Advice for adding kidney shims

[jeffnorth86[TK]]

So I'm about a 1/2" short on each side of my kidney, and I'd like some advice for adding shims. First of all, my armor came with a little extra ABS on the sides which definitely reached, but I didn't like the look of it...it was thinner and had a pronounced ridge to it. I originally tried sanding down the ridge knowing that if it didn't work I could always cut it off and add shims. Surprise surprise...it didn't work. So what I'm left with is I nice even ridge and a little bit of the molded notch on the right side, and on the left the molded notch and only some ridge at the top. This is where my dilemma is, because I need a straight edge for shimming, and the left side is curved.

 

So I'm left with three options as I see it.

A) leave the edges as is and make sure the ABS paste passes the ridge and try to sand it smooth. Cut kidney notches where they currently are and retain their return edge.

 

cut the left side straight down from just behind the ridge and remove an equal amount from the right to keep the sides even. That will be about 1/2" from each side and enough to remove the molded kidney notches, so I'd just cut my own and they wouldn't have a return edge.

 

C) cut up to the ridge on the right and cut the ridge on the left following the curve. Then trim the left shim to match that curve and have a not straight seam. Keep the molded kidney notches.

 

So which option do you think would be best? I think I'm probably partial to option B, and just having kidney notches without a return edge, but I'm totally new to this and don't know if that's a no-no. I should say I intend to take this armor to Centurion level, so kidney notches are a must for me. Thanks for any and all help.

 

 

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[silverdollar22[TK]]

First of all, which armor brand is this?  Second if the vendor is respectable, he would send you another kidney plate if you e-mail them and send pictures!  That's the D option i would go with

[jeffnorth86[TK]]

It's Walt's Trooper Factory. The problem isn't with the pull though, it's just that I'm just a shade to big for the piece. I'm going to have to shim it regardless, so why not just shim what I have?

 

 

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[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Personally, I would have recommended you not cutting it off at all and then filling any ridges you may not like with apoxie sculpt or ABS paste. But since that ship has sailed, I would cut a straight line starting from the inner portion of the notch all the way up. Get some spare abs sheets to make a backer and a shim. Make sure you curve the shim prior to gluing it in or they will stick out like crazy. Erase all seems with ABS paste or apoxie sculpt.