TKZombie Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 8 hours ago, Cadet said: Potentially dumb question, but, when making your own "rank bar" do you just cut off the tabs on the light covers and glue it directly to the bar? I was starting to get ready to actually cut the slits for the tabs into the bar and felt like that was too much, especially since the bar should rest flat. When I made my Snowtrooper the chest bar with the red buttons are just glued directly onto the metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navajo Bro Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 13 hours ago, Cadet said: Potentially dumb question, but, when making your own "rank bar" do you just cut off the tabs on the light covers and glue it directly to the bar? I was starting to get ready to actually cut the slits for the tabs into the bar and felt like that was too much, especially since the bar should rest flat. I cut off the tabs, dremel it smooth, add a small plastic scrap inside to make it flush and then glue it onto the aluminum. For this I used a small black square because that looked like it was there in the photo (if not I'll just redo one). Check out my build here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BrodustrialLightAndMagic/photos/?tab=album&album_id=466932914243441 This is just a fun facebook page for the guys who come and do work with me, at some point I'll probably do a WIP / Tutorial if my boy Taylor @Ruthar doesn't do it first! He's very skilled and also very detailed in his forum threads, he makes them very easy to follow with links and all sorts of organization I just throw up photos and explanations hahaha! Bag is done as far as I can tell: You can also look at the photobucket album for more shots, or is someone needs anything specific let me know I'd be happy to take photos or explain if need be. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthar Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Navajo Bro said: I cut off the tabs, dremel it smooth, add a small plastic scrap inside to make it flush and then glue it onto the aluminum. For this I used a small black square because that looked like it was there in the photo (if not I'll just redo one). Check out my build here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BrodustrialLightAndMagic/photos/?tab=album&album_id=466932914243441 This is just a fun facebook page for the guys who come and do work with me, at some point I'll probably do a WIP / Tutorial if my boy Taylor @Ruthar doesn't do it first! He's very skilled and also very detailed in his forum threads, he makes them very easy to follow with links and all sorts of organization I just throw up photos and explanations hahaha! Bag is done as far as I can tell: You can also look at the photobucket album for more shots, or is someone needs anything specific let me know I'd be happy to take photos or explain if need be. Awesome awesome, looks great, @Navajo Bro! I haven't yet attached the strap, still waiting for the chicago screws to arrive tomorrow, but here's where it's at. It's super easy to build - just a metal bar with some rank bar pieces. A fun little side project! The lighting is fun with this one, kind of similar to the officer uniforms. It shifts from tan to olive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XoreX Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Got my bag today Hope it's the right one. All I need is the belt, a speaker for sound (maybe) and a "baby Yoda". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I already have the bag from a uk army outfit I used to use , but that belt is proving difficult to find here in the UK . Its on uk eBay , but as an import from America. Its beginning to look like I'm going to have to spend four times it's value to get one inc shipping ...darn . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSM76 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 I already have the bag from a uk army outfit I used to use , but that belt is proving difficult to find here in the UK . Its on uk eBay , but as an import from America. Its beginning to look like I'm going to have to spend four times it's value to get one inc shipping ...darn . Yep, same here. Ordered 2 for roughly 20$ with 30$ added for shipping....Gesendet von meinem ONEPLUS A6013 mit Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrighton Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 The belt is, indeed, a pain outside of the States but the bag mentioned in the draft CRL is easy enough and darn cheap https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Unissued-WW2-Pattern-37-Large-Pack-Khaki/233288171032?hash=item36510efe18:g:tQ4AAOSwPuhdLHfv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jadloc Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Hi scouts. I need help for my punch-bag. I have the bag, I have the rank bar, but impossible to find a belt in Europe. The only one available is that of Dreadmaster, but the shipping costs exceed $ 50. Would it be possible, one of you will order it and send it to me at the correct price, of course I will pay everything Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dart Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Hey guys, I know the whole "baby Yoda punching" thing is going around, but let's try to stay away from calling the bag a "punching bag", ok? I know that's what was going on during the episode, but I think we're better than that. Keep it classy, scouts! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldrepublicjedi Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 For those in Europe who need the belt. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BELT-VINTAGE-MILITARY-STYLE-WITH-DOUBLE-PRONG-BUCKLE-100-COTTON-ROTHCO-4171/383245155916?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=651761891247&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&redirect=mobile 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jadloc Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 16 hours ago, oldrepublicjedi said: For those in Europe who need the belt. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BELT-VINTAGE-MILITARY-STYLE-WITH-DOUBLE-PRONG-BUCKLE-100-COTTON-ROTHCO-4171/383245155916?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=651761891247&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&redirect=mobile he doesn't deliver to my country 😥 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 So I have what are I suspect the correct red squares , and am going to use them , and the stitching on the bag to reference the dimensions for my ally plate ... all well and good , but here's the thing ...I initially assumed the white centre square was simply the white insides from a red one , but I can't get the white centre out . So ... what actually is the white centre square ? It appears to have a dark circle ( hole/ screw head/ rivet) in its centre .What is everyone using please ?? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Ok, I've not read Navajo Bro's excelent Facebook blog ...cheers guy ! After a bit of wrangling I removed the white centre from one of my light lenses and cut off the securing tabs. Lining them up , all looks well . As we don't know what the dark circle in the middle of the white square is yet , I'm going to fake it with a small dot of paint or decal for now . However , my Chicago screws look to be the next size up ...I need smaller ones I think .Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 For some reason auto correct replaced the word " just" with the word " not" No idea why , but I intended to say " I've just read Navajo bros excelent build diary " . Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navajo Bro Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 lol no worries glad to help! I used cap rivets on the edges of the bar, and a thick square of ABS plastic for the center white switch. I also used a pencil eraser and paint to make the dot, then weathered it off a little: Cap rivets are here in this photo along with the chicago screws for size reference: Plastic square for center switch: Dot / weathering: (two bags) After it dried I sanded it off a bit: I have no intention of becoming a vendor or continuous maker of these bars, but I did buy the metal rings, screws, cap rivets, bars and switches in bulk because I have about a dozen bags we're making with members here in NJ. I will have some extra hardware and if anyone is really having an issue finding the stuff hit me up, I can sell you the parts for cost plus shipping. I'll have to figure out how much it is but off the top of my head a full set of hardware parts is around $15-20 cost. Here is a breakdown of parts I used and believe you'll need (from first photo in this post, but not assembled) (2) metal rings (2) cap rivets (8) Chicago screws (corrected solid ones) (2) red switches (2) black plastic square for under the red switches (1) white plastic square for middle switch (1) aluminum bar (approximately 3.5" long) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fett Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Guys, for that center "dot" on the white, just use a nail head or something similar. That's what the original concept they were going for basically did. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenyone Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Been working on one of these. The bag I sourced on ebay from a Military Surplus supplier sent me a grey-ish/blue-ish 'RAF' bag. It was considerably cheaper ($15 usd) at the time I bought it than other sellers who had the Khaki bags. I guess this is the Air Force version. I'd highly suggest anyone else just find a supplier who can guarantee a brownish/khaki bag. This was too much work to get it looking tan/khaki. The bag I got also appeared to have been modified at some point in it's life. It had black canvas compartments sewn into the interior and the straps were moved to the sides of the bag instead of being on the backside. The stitching really gave that away. You could tell it was not original when comparing to the rest of the bags stitching. Anyway, after removing the extra sewn on bits and pieces and using the RIT color/dye remover it ended up being a lighter shade of grey/blue. So I soaked it in bleach water overnight. That only made it slightly lighter. After than I attempted to dye it with RIT tan dye which made it way too dark. In hindsight I should have not followed the instructions which states to leave it in the hot dye bath for 20 minutes. A few minutes may have actually been sufficient. So I scrubbed it with a bleach paste and let it soak in bleached water over night. Still to dark. Over the past couple weeks I just kept throwing this thing in the washing machine with some bleach. After about a dozen cycles it's a reasonable sandy tan color. On to the belt/strap. It's new from Amazon and truly is khaki in color....however not even close to being a match to the now tan dyed and distressed previously grey bag. So back to the RIT color remover and Tan dye. Sorry no picture, but the darn thing turned Mustard Yellow. UGH! So back to the color remover again. Following that I tried some brown RIT dye to try an avoid the yellowish color. I only put about a 1/4 of the bottle of dye in the bath and soaked the belt in the stove-top solution for about 4 minutes...and.... still too dark. But it was closer. So I went back to the washing machine and beat this thing up over a few cycles with bleach. As you can see above....Finally a decent match. Lesson: JUST BUY A KHAKI BAG!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatfoodRob Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Mine is still green , I'm going to have a go at getting the green out , but to be honest will probably just buy a sand coloured one . Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navajo Bro Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 So using the information Andrew found about the nail head for the center switch, I dug out some 1 1/2" aluminum nails I had in the shed. I used the cutting part of the pliers to snip off the head, as it's obviously way too long and I don't want to push it all the way through. Soft aluminum nails are super easy to cut this way, if you can give a firm handshake you can do it lol Just be careful though, it snaps off easy but the top and/or nail part will both fly away. I did it over a box and with my other hand cupping the top. Impossible to photograph by myself but you get the idea: Using a 1/8" bit I drilled into the plastic square just through it and not into the aluminum bar. This way I can toss in some glue and pop the head in. It's not actually holding anything it's all aesthetic. I think this works perfectly and looks great but please feel free to give me some feeback! If anything it might be a tad larger then screen the screen used so I might visit the hardware store and see what else they might have. For now I'm super happy with it Took me about 20 minutes to upgrade the four bags I've made so far, as well as three rank bars for the next set of bags I'll include both a nail and nail head in the parts bags a few of you have asked for. Remember - it's soft and easy to cut but still metal so be careful, the cut edge will be sharp. You can use a file to smooth it out if you want, but for me my nail heads went into the rank bar 30 seconds after being snipped so I didn't really bother. One or two of them were slightly longer then the square though, so instead of going into the aluminum I did in fact file those down. Easy enough, just remember to be careful of the metal shavings as you do it, nothing worse then getting this stuff in your eyes or on your skin if you are not careful hahaha! Also, clearly the screen accurate method is to use the white inside part of the red switch, simply without the red switch part. Two issues with this (for me)... I don't want to waste the switches because they run $2 - $2.50 each and if you use the white part the red part is useless. Second, the switch is not flush on the bottom so using this method of drilling a hole only partially though and gluing it in might not work if you use a regular switch as there will be extra space and not much to grip. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fett Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 This is the way. LOL. Yep, you got it. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSM76 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Damn it.... Now I have to upgrade it... That's my version right at the moment (added the belt yesterday and thought I was done) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fett Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alay Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I'm almost positive the middle button on the bar has a clear cover on it. The sizing looks the same across all three. I've been making them like this to sell. Dot might be a hole where another rivet is mounted on set, or a decal. Here's one I added to a pack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSM76 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I will try and play around with putting something under the clear cover, the next time I have time to get at it.Gesendet von meinem ONEPLUS A6013 mit Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navajo Bro Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 On 1/23/2020 at 12:12 PM, Alay said: I'm almost positive the middle button on the bar has a clear cover on it. The sizing looks the same across all three. I've been making them like this to sell. Dot might be a hole where another rivet is mounted on set, or a decal. Here's one I added to a pack I like the clear cover, I'm going to check that out Out of curiosity, what length are you making the aluminum bar? Taylor and I are using 3 1/2" long. My Snowie chest plate bar is 3 3/4" long, I went a little shorter than the Snowie bit but honestly with no actual clear cut reference it's all guess work hahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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