not referring to.... well ya know lol

Thanks David haha That's the response I was waiting for.

Thanks Q Here's a couple teaser pics of suspension system. The reason I don't say strapping is because it far more than just straps.

Final assembly pics should be posted by the weekends end. Currently fine tuning final assembly and submission pics.

Totally missed this, Congrats Pete

Either way that's beautiful... excellent job!

Yea document building one with all the movie specs, that would be awesome. If I didn't stink in videos id make some myself.