Nicole Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 As many of you know, before the end of the week I should have my KS helmet and armor kit. I'm obviously going to have to hack it down to fit a 5'2" girl, so I was wondering if anyone has experience and can tell me if a dremmel is the way to go, or iSight an exacto knife and sanding it, or some other way? I have Jeni's tutorial to use as a guide, but I'm looking for some clarity because I'm worried to alter the armor! My 2nd question is about using a heat gun. On the chest piece and forearm pieces I know I'm going to have to heat it up and mold it to fit me, but I heard there is a huge warping possibility... So I'm worried of bending it too much or actually melting it. Again just looking for some clarity or pro tips. If anyone can help me out I would appreciate it so much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Sorry guys I'm on my iPhone at work posting this; I meant to say 'or is an exacto knife' instead of iSight or whatever came up lol =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Sorry guys I'm on my iPhone at work posting this; I meant to say 'or is an exacto knife' instead of iSight or whatever came up lol =] I speak iPhone too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimei Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 i just got a heat gun today myself. i'm not using it until i get my racing suit. no sense in "shaping" the arm pieces to my size until i know how much room i have wearing the undersuit...and i have to wait for the vinyl to arrive before i can do the boots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dart Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 As many of you know, before the end of the week I should have my KS helmet and armor kit. I'm obviously going to have to hack it down to fit a 5'2" girl, so I was wondering if anyone has experience and can tell me if a dremmel is the way to go, or iSight an exacto knife and sanding it, or some other way? I have Jeni's tutorial to use as a guide, but I'm looking for some clarity because I'm worried to alter the armor! My 2nd question is about using a heat gun. On the chest piece and forearm pieces I know I'm going to have to heat it up and mold it to fit me, but I heard there is a huge warping possibility... So I'm worried of bending it too much or actually melting it. Again just looking for some clarity or pro tips. Considering the amount of cutting you'll need to do, I'd still suggest going with an exacto knife over a dremel. The knife will give you more control with your cuts. I'd suggest you get a good, short straight-edge to cut against to make sure you get straight lines when you cut. You'll still have to sand the edges so you might also consider getting a good double-sided file (flat on one side, rounded on the other). As for the heat issue, just be careful. ABS tends to need a lot of heat to bend but when it hits that point it can bend quickly. Just heat things slowly and evenly and bend things the same way (slowly and evenly) so you can minimize any warping. The chest/back don't really bend well across the chest, even with heat, so I'd just try to get the strapped ends bent to the right angle as opposed to trying to get the whole chest or back to bend around your body. Plan all your cuts and where you want to bend the armour bits before you do anything. I know you'll want to get this done sooner than later but before you do anything, give it the 24 hour test (if the plan still makes sense then, it's probably ok). And of course, you've got BSN to fall back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Try and find some sort of gloves too, or you might cut the crap out of your fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acrylikhan Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 More importantly make sure that you have your flightsuit and cummerbund done BEFORE cutting and shaping anything. Your armor and flightsuit and cummerbund have a symbiotic relationship. Remember that! It would be a tragedy if you cut your chest armor incorrectly and have a black gap between that and your cummerbund. Poster board can help with tricky shapes, and can help visualize what your armor should look like. Plan all of your cuts first by marking them up with pencil instead of marker. Marker is harder to remove from ABS than pencil is. Measure twice cut once. Its better to cut shallow than cutting deep. You can always sand away offending extra material. Putting it back what you have cut off is extremely difficult. Unless you have used a Dremel before, stay away from it unless you have large areas to remove. An X-acto is the way to go,.. make multiple, gentle scoring cuts through the plastic. Protective gloves, as Grifin-X said, is a very good plan. Your local big box hardware store should have plenty to chose from without breaking you wallet. Be sure to add sandpaper... 220-grit ...to your arsenal! Heating ABS does require a lot of heat, so heat it slowly, until it starts to move a little bit. Too much heat too fast will cause warping and blistering. Slow heat, and gently shape then... SHOCK it with a cold rag. Make sure you wear some cloth gloves to protect your fingers, and definitely get some one to help you. Two sets of hands are always better than one! JediJennie did an excellent tutorial for her Armor. Check it out for any tips she has to offer. And of course, we're here too! Post pictures if you can and will do our best to guide your hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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