Shin closure discussion

[Rich330[TK]]

I'm opening this thread to redirect this conversation away from the original thread. It went a little off-topic and the new subject may be of general interest ...

 

Original thread: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=15531

 

Always looking to improve and with a niggling doubt in my mind that I couldn't close my shin armour at the back properly and would have to replace them, I had another fiddle, readjusted the elastic

 

Jobs a good 'un, I reckon ...

 

Looking good!

 

Didn't think of taking a pic of your reworked closure?

 

 

Mathias,

It's exactly the same in principle. The elastic strips are still positioned the same too.

All I had done "wrong" was to glue the bottom elastic strip to the inside of the armour along its full length. Consequently the elastic was very rigid. Add to that the fact that I was a bit too nervous when hooking up the bottom strip - scared of ripping open the hole because the hook was clamped very tightly - and I tended to leave them open.

All I did was separate a bit of the elastic strip from the armour in order to leave more stretch in the connection.

As you can see, I can now close the backs and walk around, safe in the knowledge that the connection is a lot more flexible.

 

Ah!

 

Mine are also glued along the whole length, but I never really unhook them either, because of the "thick" plastic on my 2mm and my small hooks, they don't unhook easily, so I leave them alone and just slide my foot through. The flex enough to let my heel pass through without any real issues. I wish I could close them a little bit tighter though. Or I could use a wider cover strip in the back. mine is only 20 mm, but I'm out of plastic.

 

Maybe you could disconnect the elastic strips and glue them on again further away from the hole. Leave a little more loose elastic for some "give" but that would be one way to have them fit more snugly.

You would have to unhook them to put them on each time though. And I know how nice it is to have a pair of lazy slip-on shins.

On my 2mm suit, I have nothing connecting the backs. I cut the parts wider so there is a lot of overlap. And, because the material is stiffer and the joint at the front is very firm (reinforcing strip inside the seam in addition to the cover strip), they always go back into position pretty much.

 

Here they are ...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2011 by Rick330

[Locitus[Admin]]

I wasn't clever enough to keep some overlap.

Here's what mine looks like. I think the right one, in this picture is pretty good, but the left one stays a little bit open, even with nothing like a leg trying to push it open. The gap is really small though. just a few mm.

 

[Rich330[TK]]

Yeah, you can see that there's no tension on the elastic when the back is fully closed. Try moving the elastic further away by about 1cm.

You do have some loose elastic though. When I said I'd glued mine down all the way, I mean all the way, right up to just behind the hook.

[firebladejedi[TK]]

You could use 1 inch elastic :-)

[Locitus[Admin]]

Good ideas both of you. Think I might try to do something about it. If it just wasn't such a pain to sew the hooks on!

[SW1]

Thats what i did Rich on my 2mm shins i glued the elastic right up to the hooks , so i have quite a bit of tension , holds evreything in buitifully plus i have done a few troops in them this way with no faults to date

[Rich330[TK]]

You could use 1 inch elastic :-)

 

Good idea. I also notice that Mathias is using just two rows. The original system used three rows (of thicker elastic like you say, Mark).

 

 

Thats what i did Rich on my 2mm shins i glued the elastic right up to the hooks , so i have quite a bit of tension , holds evreything in buitifully plus i have done a few troops in them this way with no faults to date

 

That's cool if it's what works for you. I had to loosen mine a bit so I obviously have the bigger hobbit feet/ankles!

[Locitus[Admin]]

I was lazy, that's why there's only two straps per shin. I could add two more, but only the top one would make a difference, as it's looser in the top than in the bottom. The shins close tighter in the bottom than in the top. Probably because of sloppy trimming.

[troopermaster]

Here are my shins:

 

1" elastic with hooks sewn in place. Note that I have left about 1" unglued from the ends to allow the elastic to stretch a bit. When gluing the straps in place I try to get the tip of the hook to line up with the back edge of the shin (not the joining strip) so that the shin is closed slug when they straps are hooked into the opposite piece. If you find you need more tension then simply move the strap back a bit until you are happy.

[MTU Trooper]

How do you keep the shins from riding up? When i wear mine the top of the boot keeps pushing them up my leg

[Rich330[TK]]

How do you keep the shins from riding up? When i wear mine the top of the boot keeps pushing them up my leg

 

Not a problem I've encountered personally.

Do a forum search though and you should be able to find something. I know it's been discussed before but I didn't pay a great deal of attention.

There have definitely been a few different solutions though. Everything from an extended velcro strip connected to the loop on the boot to a stirrup type construction.

[Locitus[Admin]]

How do you keep the shins from riding up? When i wear mine the top of the boot keeps pushing them up my leg

 

 

Not a problem I've encountered personally.

Do a forum search though and you should be able to find something. I know it's been discussed before but I didn't pay a great deal of attention.

There have definitely been a few different solutions though. Everything from an extended velcro strip connected to the loop on the boot to a stirrup type construction.

Yeah, I've never had that problem either. But do as Rich says, it has been discussed at length elsewhere.

[boomshakra[TK]]

Maybe I am not seeing it...but what do the hooks connect to?

[Locitus[Admin]]

The hooks hook into small holes in the other half of the shin.

[boomshakra[TK]]

Thanks, Locitus - I can see it in your picture now. So, the hole is placed so it is under the cover strip in back? It doesn't look like hooking the lower one would be easy, with your ankle in the way.

[Rich330[TK]]

Thanks, Locitus - I can see it in your picture now. So, the hole is placed so it is under the cover strip in back? It doesn't look like hooking the lower one would be easy, with your ankle in the way.

 

Be careful not to copy Mathias' photo. He has the hooks facing the wrong way. Look at Paul's photo for a better indication of how they should be fitted. The hooks hook into the plastic from the outside, that way your ankle doesn't get in the way.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Rick330

[Locitus[Admin]]

Plus I only use 2 hooks. So that's not really right either.

 

The holes are actually in the half that does not have the cover strip glued on to it. The holes do however get consealed by the cover strip when the shin is closed.

[Rich330[TK]]

The holes are actually in the half that does not have the cover strip glued on to it. The holes do however get consealed by the cover strip when the shin is closed.

 

So you did get that part right!

 

 

 

[Locitus[Admin]]

Haha, yeah I did.

 

Gosh, it was a long time ago since I did those shins. There was barely any public reference material to look at.

[boomshakra[TK]]

Got it - thanks guys!

[Rich330[TK]]

Haha, yeah I did.

 

Gosh, it was a long time ago since I did those shins. There was barely any public reference material to look at.

 

Things change fast around here huh?

 

I was looking at my Centurion thread which was pretty much "cutting edge" when I built the armour. There's a surprising amount for things I'm doing differently this time around with the new build.

[Locitus[Admin]]

No kidding!

 

I've been falling behind since before I even finished my build.