Maxsteele's New NE Armor Build

[maxsteele[TK]]

Aaaaand I screwed myself.

 

I was wondering when I'd really make a mistake that I couldn't fix.  Here it is.  I was setting the middle rivet:

 

 

 

Either the rivet wasn't flush in the hole while I was hammering down the prongs, or it shifted while I was hammering, but I cracked it in several places.  The big crack out to the edge was from pulling the mangled split rivet back out.  I don't think some ABS paste is going to fix this.

 

I've sent an email to the two suppliers of NE armor that I'm aware of to see if I can get another ab plate.  This will not be easy to come back from.

[TK5144[TK]]

 

on the backside, glue a scrap of ABS in with CA glue.  

That will give it strength.

then blend your crack with some ABS paste.... it will look perfect from the outside and be strong enough.

[maxsteele[TK]]

Well, I may have spoke too soon.  I made up some ABS paste for the very first time.  That was pretty cool watching the chemical process happen.  After it was a gooey consistency, I spread it liberally on each side where the cracks were.  Here's what it looks like now:

 

 

 

 

 

Now after that dries and sets, I'll need to learn how to sand this down to match the surrounding ABS.

[I'm Batman[501st]]

I'm sure you'll be fine Ron. Some medium, some fine, then some polish an you'l be the ony one who knows there was a crack. I've already got a few paste fixer uppers on mine!

[maxsteele[TK]]

I'm sure you'll be fine Ron. Some medium, some fine, then some polish an you'l be the ony one who knows there was a crack. I've already got a few paste fixer uppers on mine!

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ian.  

 

I'm bummed that I can't use the elastic attached to the rivets, but that's just how it's going to go.  I'll install snap plates directly behind where the rivets are. 

 

I'm going to have to come up with another way of setting these rivets, because I certainly don't want to repair another set of cracks.

 

 

on the backside, glue a scrap of ABS in with CA glue.  

That will give it strength.

then blend your crack with some ABS paste.... it will look perfect from the outside and be strong enough.

 

 

Your post snuck in just before mine with the ABS paste.  I didn't see this before I started doing the paste application.  

 

Are you saying if I glue in the scrap ABS on the backside, I could still use the rivet as a load-bearing point with a strap?

Edited April 29, 2014 by maxsteele

[TK5144[TK]]

It will be strong.  Probably stronger than your native ABS.  I don't see a reason it would not hold up.

[maxsteele[TK]]

I'm going to get a set of this sandpaper:

 

http://www.amazon.com/NukePak-Bundle-Sandpaper-abrasive-Sheets/dp/B009A5VSDO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1398735801&sr=8-8&keywords=800+grit+sandpaper

 

I'll start with the 400, and work my way up.   Questions:

 

1)  Do I need higher than 1500?

2)  Should I sand that entire side ab panel with the holes at the same time?  I assume I would need to in order to have it all match.

3)  Should I do any kind of wet sanding to get the chunky areas down level to the rest of the surrounding ABS, or will dry sanding suffice?

4)  How do I know when it's time to move from one grit to another?  I've never done this before.

[gazmosis[501st]]

Ron, you can continue with your original plan. When hammering down the legs of the split rivet, just make sure to support the armor so that only the head of the rivet touches the table.

[maxsteele[TK]]

You guys are all awesome.  I hope I have driven that point home enough.

 

I still like the idea of doing the straps without the snap plates.  I'll get the front sanded down and as blemish-free as I can get it, and then I'll glue in the scrap ABS.  I have a piece that isn't too thick that will work perfect in that spot.  

 

It'll take extra time to get that area prepared, but I will move forward with only using the rivets to hold the straps.  Thanks again for the support everyone.

[maxsteele[TK]]

Now I started thinking smart.  At first, I was going to just glue in a piece on the 10mm edge between the hole and the end of the ab section where the big crack was.  But I also know there were smaller cracks around the rest of the hole.  So how do I solve that?

 

 

 

I'm currently super gluing that plate in place (this pic was before I applied glue and clamped it.  I took the rivet out as well).  Once that's dried and sealed, I'll sand the other side up and continue with installing the split rivets and straps.  No button plates necessary.  If I crack the armor again on a hole, I'll just patch in another piece like this.  I'm back in business.

Edited May 1, 2014 by maxsteele

[maxsteele[TK]]

I sanded down the front with 400 grit, then 600, and I noticed that the black lines of the cracks was still showing.  When I ran my fingernail across them, it didn't catch, so they must be under the ABS paste that I laid down.  I mixed up a little more ABS paste and made it a little runnier, put that down, let it dry for a few hours and then hit it again with 400 grit, 600 grit, 800 grit, and finally 1500 grit.  Here's a close-up of the hole with the cracks:

 

 

The big crack that extended to the end of the piece is barely visible any longer, and the smaller cracks can be seen, but the surface feels smooth with no edge catching.

 

 

Then I took a pic of the ab piece with the rivets in place and at a reasonable distance but still much closer than anyone would be looking or taking a picture of me from:

 

 

You can barely make out the black line of the crack that goes from the top right of the middle rivet up toward the edge.  The real test will be when I try to set the rivet again and see if those cracks open back up or if they'll stay exactly like this.  If they do open up, I'll keep the rivet there, spread some more ABS paste into the cracks, and sand it back to smooth. 

 

I'm pretty busy with work the next few days, so I won't have much time to work on the rivets.  I may go over to Raintrooper's place on Sunday to get some work done.  Otherwise, I'm off Wed - Fri of next week and I hope to get more done then.

[BobbyFromBUF]

Great job with the fix. No one but you will ever know :-)

[Pencap510]

Exactly- and those little "personality quirks" will be something you'll remember about your first build. Great fix

 

 

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[maxsteele[TK]]

Man, this build is tough.

 

I got a garter belt set from VaderDave, and got to try it out tonight.  I glued in the snap plates about 2 inches from the top of my thighs.  This didn't work at all.  Even after pulling up all of the slack in the adjustable elastic, the thighs were not high enough.  I had to drop the snap plates down to eight inches before I could get the thighs sitting in a spot where I could bend my knees and they were high enough.

 

After I got the garter system in place, I put on the ab / kidney and cinched it down with my belt.  I found the highest part that the cod will go, which determined where the rest of the ab and the kidney would sit.  Here are pics from that fitting with my butt plate attached.  Also, that is the way the finishing strip position on my thighs from the top to the bottom.  I can't get the bottom of the thigh cover strip to come to the middle of my knee.  Adjusting the angle of the top doesn't change that.  I know you can't really see what my knee position is, but it's straight on, and the finishing strip at the bottom is more off to the side.  If that affects EIB or Centurion, then so be it.  I don't see it affecting base approval.  Opinions are requested, please. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what to do with the butt plate and how low it comes with the tops of the back of the thighs.  I cannot bring that cod piece up any higher, or it's past my boys.  Which means that's where the kidney will be.  I have no gap between my kidney and butt plate, so do I trim down the butt plate, or do I trim down the backs of the thighs?  If I trim the butt plate, that return edge is coming off and it's not going back.  I could try lowering my thigh pieces.  I can't go too low or they interfere with bending my knees in the front.

 

 

 

EDIT:

 

 

Here's a front and back shot with the thighs lowered.  The bottom of the thighs are scraping the tops of my kneecaps.  I can still walk, but I can't get a shot of what they look like in this mirror down by the knees.  I also tucked the butt plate in to give a bit of a strap simulation.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2014 by maxsteele

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Make sure to strap your cod with the crotch tab of the buttplate. That strap is an essential one and change a lot of things.

 

On the side pics we can't really say if you ab plate is high enough because of the thighs. The cod should really be right under your "family jewels".

Edited May 6, 2014 by The5thHorseman

[Pencap510]

And I'm certainly no expert but from my opinion we are in exact opposite spots.. We're around the same height 5'10" - and I think I might have taken off TOO MUCH. From my thighs- we're you're trying to keep the original sizing..the NE thighs are HUGE. your fronts look like they sit well, but when hiked up that high, the backs look like their going to be a problem, both with how the butt plate sits, and when you try to walk..

 

 

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[maxsteele[TK]]

Make sure to strap your cod with the crotch tab of the buttplate. That strap is an essential one and change a lot of things.

 

On the side pics we can't really say if you ab plate is high enough because of the thighs. The cod should really be right under your "family jewels".

 

 

Oh yes, I'm going to strap the crotch tab of the butt plate to the cod.  How tight should that be?  That's another part that I just can't tell from looking at anyone's builds.

 

I'm going to use scientific words to describe this  next part, so no vulgarity is used.   The bottom of the cod is immediately underneath my testicles.  If I bring the ab plate up any higher, the bottom of the cod doesn't cup around them and they are trapped between the bottom curve edge.  That cod is as high as it can go, which to me means the ab is as high as it can go.

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

About the strap, i'd say like all the others, tight but not too much. Question of balance.

 

And if your Ab plate is as high as possible then, it's certainly your thighs which are too high in the first set of pictures, so i would stay with the second positionning. Unfortunately the NE thighs aren't as tappered as the original ones so you cannot fully close the gaps around the cod and keep your hip mobility at the same time.

 

And if you need a bit more room around the knees to help you when walking keep in mind that you can notch them.

[BobbyFromBUF]

"Oh yes, I'm going to strap the crotch tab of the butt plate to the cod. How tight should that be? That's another part that I just can't tell from looking at anyone's builds."

 

I couldn't agree more! I've searched for key words, browsed through builds, and looked at EIB submissions, and I can't find anyone saying exactly how long that strap should be...

 

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[BobbyFromBUF]

We almost need a photo of some armor closed up with a view from underneath.

 

 

 

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[The5thHorseman[501st]]

We almost need a photo of some armor closed up with a view from underneath.

 

Here you go:

 

But keep in mind that it all depends on you body type, some have a much shorter strap:

[maxsteele[TK]]

Thanks for those Germain.  When I'm talking about room to bend my knees, I'm referring to the front.  Where I lowered the thighs in the second pic, the tops of the thighs are scraping just above my knee in the front.  I can't have them any lower.  I'll try to get a shot with my thighs and shins on.  Of course, I don't have the battery pack around the right thigh or the sniper plate on the left shin, which will change the look as well.  

 

The thing with this damn kit is when I put any kind of pull on the butt plate crotch tab, the sides of the butt plate flare out like in that second pic above when I lowered my thighs.  

 

Here's a shot of another guy with NE armor, and I have no idea how he got his butt plate to sit like that on his body.  

 

 

 

It certainly looks like he cut off the return edge from the bottom edges of the butt plate.  Here's a side shot:

 

 

 

I think I'm seeing a pretty small return edge if any at all on the butt plate, pretty much all around.  That could help with having it sit better on me.  I want to say he also heat bent the butt plate both on the sides and the crotch tab.  It just seems to wrap around his body better than my plate does.  I'll try to see if I can reach him via PM to ask.

[BobbyFromBUF]

Thanks Germain!  Those are the exact photos I had in mind!  

 

Maxsteele, I think I will need to heat shape the crotch tab on the butt plate.  Mine sort of looks like a tail, haha...

 

post-13481-139935756814_thumb

[maxsteele[TK]]

Even after you trimmed the tab?  I'm considering cutting mine shorter.  I'm also thinking about making the tab thinner.  Heat bending may happen in the future, but I'm really resistant to that type of modification.

 

Over the next couple of days, I'm going to get my ab / kidney sitting where it needs to be, get the chest and back plates in the proper position, then create the straps for the shoulders and the straps between the ab / chest and the back / kidney.  I gotta get everything sitting on my body before I can start making any more modifications.

 

I think I need to have the thigh pieces up as high as I do in the second pic, or else the front of my knees can't bend because the bottom of the thighs will go over them.  The second pic I have the bottom of the thighs are scraping my kneecaps.  And in regards to the right thigh, that's going to have a lower edge after I get the ammo belt attached.

[maxsteele[TK]]

I have three days off this week.  Crazy, I know.  What better time than to work on some armor!  Today, I'm working on attaching the belt plastic to the canvas belt.

 

This topic doesn't seem talked about or documented much on the forums.  What I did was find the middle point of the belt by halving it and marking the center point.  That's where I lined up the middle drill hole for my belt plastic.  Make sure when you drill the holes through the canvas belt that you have some bend to it.  Otherwise your holes won't quite line up when you want to put the belt on and you'll have to move them a bit.  It's not a big deal if you do this, but it's extra work.

 

I used my dremel to drill the holes through the canvas.  It worked well and if you have it on a fast enough speed, it doesn't seem to snag any threads and pull on the canvas while it's drilling.

 

I have decided to use screw posts to hold my belt plastic on to my canvas.  I've noticed people call these "chicago screws", but my Ace Hardware had no clue what I was talking about until I showed them a pic.  I'm using 1/4" wide holes for the screws, and I went with 3/16" length for the post. How about some pics of what these screws look like?

 

 

 I didn't like how the 1/4" lengths were just a bit too long going through the plastic and the belt.  3/16" lets me just see the end of the post once it's through the plastic and the belt, and then I get a good fit with the screw.  

 

 

Once attached, I put the screw covers in place with some tape and tried it on!  I did notice that the middle screw hits right on a bump in the ab plastic, and that pushes the screw outward a bit.  This might be an issue when I go to glue down the screw cover in the center.  We'll see if the glue holds!  (Yes, I had my regular shorts on when I took this.  I was just getting shots of the belt.    )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may also notice in these pics that my butt plate seems to be behaving itself better.  I trimmed off half of the return edge around the butt plate.  Reference photos show this return edge was barely there at all.  I don't have the crotch tab tucked under and attached to the cod, but when I do a heat bend to make that tab sit underneath better, the butt plate should still look close to this.  Also, I was able to bring my thigh pieces back up to the higher position and still have space between the backs of the thighs and the butt plate after the trimming.  It really did make a big difference and I highly suggest anyone with NE armor to do the same.

 

I also did my first lower body suit-up yesterday and walked around the driveway a bit.  Pieces were feeling good and mostly staying where they should.  I was having some sagging on the ab and kidney, but I'm confident that will be resolved when I have the chest-to-back elastic and the chest & back attached to the ab and kidney.  I can only cinch that belt so tight!  

 

Today I'm going to try and get the spacing for the chest and back over the ab and butted up against the kidney so I can cut the white elastic for the shoulders and get snaps installed.  Once that is hanging on me correctly, I will place the snap plates inside for the ab/chest and back/kidney attachments.  I also need to re-glue the snap plates on the inside of my thighs for my garter system.  Only having them 2 inches on the inside was not enough to bring the thighs up to where I want them.  Having those snaps down 7-8 inches isn't too bad to snap in place.  I am certainly considering a second snap on the webbing where the first snap is to have some snap security.  I think there's enough room down there.

Edited May 7, 2014 by maxsteele