Side shims on Ab/Kidney help

[TK21029[TK]]

So I have about 2" opening on each side when I wrap my ab/kidney together. I had read that there is a good way to do this. I have seen some that look a little tacky to me and I was looking for something that isn't noticabable. The openings are small so my choices are lose a little weight or make good shims.

 

I'm naturally a big guy (not fat) so losing weight just for this would make it not natural for me. Seems best to shim to my normal size.

 

Any advice , links to other fixes, or ideas with photos would be very helpful to me.

[Tusken RTT]

You can make the seam virtually invisible, but it is some work for sure.  You will need some left over ABS from your kit for it to really match well, and bend with heat the shim in the shape you need PRIOR to the gluing and welding.   You can use the ABS paste, a half shotglass is plenty, or I have seen a thread with plasti-weld that was painted and looked really nice.  Check out the link below my pic.  Good luck, pm if you need and post some pics of your progress! 

[TK21029[TK]]

What link below your pic? Don't see a pic or a link?

 

 

Sent from a galaxy far far away

[TK21029[TK]]

I am very interested in seeing this

 

 

Sent from a galaxy far far away

[Coastertk]

I don't know how to add a link but I can copy and paste. Thank you TI-3844 for originally posting this

 

Contents [hide]

1 HOWTO: Make Your Own ABS Paste

1.1 Step 1: Cut ABS Strips

1.2 Step 2: Mix with Acetone

1.3 Step 3: Wait

1.4 Step 4: Apply Paste

1.5 Step 5: Let Dry

HOWTO: Make Your Own ABS Paste

 

Author: TI-3844

This HOWTO describes how to mix up a batch of ABS paste to fill in gaps and repair your armor.

Step 1: Cut ABS Strips

 

Cut thin, short strips of matching ABS into a (clean) cup or similar. A glass vessel is preferred! Don't go pouring acetone into a plastic cup.

Step 2: Mix with Acetone

 

Carefully pour acetone so the fluid covers the ABS shards. Go easy on the acetone - add a little at a lime instead of drowning the ABS shards. We're talking really small amounts of the stuff here - a couple of thimbles worth of shards and acetone.

Step 3: Wait

 

Depending on the thickness of the ABS pieces, acetone dissolvation time might vary. Check progress every now and then, stir a little with a (clean) rod or stick. Apply more acetone if plastic won't dissolve in a satisfactory way. Go easy on the acetone though - you want a runny, but not watery substance

Step 4: Apply Paste

 

When the acetone/ABS concoction is a bit on the runny side, begin applying to damaged area on armour or helmet. Easy does it - make sure you fill the gouge properly.

Step 5: Let Dry

 

When happy with the results, leave alone and let the acetone dissolve fully. ABS hardens and fuses with your armor/helmet. Regarding drying time, it depends on amount of ABS goo used and size of damaged area. YMMW. If your ABS milk is runny enough, it will just fill the damaged area - no need to sand. Still, if you get a bump, sand it down with fine-grit sandpaper, buff out the rest with Novus, and you're done!

NOTES:

This stuff is really flammable and generally unhealthy. Be careful!

Remember that acetone starts dissolving right away, so one must keep an eye on the process all the time, and when the mixture is done, use it right away to repair the armour/helmet.

[Tusken RTT]

Under my pic in my signature- the shim it link.

[TK21029[TK]]

Tusken, I was finally able to see the link you spoke of. Using the mobile app it's not visible. Very nice work! Couple questions....

 

1.We're you able to get uniform color? Have a recent pic of it by chance?

 

2. It appears you added to the kidney not ab , is this correct?

 

3. Any additional advice you would add ?

 

Great stuff

[Tusken RTT]

Forgot about the mobile pages, you are right!  You cant see the signatures and links.  

 

One thing I would do differently is make a MUCH smaller cup of ABS paste;  I found a half full shot glass of ABS shards worked best, then just barely covered them with acetone, let it then sit overnight covered in foil, was perfect.  Then after using it just chunked it.  I wasted a lot of scraps on the first bowl I made, hardly used any of it!  

 

Yes, added onto the kidney piece.  Biggest thing is to use the same plastic of course as the kit to get it to match, I barely had a enough coverstrip material left over for everything else!  Also be SURE to heat and bend it FIRST before the glue and weld to get the shape of the extensions just right.  I found out the hard way..........  the weld will start cracking;  more paste, more sanding.   If I had to do it all again, I think it would be a lot less labor intensive.  You can save a ton of work on the sanding if once you have the seam pretty smoothed over, rather than keep sanding to get the colors to blend in, dust the seam with that paint in my link.  It is a really good match and saves you a ton of effort.  Like I said earlier there is another link somewhere where someone used the plasti-weld and then painted, and it looks fantastic.  Did not even use ABS paste.  

 

Keep the questions coming and throw up some pics!  

 

Sorry the armor is all packed up, but I snapped this one a minute ago

-

 

Then I have the pics from my EIB submission-

 

And from this past weekend, but dont have any real side shots, but hey, you wanted pics! 

Edited February 25, 2015 by Tusken RTT

[TK21029[TK]]

"Dust the seam with the paint in my link"

 

I didn't see a reference to a paint. Were you referring to the Novus?

 

I scoured the forums and can't find the plasti weld link you referred to, it would have been great to see two perspectives before diving in to this one.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

Sent from a galaxy far far away

[Tusken RTT]

The paint is in page 2 of my shim thread.  

 

The plasti weld thigh repair is in page 8 of this thread-

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/26001-haribon72s-anh-stormtrooper-ne-hero-build/page-8   He also has some great shims!  

[TK21029[TK]]

Well after much thought and reading the two ways I think im gonna order the epoxy and give it a go. Both ways seem like they could turn out well but not having to work with acetone seems like a positive.

 

Thanks for all your help , very kind of you. I installed the shims today (bent the return edge first) will work on the seam once the epoxy arrives!

[HansDC[TK]]

I found you don't have to leave the acetone/ABS scraps overnight. I used a glass jar with the scraps in it...poured some acetone in...and within a few minutes the ABS started to melt into a paste. Had to work quickly tho as it started to dry and harden almost as fast as it melted. 

Good Luck!

[TK21029[TK]]

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Shims done, going to sand then to recess. Then apply the apoxy

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[TK21029[TK]]

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All sanded. I used a orbital sander with 220 and got it smooth and recessed.

 

 

Sent from a galaxy far far away

Edited January 7, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[Tusken RTT]

Nice work- they are going to look great!! 

[TK21029[TK]]

Part of the seam gone. I realized that you have to have a good 1/16" recess so it can be filled with the epoxy. I sanded more and added more. Hopefully won't have to do it a third time

 

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Sent from a galaxy far far away

Edited January 7, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[gazmosis[501st]]

Just brilliant!

[Tusken RTT]

Good tip;  I think I was running into that as well.   It might be better to leave a small gap in the beginning between the kidney and the shim so that you could really stuff the paste or putty in the seam;  bet it would be easier to hide the match.  Looking great! 

[TK21029[TK]]

Sanded with 600 grit and most imperfections are disappearing and shine coming back

 

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Edited January 7, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[VadaeAmoga85[TK]]

Won't the abs paste with acetone also melt the armor when you apply it?

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Technically it does melt in some as that's how it bonds. You can't just scratch this off with your fingernail. You literally have to sand it away layer by layer. 

[kman[TK]]

Won't the abs paste with acetone also melt the armor when you apply it?

Yes, and that's a key consideration. You don't want the ABS too runny. Too runny means you have a lot of extra acetone in there, looking for something to do. What it'll do is attack the armor... more than just bonding, depending on where you apply it. The thinner the plastic, the more problematic this can be.

 

Too thick, on the other hand, and you often end up with lot of air pockets that require additional applications. Too thin, and you start putting the armor at risk. You gotta find the Goldilocks zone, which I personally have found lies in a consistency somewhere between mayo and ketchup.

 

I like to err on the side of a little thick, and then loosen it up a bit (a dash more acetone) for the second application.

 

For relatively sturdy plastic (think shins, main body panels and shims) you have a little flexibility. For very thin plastic like shoulder straps, be EXTREMELY cautious (go thick... or explore other options!), because it is highly susceptible to warping from the acetone in the paste.