HOWTO: Make snap plates

[dinanm3atl]

Excellent post OP! Thanks a bunch!

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Just read this and your photo blog. Fantastic work, my friend! Totally inspirational for my build.

[Chunk[501st]]

Ok, If I'm reading this right. I should cut out my "tabs" place my snap in it. Clamp the tab to the armor & apply a thin layer of plasti weld around the tab. Is that right? Im at this stage, & wanna buy the plasti weld this weekend

[felgercarb]

Excellent tutorial, i am gonna go the snap method got everything just waiting on my Vario Pliers....thanks again!

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

keeping the footprint for the snap tab large enough so that the glue never touches the metal is VERY IMPORTANT when gluing snap tabs on HIPS styrene.

with the combination of a hips tab, hips armor and plastic weld, the heat generated during the curing process can completely warp and damage

the exterior finish of hips.

 

e-6000 , plastic weld, generates heat during the cure.

 

the resulting warping requires putty, and sanding and paint to correct. otherwise you just throw the armor into the bin.

 

the melted spots look like a square, with a circle inside a circle. lot's of cratering, and warping.

 

e-6000 when in contact with HIPS can melt hips under clamping pressure as well... even without a snap tab!

[Justice]

I will certainly be using this tutorial at some point during the armor building process, but it has to arrive first... Awesome!

[BananoPower22[TK]]

Will ABS cement work (came with my AM kit) as good as the welder you used?

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I don't know why not. I used ABS cement exclusively on my first FX kit.

[Calculon]

I don't know why not. I used ABS cement exclusively on my first FX kit.

 

True but given the choice what would you use today to put your armor together? I'm waiting for my AM armor and will be putting it all together soon and definitely don't want to use a sub-standard adhesive. All this talk of melting and warping is worrisome.

 

Many thanks to all for sharing their knowledge.

[Kirby]

OK.. Little Im a little worried now... I have been using E-6K for my entire build and havent had issue issues as yet.. But in reading this and seeing about the chance at when I start putting in my snaps I could basically destroy the entire job.. Pretty much I dont have a choice in using anything aside from E-6 which is why I am glad that its works as well as it does.. maybe I am hitting the panic button a little early since Im starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,be my luck the light is a train... guess maybe if I get get the making the snap plate footprint a little larger broke down for me.. gess im just not grasping that concept for whatever reason.. I understand the footprint idea, but not in relation to the snap plate....

[rugbyrat]

Hmmm...this seemed easy enough. I tried to make my first snap plates and because the necks of the snap backings expand (i.e., the necks are cone-shaped), the bottom of the snap does not lie flush with the bottom of the tab. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a different type of snap I should be using? I using heavy duty snaps by Dritz (5/8").

 

Thanks

Cadet Rugbyrat

Garrison Carrida Wanna-Be

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Kirby, you can make the plates slightly bigger, maybe 1.75" square, and when you apply the E6000, just spread some on the back of the snap plate on the plastic only. Spread some on the inside if the armor and clamp on the plastic of the snap plate, not the rivet.

 

This way, the plastic makes full contact with plastic, theres no adhesive on the metal to cause any reaction, and the E6000 is used as contact cement, not a filler.

 

I've found if you try to use it thick like a filler, it causes problems and thats not how its intended to be used.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

for a cone shaped snap, it's an easy solution to make the stud hole a little larger,

allowing the snap stud to fully pass though the tab, if it's a little tiny bit loose

that's usually ok.

 

when the snap tab is anvil/pliar attached to the tab, you can then flatten the bottom of the

tab by hammering the snap stud on a flat surface, while it's seated in the tab.

 

I also like to put a small piece of duct tape in a small area under the snap, to help

keep glue from touching it.

 

terry is right about using e6000 as a filler, it generates heat with that much application.

[rugbyrat]

Thanks Bondsrvent. An easy solution! I guess it was a little late and my brain turned off!

 

Cadet Rugbyrat.

[Gedstar]

My AM kit has just cleared customs and it will arrive tomorrow.

 

This thread is very much needed.

 

Cheers everyone.

 

Fadgadget

 

.England.

[BananoPower22[TK]]

I connected my shoulder bells and the forearm piece with the strap that was included with the AM kit but since I've got a crappy snap plier (and I don't know where to get a good one) the snap is very loose and it keeps slipping off. I kinda messed up my left strap so I'm looking for a replacement. What other material could I use as a strap?

[Gedstar]

Hurray... I'm in business... Armour has arrived.

 

When opening the box you can't help feel a sense of "OH YEAH BABY" to a sudden sense of "OH MY LORD, WHERE THE HELL DO I BEGIN!"

 

It's all a little daunting.

 

 

But in a good way....

 

[BananoPower22[TK]]

On 10/14/2010 at 6:11 AM, Gedstar said:

Hurray... I'm in business... Armour has arrived.

 

When opening the box you can't help feel a sense of "OH YEAH BABY" to a sudden sense of "OH MY LORD, WHERE THE HELL DO I BEGIN!"

 

It's all a little daunting.

 

 

But in a good way....

 

 

 Hahaha, trust me I really know what you mean there.

 

My first step was staring at the armor for about 30 minutes. Staring at its beauty!

 

I held together the bucket with adhesive tape.. good for a while but when i removed it left an unholy mess! But it was good for a while, now assembled it's even better!

 

 

 

[tkrestonva[TK]]

On 10/13/2010 at 6:14 AM, BananoPower22 said:

I connected my shoulder bells and the forearm piece with the strap that was included with the AM kit but since I've got a crappy snap plier (and I don't know where to get a good one) the snap is very loose and it keeps slipping off. I kinda messed up my left strap so I'm looking for a replacement. What other material could I use as a strap? 

 

Plain old black elastic will do. You can get it at just about any fabric store, in varying widths, and cut to however much length you choose to buy.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I use a leather strap for my shoulder bells. then I attach it so that the bells are 1/2 inch or smaller with from the plastic part.

I put the snap plates on the top of each bell, then the leather strap is attached just a little bit forward on the

top of each of my arms.

 

being mounted a little forward on your shoulders, the bells tend not to rotate backwards.

[Jorran]

On 1/14/2009 at 4:35 AM, stukatrooper said:

Tools.Now these have a funny name they are called Vario Pliers

 

 

 

Anyone know if there's a store in the US that carries this? I did a few online searches (Lowe's, Home Depot, Joann's, Michaels) but came up empty.

 

Or, where is the best place to order it online?

[Evolver79[TK]]

Anyone know if there's a store in the US that carries this? I did a few online searches (Lowe's, Home Depot, Joann's, Michaels) but came up empty.

 

Or, where is the best place to order it online?

 

I ordered mine from Joann's online. It's about $33.00. It's metal and feels pretty sturdy.

 

Here's the info:

 

#2614683 Dritz® Mighty Snap-A-Plier For Heavy Duty Snaps 1 $22.99

Edited November 4, 2010 by Evolver79

[TKRobert]

Yup, got my pair at Joanne's as well.

 

Anyone know if there's a store in the US that carries this? I did a few online searches (Lowe's, Home Depot, Joann's, Michaels) but came up empty.

 

Or, where is the best place to order it online?

[Jorran]

Excellent - thanks!

[CanadaTK1975]

Great ppictures. This will help out a lot.