Attaching armor

[scorcione]

Hello all - well - my DIY tactical mandalorian costume was an epic fail - it looked way too masculine and I hated it.. (insert big sigh)

I have ordered a set of armor (female Jango Fett style) by now - I don’t know how to attach the armor to the suit.. does anyone happen to have any advice for this step?

also - is there a particular suit I should look for for the armor to attach to? I have a bodysuit already - but I’m unsure if it’ll be correct

thank you all so much for your continued help and support in this beginners experience with her first mandalorian style build

sincerely

S. Corcione

 

[ShortFuse]

Here are a couple of different ways. There are others though.

Starts with post #139

General - ROTJ costume build (conversion from SE)

If youre going for the hero look you have other parts to add... check out my thread on the SE theres a few parts on the flame unit that were there in filming that NO ONE really bats an eye at.

www.thedentedhelmet.com

Or this way

Armor Attachment Method: Jewelry Pins with Clutch Backs.

Hey Team, I have been looking into different ways to attach the armor to the flak vest. My goal was to find an easier way to attach the armor while still being able to make small adjustments and fine tune the placement while keeping the flak vest in tact. This is my solution for Easy, Cheap...

www.thedentedhelmet.com

 

[Cadet]

Typically your armor is attached to a "Flak" vest, a sleeveless garment that you wear on top of your flightsuit/body suit. It's a good idea to have it made out of a stiffer material, like Duck Cloth, Leather, or double layered cotton or polyester material. You want something slightly stiffer or with some "body" to it so it can support the weight of your plates without drooping or sagging.

There are multiple ways to attach your armor to your vest. Velcro, Snaps, Bolts and grommets, magnets, and the Jewelry Pin Back method. I currently have Snaps on my Boba and Jewelry Pin backs on my Custom Mando. I have found the the Jewelry pin back method to be the most forgiving in terms of adjusting placement, as with many of the other methods you have to make sure you get the spacing and position perfect, as they are semi-permanent methods, but the Jewelry Pin backs allow you to reposition and adjust parts as needed.

 

[Irongladiator]

scorcione
I completed my very first ROTJ Boba Fett Hero cosplay last year. And am now working on various upgrades to make it THAT much better!

So, I used the "Bolts and Grommet" method, First thing I did was attach my bolts to the armor. I used the following:
Qty - Part
23 - #10-32 x 1/2 Inch Bolt
23 - 1/4 Inch Fender Washers
1 - 30 Pack Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks (Only used about 7-8 Glue Sticks)

I originally wanted the hot glue to be temporary but they were strong enough that even with some force to try and remove them they wouldn't budge. That was all the test I needed.

After I got the Bolts attached to the armor I then placed my armor on my vest to get spacing correct, I did so via this method:
Step 1: Place your armor with flat grommet pieces under it, and adjust where needed to get the armor looking right.
Step 2: Using something long and skinny (I used a long scissors) maneuver the grommets in a way that they'll seat the screw just right. Also go under the fabric and gently lift it to see if the screw will land correctly in the grommet.
Step 3: Do Step 2, for all other grommets.
Step 4: Very gently lift the armor leaving the flat grommets in place and then with a sharpie, put a dot in the center of the grommets.

Once that was completed I then started to install the grommets. Here are the steps I took....
Step 1: Hammer on the grommet cutting tool, which doesn't cut all the way through Arkady's vest material by the way.
Step 2: You can see the circle indent it makes.
Step 3: Using a hobby knife, cut out the hole.
Step 4: You'll also have some padding to deal with underneath, so make sure to clean that out.
Step 5: Using the Grommet Cutting Tool Hammer the hole again. (This is for the reverse side)
Step 6: Flip the Vest over and you should see the indent, Using a hobby knife, cut that piece out.
Step 7: Put on the Grommet.
Step 8: Pound on the Grommet.

When I was finished, the end result was this....

It was a chore indeed and felt great once done....and the armor mounted?

Hope this helps!

Thanks,
-Iron

 

[bryceelischer]

Hello all - well - my DIY tactical mandalorian costume was an epic fail - it looked way too masculine and I hated it.. (insert big sigh)

I have ordered a set of armor (female Jango Fett style) by now - I don’t know how to attach the armor to the suit.. does anyone happen to have any advice for this step?

also - is there a particular suit I should look for for the armor to attach to? I have a bodysuit already - but I’m unsure if it’ll be correct

thank you all so much for your continued help and support in this beginners experience with her first mandalorian style build

sincerely

S. Corcione

The simplest way is to use high strength Velcro. If you check out Galactic Armory website he has a full video and tutorial on how he attaches armor to the flight suit/vest whatever you may be using.

 

[Sandra1976]

Do you seriously use nuts and bolts to attach the armour plates? Or only bolts into grommets? Does this hold together by friction?

I think I will rather look into the jewelry pin method, or maybe press studs. I do not like velcro very much. It has a fatal tendency to stick to things it should not stick to.

 

[Irongladiator]

Sandra1976
.....For me, yep, I used Bolts, Nuts, Washers and Grommets. I can tell you that this is not the easiest of processes, but rest assured (and this is my opinion) that the pros outweigh the cons. That armor, once mounted, will not go anywhere.


Thanks,
-Iron

 

[Sandra1976]

Makes sense, I guess...I mean, it would be really embarrassing walking around and armour plates falling off...

 

[Sandra1976]

Has anybody ever tried what I know as "Chicago screws"? I used that sometimes for horse tack. Like these:

Chicago Screws (7 mm)

Screw Rivets / Chicago Screws Are screwed from the back. For punching the holes in the leather, we recommend a revolver punch (various types…

www.rickert-werkzeug.de

They worked pretty well to attach layers of leather. One disadvantage is that you are stuck to a certain thickness of materials. Otherwise, the stuff held together will wobble around...

 

[AlphaCloneFett]

Do you seriously use nuts and bolts to attach the armour plates? Or only bolts into grommets? Does this hold together by friction?

I think I will rather look into the jewelry pin method, or maybe press studs. I do not like velcro very much. It has a fatal tendency to stick to things it should not stick to.

Clutch lock back pins, these work like a charm, use 5 min epoxy on armor to attach pin, make sure to use a razor to scuff the armor in a crosshatch pattern, I never had a problem with the plates falling off!

 

[intothevoid]

I use a leather flak with heavy duty 3m Velcro ( purchased 2inch wide roll by 50ft ) also stitched it into my flight suit to hold leg and other armor in place even worked well on my back plate with jet pack ( even with the extra weight )
do not want to see any straps or buckles

Hope this helps --- Best of luck with your build

 

[Irongladiator]

Do you seriously use nuts and bolts to attach the armour plates?

...This is the way.

 

[Sandra1976]

Okay, then I have to sort out how to do it. If there is a will, there is a way...