Thermal Detonator Assembly AP/TE - How To assemble.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

PDF with photos  HERE

 

Start with a strip of aluminum polished with sandpaper grades 120  800

wipe down.  aluminum strip is 1"x1/16"

Mark 2 hole locations   1/2"  and then 1 1/2" inches from that.

1/8" bit.

 

Tools I use:

 

• 120 and 800 sandpaper and a towel.
• Slotted screwdriver
• TIn Snips
• 2 C clamps
• ruler
• sharpie
• slow speed drill and 1/8" bit
• 1 1/8" aluminum bar for side one of bending brake
• 2 1/8" aluminum bar for taped together side 2 of bending brake.  (this is the spacer for the distance from the control panel to the tube.
• belt sander, or sanding block for shaping 60 grit.

 

Start with 8 1/2 long.

 

8 1/2" long with holes marked and 6/32" with black painted pan head slotted screws with #6 washers

 

I use slow speed on a drill. don't do this without experience.

 

Line up and drill holes with the strip lined up with about 1/2" from each end of the tube.  The hole aligned so that the end of the strip is almost flush with the cap.

 

on one side leave an air release hole near one side of the front.  This allows the caps to go on the pipe.

 

Drill and mount the strips with the front screw positions.  Bend by hand carefully a J shape.  Tap the front edge with a hammer to shape the

front of the clip to the curved shape.  This helps flatten the front.https://imgur.com/oaOZnWM

 

Drill the second hole in each J shaped bend using the strip hole as a guide.  using a slow speed drill is key when doing it like this... nice and slow.

 

Both J shapes bent and mounted with a screwdriver.  put a spot of glue on the inside of the nut.

 

Using 2 1/8" thick strips taped together, and one strip as the thin side.  clamp the strips to the J shaped bends making sure they are square and keep the assembly level with the top of the control panel.

Another angle of the assembly.

 

Carefully and slowly bend the strips over first at a 90 then the full 180 degrees.

 

Taper the top edges of your tube to make the cap fit easier.

 

Measure 3 1/4" from the end of the folded bend.  mark.

 

Clamp a 1/8" strip in this location with another strip on top for the final bend.

 

This shows the clamping jig for the last bend.

 

This shows the strip ready to trim at the final bend.

 

Closeup of marked bend area.  Trimming with snips.

 

sanded to shape with belt sander.

 

Finished end.

 

Lightly tap on with hammer.

 

detail of bend.

 

Side view.

 

Hope you enjoy!

[gazmosis[501st]]

Nice work!

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

Nice work!

Top man approves!  sweet,  can we tutorial this?

[Tfett40[TK]]

Nice, step by step tutorial Vern with pictures. It will definitely come in handy for someone soon!

[Trogdor[TK]]

I just wanted to say thank you for this. Great instruction and the clamping guidance is spot on.

[johna1177]

Is that 2" gray PVC pipe?

[Trogdor[TK]]

Is that 2" gray PVC pipe?

I can't speak for the photos on here but thats what I just built.  2 inch nonmetallic (PVC) electrical conduit (grey).  A piece came with my MTK armor.

[johna1177]

I can't speak for the photos on here but thats what I just built.  2 inch nonmetallic (PVC) electrical conduit (grey).  A piece came with my MTK armor.

 

does it need to be painted gray or is the natural gray color of the conduit acceptable for all levels of approval?

[Polar]

the natural gray is perfectly acceptable 

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I paint my tubes to match the helmet and AB button color.... why not go all the way!

[cjdesign[TK]]

Hey Vern, I'm using your bracket tutorial and yours, like many, have the loops of the bracket above the height of the 2" gray pipe. Look at the grab from esb and see how high the detonator is on the belt. The only way this would happen is if the clip is lower then the tube height. right? I'm I missing something. thanks for your feedback!

 

Picture here:

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Edited December 15, 2020 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

they all do hang quite high and rotated. you can carefully adjust for this in the angle of the first J bend.  Each is slightly different in the film.

[humperdingle]

Vern, just wanted to say thanks for your superb tutorial. Even a mechanical dunce like myself can at least  make something (half) decent with your guidance.

So I bought some 25mm aluminium strip (£3 odds for 1m) and had a go. I reckon the diameter of the grey pipe I have on my pre-made detonator may be slightly different, as there wasn't as much strip left for the final bend as yours (?).

Anyway, happy with the results. Just ignore the two holes in the pipe, i'll need to fill them.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

Not Bad.  If the diameter of the pipe is the AP or TE diameter then you use 8.5 inches.  If the diameter of the pipe is larger as in the RS props style,

Then you would use a longer strip at about 9.5 and trim from there.  The key measurement, is at the bend where the belt rests, which always needs to be 3 1/4"

 

Your end bends seem a little long.  Looks kinda like jesse's old style!

[humperdingle]

Not Bad. If the diameter of the pipe is the AP or TE diameter then you use 8.5 inches. If the diameter of the pipe is larger as in the RS props style,

Then you would use a longer strip at about 9.5 and trim from there. The key measurement, is at the bend where the belt rests, which always needs to be 3 1/4"

 

Your end bends seem a little long. Looks kinda like jesse's old style!

Yeah, I noticed the end bends when I looked again at the pics I have enough of the bar left to try again, which I probably will.

 

And I think I know why the difference in end length came about... I reckon i'd bend the bar too far round the cylinder before bending it back on itself.

 

Oh well, live and learn. Imagine how it would have looked without your tutorial

 

Thanks again.

[Rob .T .[TK]]

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Edited December 15, 2020 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

Those are the RS style T dets, unlike the TE/AP style.

[troopermaster]

Those are the RS style T dets, unlike the TE/AP style.

That's the thanks you get by going out of your way to help by showing your private collection of photographs of an original TD. You would be wise to remember that this is the FISD - they have their own way of doing things here. The original and proper ways are frowned upon

[Locitus[Admin]]

That's the thanks you get by going out of your way to help by showing your private collection of photographs of an original TD. You would be wise to remember that this is the FISD - they have their own way of doing things here. The original and proper ways are frowned upon

They just don't know any better. Despite what they think of themselves.

[humperdingle]

They just don't know any better. Despite what they think of themselves.

Any chance of an explanation (for us newbies )

[Locitus[Admin]]

Any chance of an explanation (for us newbies )

Never mind. I think I didn't think it all through before posting. But there is a significant portion of newbies here telling other newbies how to do things. More often than not, it's not only inaccurate, but sometimes even down right bad things that can have significant consequences further down the line.

[humperdingle]

Never mind. I think I didn't think it all through before posting. But there is a significant portion of newbies here telling other newbies how to do things. More often than not, it's not only inaccurate, but sometimes even down right bad things that can have significant consequences further down the line.

Oh... This is obviously going off-topic.

 

But, was I wrong to direct someone to this thread for a tutorial?

[Locitus[Admin]]

Oh... This is obviously going off-topic.

 

But, was I wrong to direct someone to this thread for a tutorial?

Depends. Are they trying to assemble a AP/TE style detonator and how focused are they on doing it accurately?

If you overlook the the added paint, the pictures Rob. T posted are what you want to be looking at. That's the real deal, and that is always better than copying a copy.

[humperdingle]

Depends. Are they trying to assemble a AP/TE style detonator and how focused are they on doing it accurately?If you overlook the the added paint, the pictures Rob. T posted are what you want to be looking at. That's the real deal, and that is always better than copying a copy.

But the actual clips are OK, and accurate, yes? That was the only reason for directing him here.

[Locitus[Admin]]

But the actual clips are OK, and accurate, yes? That was the only reason for directing him here.

Meh. I guess they work for trooping. And that's the main point sometimes, right? But from an accuracy aspect they're too thick and not wide enough.