SNAPS ON CHEST ARMOR

TJDFett

Hunter
OK, I have taken a look around the forum, and I've decided to use snaps for the chest armor.

I want to use snaps because bolts would take away the option of cleaning my soft parts if need be. (maybe I spill something on it, or it's just plain nasty!)

I will more than likely also enable the use of Velcro in certain areas.

But my questions are as follows: What is the procedure in making sure that my snap placement will match up with my button placement on the armor? How can I be sure I'm putting the armor in the correct places? How do I install the snaps to the suit? And where can I find the materials?

Its my understanding that the buttons go on the armor, and the buttons can be glued. (I've heard that "goop" this the way to go, but I already have gorilla glue at the house)


Any input is appreciated, and please.....
POST PICTURES!

Thanks! :cheers
 
TJD,

The male part of the snap is on the vest, while the female part is on the armor. I used Gorilla superglue (darn good stuff) to secure the female part to the armor. The male part gets secured to the vest using the tools that come with the snap set. You can find them at your local hardware, craft, or fabric store.

When it comes to ensuring that your male and female snap parts line up, I would use a template of some kind. Place and secure the male snap on the vest. Use paper to trace around the armor. Place the template on top of the vest (over the snaps) and punch holes where the snaps are. Then take the template back to the armor and mark where the snaps will be. When you secure the female part of the snap, only glue snap portion to the armor...DO NOT secure the rounded part (designed to secure to fabric as well) to the snap.

I'm at work, so I do not have pics. Sorry...
 
If you've got fiberglass armor, CA glue the female portion to the fiberglass. Put a little bit of rub-n-buff on the edge and place it to the vest. The R&B will leave a silver ring on the vest. Punch your hole for the male portion in the center.
 
I use snaps on my armor as well, and my technique for lining it up properly is to coat the snaps with a little bit of masking fluid (watered down liquid latex). It will leave a small ring that you can wipe off once you get your hole made.
 
I use snaps on all my armor. I guess I did a bit differently from the others. I put the male side on the armor, including the round piece. This was epoxied in using 2 part epoxy. Then I stood in front of a mirror, wearing the vest, with another person, lined the armor up where it should have been, and pushed. Really hard. The snaps made a slight indentation in the vest, and the other person just touched a sharpie marker to the center. Holes punched and female snaps installed on the vest.

Probably not the most efficient way, but it worked.

Charlie
 
It is best to have some one help. I made paper templates of the armor, had my friend (It was his) put on the flak vest. Taped the templates in the correct positions on the vest. Touched a sharpie permanent marker where the male part of the snaps should go for a few seconds. The sharpie will bleed through the paper marking the vest. I used super strength hot glue to attach the female part to the fiberglass armor. Best to used heavy duty snaps that are not painted. Use a medium / course grit sandpaper and roughen the rounded side of the female snap. (I attached these as it gives more surface for the glue.) Make sure there is no paint on the underside of the armor pieces, as the snap can just pull off with the paint. Using the hot glue has a benefit as you can re-adjust the snap by using a heat gun or hair dryer on high to soften the glue.
 
i used plumbers putty to attach the female side onto a sintra tab then i then gooped into the armor. once that was all set up i took some green chalk and rubbed it on the the snaps then a friend of mine lined it up on my chest and pushed down on where the snaps were. this left a little green ring on the vest where i banged the male side in with a hammer.

there were two that didn't match up well, one on the neck piece and the other on the left chest. fortunately i didn't have the one on the chest on very well so when i went to pull the away from the armor it just popped off and i re-set it. and on the neck ended up not using either of the snaps on there because of the way i have the back plate set i just attach the neck to the back and it just floats there in the perfect spot.
 
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