getting cover strips to lay flat/flush against butt joins?

[bigtrev503]

I'm currently putting the final touches on my kit and I don't like the amount of gap between the front cover strips on my shins and the butt joint. I used e 6000 to glue them, which made them (fairly) easy to remove. Now the question is; how do I get them to sit flush? My magnets are small and kind of weak for this application. I am borrowing a friend's heat gun. WHat if I hit the strip with the heat gun before laying it on? The issue comes with the uneven surface created by the butt join. I may sand the holy heck out of the uneven surface until it's flat enough. Would that work? I'm doing major PLASTIC surgery here! (THat can't possibly be the first time someone has made that joke on this forum). WHat do you guys recommend for going back and 'fixing' the gappage? Should I cut new strips completely?

[gazmosis[501st]]

Two different thicknesses of plastic on either side of a butt joint is usually the culprit for cover strips to not sit flush. Sanding the joint might be your only savior here. Just make sure to lay out your cover strip and mark where it sits so that you come nowhere near the edge when you sand.

[bigtrev503]

Yeah, I figured as much. At least the weather is getting nice. TIme to go outside and make plastic cocaine! These are the final mods and I will be posting the exciting conclusion of this build in my build thread soon!

 

One more question: How about removing leftover e6000 and CA glue. I have both. Don't ask why lol.

 

The CA sands fairly easily, but e6000 is like gum! should I hit it with some testor's paint thinner?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I had to use a little heat on some of my surfaces to get the cover strips to sit properly, more so on the backs of parts

[bigtrev503]

Very useful information, as always, guys. Thanks so much. I will do a combination of sanding and heating to get them on nice and flat.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I use a strip of aluminum over the center of the strip,

 

if it's 1" wide strip then I use a 1/2" metal strip.

 

then I use long carpenters C clamps to press the join down.

 

even with this, you can get uneven joins depending upon how smooth the parts are, as said above, sanding and test fitting the joins

is very important.  for edge strips like on the backs of shins I simply use a row of clamps and put the clamps all together in a row

 

if the clamps are over tightened, as in the case of screw clamps you have to balance the pressure applied.

 

here's a series of photos of the clamps I use

 

 

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-deep-throat-c-clamp-45917.html

 

 

I have about 5 of different sizes for thighs, and smaller types for forearms and shins.

 

magnets have to be really strong to get the results you might need.

even with this process there can be gaps, it's not easy to get them flat in every case.

 

getting the glue all the way to the edges, and wiping down the seams, and following up with novus polish 3 and 2 seems to work well.

[maxsteele[TK]]

My method probably only works for the first time gluing down cover strips.

 

I had similar issues with my forearms.  I didn't use an inside cover strip on them.  I did use inside strips for the shins and thighs, but still used this method for the outer strips on those pieces:

 

First, I got the cover strip in place after applying glue.  Next, I clamped each edge with either spring clamps or c-clamps, depending on how much pressure I needed to put in order to make the edges sit flush.  Next, I placed a series of tape strips perpendicular to the strip, first affixing half the tape on one side of the strip, and then cinching down the other half of the tape across the strip and down on the other side to the armor.  I did that down the entire length of the strip.  Finally, I put my 3/4 inch magnets at regular spacing down the whole length of the strip.

 

For my forearms where I just couldn't get the pressure, I did the clamps on the edges and then tape.  Then, I tied three pieces of elastic around the forearm at the ends and the middle, and pulled each one really tight and tied them off.  Then I put down the magnets.

[bigtrev503]

Yeah, when my butt joins went together they weren't nice and flat. It was more of a "mountain" shape left. Well I spent about 4 hours sanding those mountains off last night and I'm still not 100% happy with their 'flatness'.

 

Take a note, new people. Do it right the first time! Otherwise, you'll be spending a lot of time and/or money later to make it right!