Observation turning into a question....

[Kirby]

I was working on my front thigh. I am doing the butt & strip, and I noticed that one side was just a tad bit higher than the other, I was able to get it flushwith the strip. I have pseudo TE, however, this got me to thinking how has this been fixed with the other styles of armor like the FX for example. I know the halfs of all the parts are designed to slide over each other. That would mean if you try to butt it your goign to have a higher and a lower side after the cut right? I plan on purchasing another set of armor as soon as I get this set done, and figure this will be something I end up having to deal with depending on what make I end up going with. I thought it would be a good question to ask may make me think about one maker over the other....

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

the butt and join method is usually done by laying flat.

 

you cut off 1/2 of the overlaps, and measure your total distance for the raised ridge of the part.

(this needs to keep in mind your body size on some parts.)

 

when you meet both parts together you can also use a "supporting strip" inside the armor part

to support the butt join from the inside. this can be considered like an inside finishing strip.

 

then when all 3 sections are joined, adding the finishing strip to the outside of the part

makes the whole join stronger than simply using the overlap.

 

using the trimmed part of one side of the part as the inside support strip allows the

inside strip to exactly conform to the curves of the part. this makes the internal

support sculpted to the part.

 

don't throw away those 1/2 trimmed ridges! they are the inside support strip!

 

then the outside strip makes it into a 3 layer join.

 

[Kirby]

Thats how I have been doing mine. I agree the inside strip makes the entire structure much more sturdy.. I never thought to use the scrap for the inner strip I have just cut those out of the home depot/lowes for sale signs.. they are just flexible enough to conform to the shape.. I guess I didnt really think that you could make the fronts flush, it would just throw the backside off a bit, and thats not as important/visible as the front anyways, especially if you are having to shim to start with.. I was focused on trying to keep it flush all the way around, but I guess that would really be impossible with those other styles of armor...

[BlackDOG[TK]]

I expect that the ever so slight difference in the dimensions from using a butt joint instead of the overlap would not be noticeable and would not cause much of an issue in the back. The plastic is flexible and you are talking about less than a tenth of an inch difference spread out over the entire radius of the thigh.......