HOWTO: Using Magnets: Suit up with less hassle - Abdomen/Posterior

[Jayben Kenobi[501st]]

Hello fellow Troopers. The original post of How to use Magnets in your costume was affected by the recent stunt that Photobucket pulled and now the pictures and video are unavailable to use. 

 

 TK4205 from Garrison Titan did a great job showing everyone how to get suited up with less hassle. It has helped me a great deal with my build and I figured that I would post another HOWTO with a video and pictures so that TK4205's method might help some one in the future as it did me. I used this method on the Abdomen and Posterior part of my armor but the concept can be applied to pretty much the whole suit if desired.

 

 

Abdomen:

 

Here is a video link to how the method works:

 

 

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I was able to get the Abdomen Section of my armor on in about 12 seconds without any help.

 

My Plug and Sockets aren't as clean as TK4205's build, but if you are new to this hobby like me, hopefully you can get jest of how its done from the pictures below. 

 

Step 1:

 

I ordered some Styrene Sheet from Amazon. In hindsight I wish I would have ordered Styrene that was a bit thicker but I used what I bought. Link below 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICMZ7PQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Magnets: TK4205 suggested going Super Magnets at Home Depot so that is what I went with. If you don't have a Home Depot Neodymium Rare Earth Magnets should work as well.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Magnet-Neodymium-Permanent-Magnets/dp/B01LWPHF2E/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1500301280&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=neodymium+magnets&psc=1

 

I took one sheet of Styrene and cut some squares. I had to cut 4 squares and glued them together since my styrene sheet was so thin (hence the reason I wish I would have went with a thicker size). Then, I cut out a space the magnet to fit inside. After I knew the bottom magnet fit properly, I removed it in order to glue it to the armor. After that, I glued a magnet to the top side of the Styrene Sheet. Next, I marked the spots where I wanted to place the magnets on the back of the Abdomen. I put a dab of  glue (E6000) on the Magnet and grabbed some tape I had laying around and tapped the magnet to the appropriate spot:

 

 

I also used Magnets on the outside of the armor that I later removed to further secure the glue and magnets to the armor while the glue was curing. I let it cure for 24 hours:

 

Step 2:

 

Now that I had magnets attached to the armor, I place the styrene squares I had cut out on the back armor and traced where they would need to line up in order for the armor to close properly. Next I prepped the squares with tape, placed glue on the armor, placed squares on glue. I wanted to make sure the styrene sheets really got a good bond so I got some wood and weights to press it down further. Let cure for 24 hours:

 

Done

 

Put on armor and feel accomplished 

 

 

Attaching Posterior 

 

 

 

Get Webbing, Glue, Magnets. Glue the magnets to an 8" long piece of webbing. Let glue fully cure to webbing and magnet.

 

 

Take the Posterior plate and measure the spots you want to place the magnets and mark them. Apply glue to magnets and posterior. Let Cure

 

Attach webbing magnets to posterior magnets and lay on to the inside of your armor and tape the webbing down to the inside of your armor and test fit to make sure that the posterior hangs to just below the bottom of the back of the armor. Once you get it where you want it, trace around where the webbing needs to go and glue it down

 

[TK4205]

Thanks for the share. Yes, photo bucket shut me down.

 

[Jayben Kenobi[501st]]

1 hour ago, TK4205 said:

Thanks for the share. Yes, photo bucket shut me down.

 

 

No problem. Your method helped me out a great deal so I figured I would pass along that info to future troopers 

 

Photobucket messed up a lot of forums pulling the stunt they did. 

[camprandall]

Do you have any worries about popping the magnets off trying to pull it apart to get it off? Cool idea though!

[Jayben Kenobi[501st]]

So far so good. The sintra I bought seems to keep the magnets separated enough so that I don't have to pull very hard to get them loose and I glued them down with E6000 so the magnets seem to be pretty stationary

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Nice!  glad it worked out.  When I had it on my previous suit, it was impossible for it to pop out the way you think. You had to torque it in the right way.  It should hold on extremely well esp. with the TD covering the seam.

[SixCrazyPants]

Thanks for the share. Yes, photo bucket shut me down.
 

FYI, I know some people don't like Tapatalk, but you can post pics without any hosting. I use it all the time, works great

[Lodril[501st]]

It occurs to me, as I toy with this concept for my own suit, that there's no reason to put the clasps on the inside of the suit.  If the socket/clasps go on the outside, it should be a little more comfortable, and yet still hidden by the thermal detonator.

 

I'd been contemplating this without clasps, and just putting the magnetic connections on the TD, but in my early attempts, it's been awkward to get it to close right, lining up the TD on my back.  This approach with the clasps should provide a guiding mechanism to overcome that awkwardness, and maybe let me use the same magnetic pull to attach the TD as well.

[First0rder[TK]]

Thanks for the share and fantastic idea.  Used on my build as well and works like a charm :0 

[sharkbait[TK]]

What magnet strength did you use for the connectors?  This looks like a fantastic idea... will likely employ it with my Phasma.