Shoulder Straps

[darthyagi]

I have a question for the hive-mind here. I've got my TK finished, and all the fun stuff, but I had a question about the plastic straps that go from the chest plate to the back plate. The way they are now, they come up above my shoulders by a couple of inches. This makes it so that they pull off quite easily, and my helmet rests on them. So I've been wondering what the best way to heat them up is so that I can bend them. I've heard that a heat gun is really the best way that you can do this, but I don't have a heat gun. That's the problem. Is there another way that I can heat them up so they can be bent?

[sskunky]

Put them in the oven at 140 degrees for 5 mins. Then with oven gloves pull them out and bend them over some thing the correct bend curvature and hold for 30 secs or so. That should do it.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Looking at your avatar, can you lower them any further down the chestplate?

[TrooperVenger]

Heat them with a hairdeyer. That's how I did mine.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I just carefully heated them over a flame held in the curved position.

 

you don't need to heat up the whole strap, just the center, and a little more...

 

I would not put them fully in the oven... no way!

 

you'd take the shine off if they're abs formed glossy.

 

you really just need a little heat at a time... patience works well.

 

I put a piece of cardboard on a flat griddle. placed the straps face up.

 

heated till just slightly hot.

 

pick up the cardboard and use that to hold the strap and carefully bend in 1/2 circle

 

holding the cardboard and strap from the middle with gloves.

 

you don't want to touch the shiny surface, and holding it by the edges just bend it on down.

[TrooperTim]

I used a bowl of boiling water on the stove. Place the center of the straps in the water. While holding the strap ends, slowly bring the edges to the center.

[sskunky]

 

I would not put them fully in the oven... no way!

 

you'd take the shine off if they're abs formed glossy.

 

 

Yeah, what do I know......

Edited April 3, 2011 by sskunky

[john danter]

Hair drier will do it fine

 

Just don't rush it by pushing too hard

 

I use the outside of a saucepan for my curve

[darthyagi]

First off, let me thank everybody for your input!

 

The first thing I'll try is to move them down a little on the chest plate. It sounds the easiest, but I think the problem lies in the curvature of the straps. I'll try the hairdryer after that. I'll keep all y'all posted!