2155TK[TK] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I have a friend in the local outpost suggesting that i use only industrial velcro when assembling my thigh,calves,biceps and forearms.. no glue on either side.. he did it with his AP and FX armor without having any problems. He said the main reason is you might want to adjust the fit of your armor in the future. I seemed a bit skeptical as all the tutorials on armor building that i've read require a bit of glue to hold two pieces of TK armor together.. I've read some guys even glue their thigh pieces/biceps on both sides. Will all velcroed thighs,calves hold during a troop even if I.Velcro is used? What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radude210 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I got my AP last night and the velcro just doesn't hug the curves on the thighs like you'd want it to, personally i am making the thighs permanently together because they are big enough to just slide on and off and same with both arm pieces i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Glue in the front Velcro in the back *applicable to thighs and shins everything else is slip on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry19D Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Just speaking for myself, the only parts on my armor where I have velcro are on the backs of the greaves (calves), the side plates, and on the back piece where the shoulder straps attach. I glued the thigh, forearm and bicep pieces completely so I can just slip in and out of them. If you need to adjust the fit that much, then you would end up having to put in shims anyway. There's certainly nothing wrong with using velcro on all of those pieces, as the good industrial velcro's adhesive should stand up to repeated use and remain attached to the armor without being pulled off. I think carefully applying glue in a lot of those areas gives the armor a more "solid" appearance and looks more realistic, but that's just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatooine Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 One thing to add as well. You can use e6000 to glue all the slip on parts together for a superstrong hold. The good thing about that type of glue is that it holds extremely well, but can be completely removed for resizing parts down the road if needed (especially after the holidays!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin[Admin] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 You can certainly start with velcro, but after a troop or so you'll start gluing. Everyone is different - on my FX I glued the fronts of everything but only the backs of my biceps and one thigh. On the TE2, it's all glue but the backs of the shins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThayNerd[TK] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I have glue everywhere on my suit except my calves and my forearms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDUEUNO Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK8114[TK] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebladejedi[TK] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 My FX armour is mainly held together with velcro... The forearms and biceps are glued in the front and velcro at the back and the legs are all finished off with velcro. I may go back and glue all the front parts now when i do some maintenance this month. But after 2 + years of trooping it still hold together well. My TE2 is all glued, front and back. No velcro anywhere apart from on the back of the canvas belt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scootch[TK] Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) ------- Glued in front: Shin Bones and Thighs. Glued front and back: Forearms, Biceps. -------- Industrial velcro (cut to thin strips) to close: Calves, backs of thighs, and also secure the canvas straps between the breast and back armor. Side gap panels also secured with velcro. E-6000 for glue and strapping. Edited July 23, 2021 by gmrhodes13 link not working removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray1134[501st] Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 All glue except for the bottoms of my forearms, the backs of my shins, and my side-gap shims. I could've glued my forearms on both sides, but during the initial build I thought the fit would be too tight. I've never had to undo the velcro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2155TK[TK] Posted March 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Thanks for all the quick replies guys! how does e-6000 compare to plastic weld? i guess both are sturdy enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry19D Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 If I understand it right, one of the main difference between something like Devcon Plastic Weld and E6000 is the cure time. Plastic Weld cures in something like 15-20 minutes (although it's not fully cured until about an hour), while E6000 takes around 24 hours to fully cure. It's not good for fast fixes. The other real difference is that Plastic Weld only works on melding plastic pieces together. It actually melts the plastic to form a bond. On the other hand, E6000 will bond pretty much anything to anything, making it a lot more versatile. I've used it to bond plastic/plastic, metal/plastic, canvas/plastic, rubber/rubber, plastic/foam... Personally I love it. The long cure time is its only real downside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2155TK[TK] Posted March 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 If I understand it right, one of the main difference between something like Devcon Plastic Weld and E6000 is the cure time. Plastic Weld cures in something like 15-20 minutes (although it's not fully cured until about an hour), while E6000 takes around 24 hours to fully cure. It's not good for fast fixes. The other real difference is that Plastic Weld only works on melding plastic pieces together. It actually melts the plastic to form a bond. On the other hand, E6000 will bond pretty much anything to anything, making it a lot more versatile. I've used it to bond plastic/plastic, metal/plastic, canvas/plastic, rubber/rubber, plastic/foam... Personally I love it. The long cure time is its only real downside. will the e6k start bonding in like 5 mins? (24 full cure) time is ok with me if it means a sturdy weld. Also will the use of clamps(plastic) mar the finish of ABS plastic? or do i have to use cloth or rubber between the clamp teeth and ABS? thanks for the replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Steve Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Stress points. Thats what you have to keep in mind. Where your body moves, how much room do you need. How much pushing and pulling on all parts as is on your body. Yes I am very much into keeping your armor ready for updating and re-trimming as much as possible. Velcro dose have some good uses. Case in point, as you come close to the end of all your trimming, try useing a little velcro and tape to hold all the parts on yourself. That way you can move a little and see if all is well before gluing. I use a mix of stuff. Some points I use glue, and at high stress points I still use abs glue. It's also good to build your "gluing" skills with scrap parts or cut off's. From what I have learned so far I just can't see "velcro" only as the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin[Admin] Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 And you need to be cognizant that if you remove Velcro and use glue, that it will get ever so slightly narrower in diameter. I had the misfortune on my original thighs, that after gluing both sides the right one had become just that little bit too tight to wear any more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Steve Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 And you need to be cognizant that if you remove Velcro and use glue, that it will get ever so slightly narrower in diameter. I had the misfortune on my original thighs, that after gluing both sides the right one had become just that little bit too tight to wear any more Good point! When I say "a little" velcro, I mean just that a small bit, say a tab at the top or bottom, just to get a good grip as you can walk a pace or two, just to see if your trim work don't pinch! ( I should have said that sooner! Oh and yes at times some clamping may be needed, just don't crank the @#$% out of it. Again use a few scraps and see how much glue it takes, and try clamping them. When you fell ready then move onto the real parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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