Missing Snap/Rivets on RS Armor

[Actionsdower[TK]]

Hi Folks:

 

I'm a new 501st member with exactly one troop under my belt, and it went fantastic.  Except for the part where my armor broke.  Thankfully the handlers were on-point, and helped jury-rig a temporary fix (via copious amounts of tape)  It's an RS commission suit, so I didn't do the main assembly aside from adjusting a few straps to get approved.

 

The way I have the arms assembled, everything (shoulder bell, bicep, forearm) is one piece that attaches to the shoulder strap via a snap.  One of these snaps became disconnected from the strap when I was re-donning the armor after a break.  I didn't see it come off, so the snap itself is lost to time.  I was hoping someone could point me towards where to get a replacement.  Here is the snap from the (still intact) other arm, for reference:

 

 

And here's a shot of the female side of the snap; any replacement snap will need to be compatible with this.

 

 

Additionally, the holster became disconnected from the belt.  It was held on with two of these rivets (is that the right term?); it seems the other piece that snaps on to hold the holster in place has gone missing.  Any ideas for a replacement?

 

 

Thanks everyone!

Edited November 13, 2018 by Actionsdower

[wook1138[TK]]

For the snap - that is a sew-on snap that you can get from any fabric or hobby store (or Amazon).  It looks like a #7 size - but you are best to measure it and google what size you need.

 

As for the belt - I would try to find some Chicago Screws.  You do not need any rivet-setting tools.  All you need is a screw driver.

 

Hope that helps.

 

PS, congrats on the troop!  It takes a couple of troops to work out the bugs.

[sharkbait[TK]]

A couple of common issues I've seen with RS commissions.  I would highly recommend ditching those snaps all together and going for Tandy Line 24s- the ones from hobby and craft stores just don't hold up to our use and abuse.  

 

As to the holster, it looks like the rivet just failed.  Per the CRL, the holster should be attached via  rivets, snaps, or Chicago screws, so you really have options.  A larger rivet might work, a snap would but because it's not really meant to come off I'd skip it, so I personally think Chicago screws would be your best bet.  

 

Another issue I've seen repeatedly with RS is their strapping system- it's the screen accurate brackets, which is cool if you're dead into total screen accurate, but they just end up ripping through the plastic and breaking.   I recommend adding support strapping with nylon webbing and Tandy snaps, and you can leave the screen accurate brackets in place for looks (the support strapping is entirely internal).  

 

If that's all that needed to be fixed after your first troop, you're doing pretty good!  It's really an ongoing thing- there's always going to be something you want to tweak or mess with or fix.  It's part of the fun!

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

Looking at that photo of the shoulder strap it looks like the male half has come off and is still in the female half sewn to the white elastic.

 

For the holster remove the failed rivet then use a longer one but back it up with a washer to stop it pulling through again.

 

Alternatively you can rivet on a snap, I did this for mine. There’s a post towards the end of my build thread in my signature.

[Actionsdower[TK]]

Looking at that photo of the shoulder strap it looks like the male half has come off and is still in the female half sewn to the white elastic.
 
For the holster remove the failed rivet then use a longer one but back it up with a washer to stop it pulling through again.
 
Alternatively you can rivet on a snap, I did this for mine. There’s a post towards the end of my build thread in my signature.

How do I remove the failed rivet? Despite the additional piece missing, it's in there pretty good. Obviously I can't just brute force it without tearing the belt

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[magni[TK]]

Use a pair of good nippers and cut it behind belt. Outside should fall right out.

I'd also recommend Chicago screws for reattaching.

RS commissions seem to just get you out the door lately. do yourself a favor and resew the snaps on both sides. Their stiches never hold.

And keep an eye on brackets for cracks in armor. They only stretch so far.

 

Congratulations on the first of many troops!

And armor repairs

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I've seen more than a few shoulder bells pop off during a troop in my time, (including my own on my first troop).  I had a single snap connecting my shoulder bell to the white elastic band between the back/chest, so I switched that out.  I now have 2 snaps on the white elastic band that connect to the 1 inch wide black shoulder bell strap, and have never had one pop off since.  I also painted the tops of the center snaps (below) white so they would blend in better.

 

                                                                                   I couldn't find a pic of my shoulder bell straps so I doctored one up to show what I mean.