Thigh Armor

[TK-6162[501st]]

My armor kit is near completion and I have temporarily come to a pause over my thigh pieces. I'm undecided whether I should velcro the back or glue em with some E-6000? Is it personal preference or is there actually a preferred way? I've seen some glued and some with velcro. I'm thinking the glued variation would be cosmetically more appealing although I'm somewhat undecided at this moment. Someone please help make up my mind for me me.. Thanks!

 

Your opinions

[Laspector[TK]]

I guess it's up to you. The backs of mine are velcroed, although I very seldom have to undo them. BUT, it does come in handy for other things. Like if you ever need to get your thigh pieces off without removing your boots and calve pieces. Like for maybe taking a break in the changing room and you want to sit down for a bit (this helps on those really long troops) or if you actually need to drive a bit (not recommended but I have actually had to drive for a mile or two or three in armor). No one really looks at the back anyway and if you use the white velcro and do it right you can't tell it's there anyway.

 

I'm sure someone here is going to say glue it for screen accuracy but it's your choice. That fact that I can remove mine without removing the boots and calves for emergencies is worth it for me.

[JimmyC]

mine are E6000d and I almost wish I would have Velcroed... I have to put my thighs on first before my boots but I guess it’s really not that big of a deal (for me)... If you have larger thighs or like a little room in your thigh armor, you can make it big enough to just barley slide your booted foot into.. but I would say it is a personal preference... good luck...

[bluehickey]

Mine are velcro'd and I'm glad. I put on some extra weight after a surgery last December and my thighs got bigger, and I was able to open up the backs of my thigh pieces more in order to get them on. And as Darrel says, no one really looks at you much from the back. All pics are taken from the front! Just don't use black velcro, use white!

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I'd Velcro them first and do some troops to ensure you know exactly how they should fit. My current set was glued before I had trooped and they're not quite right.

 

Another mistake to avoid: when you do finally decide to glue take care to remember that the Velcro adds just that much extra to the diameter. I had a pair of perfect thighs and when I took the Velcro off and glued them one ended up too tight, and I ended up selling them and getting a new set :-p

[FIVE[501st]]

Velcro!

I riveted (then covered with the finishing strips) the fronts.

[ajax407[TK]]

Well heck, if velcroing the thighs is good enough for Paul and Noel its good enough for me. :-)

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Now now - this is preference and also time. I think most would say that gluing the backs is the way to go. Personally I found having a little flex back there helps, but that's just me.

[TKDUEUNO]

Glue them with E6000, it'll provide enough flexibility and it's screen accurate

[bluehickey]

For trooping purposes, what's the use of having screen accurate glued thigh pieces if you find you can't get into them? Water retention, heat expansion, not to mention unexpectedly gaining a few pounds would all leave you having to cram your fat little sausage thighs into tight and uncomfortable spaces.

[FIVE[501st]]

I may actually end up glueing mine. The manner in which I suit up, however, makes them need to be Velcro right now as I put on my boots, calves, step into my ab-plate / kidney trunk, the put my thighs on.

 

I may be redoing how I suit up though...

 

Also, it helps with transporting the armor in the bin I have because the legs can "wrap" around each other.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

You know, Mark's (FireBladeJedi) trick of how he did his shins may be a neat idea too - e.g. using elastic and hooks. This allows is to open slightly and flex yet may be easier to open/close rather than constantly ripping a whole seam of velcro.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Glue them with E6000, it'll provide enough flexibility and it's screen accurate

 

Agreed. It's a cleaner look, and no crunching velcro sound as you walk. In addition one of the many pluses of E6000 is that it's flexible and if it's absolutely necessary you could pull them apart, remove the glue residue, resize, and reglue.

 

However, there's obviously less margin for error/change than with velcro. You'll definitely want to make sure they're properly sized and maybe even add a bit more room to accomodate an unexpected/unwanted case of thunder thighs.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Mine are glued with E6000. I put the thighs on via garters, then boots, then the shins.

[bluehickey]

Agreed. It's a cleaner look, and no crunching velcro sound as you walk.

 

I've never had a crunching velcro sound when I walk.

The only time the velcro makes any noise is when you are ripping it apart when putting it on, other than that it does not create any residual noise when moving in it.

Edited June 15, 2010 by bluehickey

[Chunk[501st]]

I used E6000 on the front of my theighs. But for the back I had to make shims. So I used velcro on these. I applied the velcro to the shim & can attach at will. If I gain or loose wight I can change the shim out for a better fitting one.

[Laspector[TK]]

I've never had a crunching velcro sound when I walk.

Me neither, but could you really hear it over the clanking of the armor?

[puro]

Me neither, but could you really hear it over the clanking of the armor?

 

...or the screams of the Rebels being persuated to follow the Imperial ways?

[vecspeed12]

i used velcro on my FX armor and i've never had to take them apart on the back. So now that i'm building a different set of armor. i'm just going to E6000 them. But i'm skinny so thats probably why i never had to take them apart.

[Murray1134[501st]]

Mine are glued with E6000. I put the thighs on via garters, then boots, then the shins.

 

I have the same setup.

 

The only issue with Velcro I can see is it could possibly put too much strain on the front seam on the thighs, if you open them up a lot and open them very wide. I've had to reglue my shins several times because of this.