How wide is the shoulder connection?

[batninja]

In this pic, the area circled:

 

It seems 1 1/2" wide, which makes sense if they used the same fabric for the drop box straps.

The Lancer specs do not mention a standard width yet.

 

Thoughts?

[Chef]

Ideally you want the armour sections to butt up together. And then the cover over that be as small as feasibly possible.

 

But we understand that armour types vary in length across this area, and people are not all the same size.

 

Make it as small as you can get away with.

[ShaunPug]

Can the material used for the belt (the canvas colored straps that hold the armor boxes) be used for the shoulder bridges?

[bjsavage7]

It's size seemed to be quite small on all the movie scouts, but I think if a mandatory width was determined, it would doom those larger members who's chest & back barely fit & need a longer connection. The CRL says they should be white cotton webbing, so yes, it should be the same material that holds the belt boxes.

[Chef]

BJ is right about the sizing....

 

It needs to be as small as you can make within the sizing of your frame and armour restraints, but not much smaller than 1.5" overall.

 

As for the type.

 

It's probably NOT drop box webbing, which is a heavy woven canvas type. The bridges are better made from the same cotton drill material that you make your CUMMERBUND from.

 

As you can see on this picture....

 

 

It's pretty thin. The canvas drop box strap webbing would sit far prouder on the shoulder than that.

[bjsavage7]

Yeah, the webbing is really thick. I used duck cloth for mine. It's seems to be the right texture & thickness.

The CRL gives the impression that it's the cotton webbing. Maybe I'm reading it wrong though. lol.

[Pandatrooper]

In my build thread, we had a discussion that it might have been 1" wide woven elastic sewn in a loop.

 

http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?showtopic=9781&st=20&p=82090entry82090

 

Could we come to a consensus and maybe I could add this to the strapping diagram? Perhaps we can propose to update the Lancer guidelines too?

 

Could be something flexible like "The shoulder bridge cover should ideally be 1" wide woven elastic sewn in a loop to cover the chest and back armor gap. If the trooper is bigger in build then the gap should be shimmed and a 1" woven elastic used to cover the gap. If a seam is visible due to a larger shim being used, a larger elastic loop or fabric loop can be used, as long as it is not overly large".

 

The above is just a suggestion. Would need buy in from everyone and staff of course.

[chimei]

Curious. I'll have to swap mine out for the fabric. It does look thinner. As for the larger guys, wouldn't a shim work to close up the "extra space" between the chest and back? Then the more narrow strap would fit fine

[Pandatrooper]

Yes that would work fine as long as the fabric elastic covered the seam of the shim as much as possible.