Bolts VS Snaps for Sintra

Kilryth

Hunter
Let's face it: Bolts are ideal. They pull the armor tight, you don't have to worry about it coming undone, so long as the armor material and glue can take it. Therein lies my question...

I have 3mm Sintra armor, and I know (thru others) that snaps do a great job with it. Bobamaker's bolt tutorial is very similar to the popular snap method, but it brings the armor in tighter.

Does anyone know if 3mm Sintra can handle the stress of Bobamaker's bolt method? I'll probably be using JB Weld, as my armorsmith recommended it for his Sintra armor.

I'm sure that the more surface area the "glue" covers, the more force it'll take to rip the bolt off (or tear up the sintra).

My other question is: How MUCH closer do bolts pull the armor to the vest? Photos of armorsets would help here, preferribly those that have been heatmolded to the Mando's body. It doesn't say much about the attachment method if the armor is too flat (because its tension pulls away from the vest).
 
Let's face it: Bolts are ideal. They pull the armor tight, you don't have to worry about it coming undone, so long as the armor material and glue can take it. Therein lies my question...

I have 3mm Sintra armor, and I know (thru others) that snaps do a great job with it. Bobamaker's bolt tutorial is very similar to the popular snap method, but it brings the armor in tighter.

Does anyone know if 3mm Sintra can handle the stress of Bobamaker's bolt method? I'll probably be using JB Weld, as my armorsmith recommended it for his Sintra armor.

I'm sure that the more surface area the "glue" covers, the more force it'll take to rip the bolt off (or tear up the sintra).

My other question is: How MUCH closer do bolts pull the armor to the vest? Photos of armorsets would help here, preferribly those that have been heatmolded to the Mando's body. It doesn't say much about the attachment method if the armor is too flat (because its tension pulls away from the vest).


Here's a method I've been using for years with great success. You'll need a good amount of leather boot lacing so buy it in a spool. Next purchase a 24" x 24" section of scrap leather rawhide. Cut the rawhide into 1 1/4" squares then punch 2 holes into each rawhide square side-by-side using a small hole punch and hammer. Do this over a scrap piece of wood so not to dull your hole punch tool. Once you've got all your rawhide squares cut and punched put them aside and get your spool of leather boot lace. Cut the boot lace into 10" lengths. You'll need about 2-3 dozen lengths for the job. Now we have to center and mark your body armor on your vest! Trace all your body onto construction paper and cut each one out to make a stencil. Mark your connection spots on each paper stencil with a pencil then punch a hole over your marks with a paper hole punch. After you've marked and punched all the holes in your paper armor stencils simply tape them to your flak vest. Do this while the flak vest is on the mannequin and not on a flat surface. Once the paper stencils have been centered take a pencil and mark the punched holes of your stencils onto your flak vest. Remove your paper stencils and remove your flak vest from the mannequin. Now here's where your personal preference comes into play... You can either simply punch holes into your flak vest over your pencil marks with a sharp pencil or xacto knife whatever or you can do the more laborious task of movie accuracy and place brass grommets over every marked hole using a grommet tool? I prefer the grommets myself. Now go to your real body armor...Take the same paper stencil and mark the backside of your body armor with a pencil then texture the area with some sandpaper. Using fiberglass resin with a thickening agent, Bondo or resin paste etc. bond each and every leather boot lace folded at it's center to each pencil mark on your body armor. Once this is completed and allowed to cure insert each leather lace one at a time through it's proper grommet hole located on the flak vest. Take your pre-cut leather squares with the 2 holes punched and fish the laces into each hole of the leather square pulling the armor firmly against the flak vest and tie the leather laces into a knot right up against the leather square like you would a button & thread. Repeat this with all other laces and squares and you'll have a secure setting that is both comfortable and practical. In my opinion this what they did with the movie version. Hope this helps.

Christian
 
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