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How do I remove the failed rivet? Despite the additional piece missing, it's in there pretty good. Obviously I can't just brute force it without tearing the belt Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Hi Folks: I'm a new 501st member with exactly one troop under my belt, and it went fantastic. Except for the part where my armor broke. Thankfully the handlers were on-point, and helped jury-rig a temporary fix (via copious amounts of tape) It's an RS commission suit, so I didn't do the main assembly aside from adjusting a few straps to get approved. The way I have the arms assembled, everything (shoulder bell, bicep, forearm) is one piece that attaches to the shoulder strap via a snap. One of these snaps became disconnected from the strap when I was re-donning the armor after a break. I didn't see it come off, so the snap itself is lost to time. I was hoping someone could point me towards where to get a replacement. Here is the snap from the (still intact) other arm, for reference: And here's a shot of the female side of the snap; any replacement snap will need to be compatible with this. Additionally, the holster became disconnected from the belt. It was held on with two of these rivets (is that the right term?); it seems the other piece that snaps on to hold the holster in place has gone missing. Any ideas for a replacement? Thanks everyone!

So here's what happened: I fixed the shoulder bell elastic and was able to get the wayward shoulder straps under control. I also used the time to attach the biceps to the shoulder bells. Resubmitted the new photos, and was approved! You're now talking to TK-10668, Golden Gate Garrison! I've had a lot of fun so far, but have a feeling I'm just scratching the surface. Big ups to all of you here for your knowledge and patience! However, I started my new job literally yesterday, and will be out of town next week. So, have to miss a few possible first troop opportunities. Oh well, there'll be plenty more.

Freshly minted TK-10668, Golden Gate Garrison! http://501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=28666

Want to know something funny? When you pointed that out right there, that was the first time I'd noticed that little elastic band. I'll try actually using it, lol.

That's a good point. I'd rather not have to re-do the stitching, so I might try just reinforcing the existing straps. The elastic strapping I have is a bit heartier than what came on the armor, so that may help. Only issue is mine is black, not white, but it shouldn't end up showing so it's likely not an issue.

Alright, have a bit of an update. I've been hitting the job search pretty hard these past couple months, which finally paid off last week! So, once I get settled in the new digs, I'll have some more time, but I've been whittling away here and there. I slightly moved the straps that hold the shoulder bells onto the torso shoulder straps. This looks good, but introduced a new issue. The right-side shoulder strap (the one that has a snap closure to hold the chest and back plates together, gets pulled out to the side. You can kind of see it here: And it's much more visible up close: The two shoulder-bell straps are of an identical length; I must have measured them four times before and after re-gluing. Any suggestions on what I can do about this? It ends up making the arms slightly uneven, and just looks weird. I'm also having a hell of a time attached the biceps to the shoulder bells; they're held on in the photos with tape. I had thought the way to do this was by running a strap up the inside. See a partially-glued version here; I haven't yet glued the strap onto the shoulder bell. I'll get everything measured, and then tape up a test-fit, but just with gravity, everything ends up hanging differently. So it's extremely hard to predict if it will look good and appear even. Can anyone point me to part of a build thread or something that goes into some detail on this? I actually applied to my local garrison last month, and with this stuff sorted out I should be in good shape, so this is really all I have left to do.

Mostly because I don't trust myself to get it in the right place, so want to keep my options open. I'm also going to be messing with the shoulder bells, so I want to be able to accommodate a bit of a change if necessary. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel you're right. If I get the shoulders all set first, it shouldn't be too much trouble. Please prepare yourselves for a "Does this look right?" post in the coming days, haha. Seriously though, you all have been great throughout this whole process.

Let me know if I'd get a better response in a different thread/forum, but I was hoping to get some advice. The RS suit didn't come with the biceps attached to the shoulders (though they are attached to the forearms). This means just friction holds them in place, and it works about as well as you'd expect. So I'd like to attach the biceps to the shoulder bells, but I would like to do it so that it's adjustable. What would be the best way to do this, and what materials would I need? I'm picturing just some webbing with a triglide (is that the right term?), should be pretty straightforward but i'm 100% new to this.

I ended up going with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Klik-Belts-Tactical-Release-Buckle/dp/B071GM3MDL It's much wider/thicker than the one that came with the armor, so it not only stays in place better, but it doesn't get folded over so easily. The quick-release is also a nice touch.

It's actually not a very complex stitch, I could probably do it. That being said, I'd prefer to reglue it. Should I just try to rip the strap off, or do I need to soften the glue with a solvent? The armor is PVC, would something like mineral spirits be safe for that? This page indicates yes: https://www.calpaclab.com/pvc-polyvinyl-chloride-chemical-compatibility-chart/

So I just undo the stitching holding the snap on, move it a bit, and re-do it? Also, and this is a good piece of general knowledge, I emailed RS asking about the writing on the TD. They came right back and recommended using nail polish remover. Guess what, it worked perfectly. So now I have a clean, gray TD with no need to paint.

I took a couple more photos of the strap, showing the popper. Are these helpful? Also, I decided I'm asking RS for a replacement TD. The more I think about it, the more it bothers me. They assembled it with the writing in literally the worst place it could be; they could have easily rotated the conduit a few degrees so it would be hidden.

This is the only other photo I have. I can take another tonight after work.

Yeah this was bothering me as well. I spent probably 30 minutes in front of the mirror the other day trying to adjust the shoulders to minimize the gaps; if I fiddle with it it can look better, but as soon as I move my arms at all they migrate back to this position. The strap is attached to the inside of the bell like so, with an adhesive. Forgive the noobness, but what would be the best way to shorten the strap? Obviously re-gluing it would be ideal, but how do I remove it without damaging the strap or the plastic?