Homemake Plexiglas/canvas armor (pic heavy!!!)

[rawbutter]

Homemade Plexiglas/canvas armor (pic heavy!!!)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198594_10150118843988321_612123320_6438619_4399041 _n.jpg http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/190720_10150118843958321_612123320_6438618_1864087 _n.jpg

Before I start this super long post, let me get two things out of the way first.

1. Yes, I know I’m a dork, and I’m comfortable with that, so please don’t muddle up my thread with infantile flaming about how stupid this all is. If you feel the need to belittle someone else to boost your own self-esteem, that’s what PBN is for.

2. And yes, I’m also aware that wearing armor makes me a wuss, and REAL paintballers don’t need no stinkin’ armor! And I totally agree. For the record, usually I play in only a long sleeve t-shirt, or a BDU jacket if the weather’s really cold.

So, why on earth would I spend all this time and money to make armor? Because I’m out of work and I was bored and this was a creative project to keep my mind occupied. It’s really that simple.

On to the actual project (next post).

[rawbutter]

The brainchild for this idea actually happened a few years ago. I came back from one relatively unlucky day of paintball when I got shot a LOT and didn’t manage to hit anyone else. When the welts started showing up, I realized that most of them were on my right arm. Since then, I’ve paid a lot of attention to WHERE I get hit, and I’ve realized that about 90% of the shots that hit my body hit me in the right arm/shoulder when I’m leaning out from behind a tree to snap shoot. (Actually, I’m most often hit in the mask and gun/hopper, but there’s no point in putting armor on those, is there?)

So, during my unemployed boredom, I decided to take a crack at making some armor just for the fun of it. Initially, I only planned to make a piece or two for my right forearm and bicep area (since that’s where I’m most often hit), but then I got a little carried away and made pieces for my other arm and thighs.

Now that it’s done, I thought I’d show it off and write out some instructions in case anyone else is interested in doing.

Supplies:

Plexiglas
rivets/washers
canvas
velcro
straps/buckles/elastic
super glue


Tools needed:

rivet gun
blow torch/heat gun
clamps
drill
utility knife
sewing machine (optional)
thick work gloves
dry erase markers



Costs:

I guess this depends. I think I spent about $60 when it was all said and done because I already owned all the tools I needed. Nevertheless, I still spent $20 on the Plexiglas, about $15 on the canvas, and another $20-$30 on rivets. (I think I used about 150 small rivets, and maybe another 20 or 30 medium rivets.)

Time is also a significant cost. This isn’t a weekend project. In fact, I thought it was a weekend project, but after my first Saturday working on this (for 6-8 hours), I only finished ONE piece of armor. I got faster as I went along and had a better idea of what I was doing, but I spent roughly one working day on each major piece… not to mention all the time running back to the hardware store for more rivets. (Someone please tell me why they sell rivets in packs of 100, but they only sell rivet washers in packs of 40! In what universe does that make sense!!!)

[rawbutter]

Step 1:

First, you need a pattern. This is the flat shape that can bend into the shape you’re ultimately going to end up with. I just used some old brown paper. By cutting a piece and wrapping it around your arm or wherever the armor is going to go, you can get an idea for the size/shape of Plexiglas needed.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189636_10150118844788321_612123320_6438639_3815300 _n.jpg

[rawbutter]

Step 2:

Trace the basic outline of your pattern onto the Plexiglas with a dry erase marker. Then, using a straightedge and a utility knife, score the Plexiglas a few times. Once the plastic is scored, it will break cleanly along that edge. For big pieces, I braced the Plexiglas over the edge of my workbench and just used my hands to bend the plastic along the line. For small pieces, I used a clamp.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200581_10150118849393321_612123320_6438711_5585608 _n.jpg

Sometimes, even despite the best efforts, the break isn’t 100% clean, but you can always just break off those smaller blemishes with a clamp or some pliers.

Alternatively, you could use a dremel/rotozip tool to cut the Plexiglas. In fact, for some pieces, I HAD to use my rotozip because the scoring/bending method only works for straight cuts. For curved cuts (like the leg pieces I made), I had to use a more flexible tool, hence the rotozip.

I should mention here that you CAN buy small 1’x1’ sheets of Plexiglas, but to save money I bought a BIG piece (3’x4’) and then cut it up into smaller sections. Just be sure to plan out all your pieces ahead of time so you can maximize the usage out of your plastic and not throw away too much.

[rawbutter]

Step 3:

We’ll need a place to secure our fabric, so drill holes in the corners of the Plexiglas, and add a few more holes along any long edges. (I used a 3/16 drill bit.) You want a hole roughly every 3 to 4 inches.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197962_10150118844173321_612123320_6438623_2921555 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199850_10150118844198321_612123320_6438624_5221889 _n.jpg

Something else I did (since I didn’t want to risk sharp edges poking me) is to round off the corners by just scoring/breaking the 90 degree edges in my clamp. The result is a much less pokey look.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188979_10150118849563321_612123320_6438715_293715_ n.jpg

[rawbutter]

Step 4:

Now we need something to cover the Plexiglas. I suppose you could just paint it somehow, but I liked the idea of having a fabric skin that I could decorate or apply camouflage to. For my project, I bought an old canvas duffel bag from a surplus army/navy store. I wanted something that was already “weathered” and distressed, and I liked that it had some neat features, like buckles and pockets. Alternatively, you could buy plain canvas from a fabric shop. Or… you could use vinyl, or leather… the possibilities are endless. You just need something that is durable and won’t stretch too much.

Anyway, once you have a fabric picked out, cut a piece to fit your plastic. Be sure to leave plenty of extra around the edges so you can fold it over onto itself.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197242_10150118843863321_612123320_6438615_7280095 _n.jpg

[rawbutter]

Step 5:

This step is somewhat optional, depending on whether (a) you have a good sewing machine and (b) know how to use it. Since canvas has a tendency to unravel, I stitched a line along the edges to prevent fraying. If you were using something else, however, like leather or vinyl or nylon, you might not have this problem.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197855_10150118849458321_612123320_6438713_809420_ n.jpg http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200426_10150118849528321_612123320_6438714_178723_ n.jpg

If sewing isn’t an option, you could use superglue to bend up any loose edges when you get to step 7, or just leave a LOT of extra material around the edges.

[rawbutter]

Step 6:

Now we get to the fun part. Using a blowtorch, you need to slowly heat up the plastic so it will bend. You don’t want to go so far that the plastic starts to bubble, but you need to get everything hot enough so it flexes nicely. Since the blowtorch has such a small flame, this involves just going back and forth with the flame and trying to raise the temperature of the plastic as slowly and evenly as possible.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199998_10150118843803321_612123320_6438613_17896_n .jpg

Once you’ve heated up the plastic, getting it into shape can be tricky. You can freehand it if you’re confident enough (and I did do just that for a few of the smaller pieces), but I found it works better if you have a mold of some sort. For instance, I used a couple of different molds from objects around the house. For my forearms, I used an old wine bottle that had the right tapering. For my biceps, I used a small paint can (er... I mean... I used a really big, beefy, muscular-looking paint can). For my thighs, I actually used a small metal trash can. Using duct tape, you can secure one part of the plastic to the mold so it doesn’t shift around too much, and then focus on bending the other part.

VIDEO:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LEbO8mRpxj4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Note: the video is heavily time-lapsed... the whole process of bending this one piece took about fifteen minutes

Be patient and just bend a little bit at a time. If you bend too much and have to bend the plastic back, then it gets ugly-looking fold marks, so it’s better to just take it nice and slow.

I should also suggest that before starting, you should practice on a smallish piece of Plexiglas, and by “practice,” I mean start small but eventually melt and bend it into oblivion so you have a good idea for the plastic’s tolerances.

When you’re done, you should have a decent curve, like this.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199866_10150118843768321_612123320_6438612_2313613 _n.jpg

Or like this...
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188732_10150118843718321_612123320_6438611_3667335 _n.jpg

This piece is actually the one I'm most proud of. I know it looks bad, but there's actually two different curves going on. At the top there's a broad curve to go over the shoulder, and then it tapers to a narrower curve for the bicep area.

[rawbutter]

Step 7:

Now, you could paint the Plexiglas, I suppose, but I’m not the best painter, so I applied a canvas “skin” over the plastic. First, I used little dabs of superglue to secure the canvas to the plastic in the right spot (no picture… sorry, but the superglue really worked well to keep the canvas from moving around while I worked on the rivets). Then, I folded over the edges and hammered a nail through the hole I had drilled previously in step 3.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189892_10150118844743321_612123320_6438637_977876_ n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189516_10150118844698321_612123320_6438636_3546328 _n.jpg

Next, time for the rivet gun. Poke the rivet through both layers of fabric and the plastic and tighten it down. For only two layers of plastic, I found the small/short rivets worked perfectly, but at the corners where I had four or sometimes six layers of fabric, I used medium-length rivets.

And no, the rough insides of the rivets don’t irritate my skin if I wear a long sleeve shirt. Against bare skin, the rivets can scratch a little, though.

This is by far the longest/most tedious part of the project. Canvas does NOT like to rip or stretch, so even after poking a hole with a nail, I often had to expand said hole to get the rivet to go through. I found that the best method was actually to twist a thick screw through the fabric, or use a larger drill bit and twist by hand.

Anyway, once you have all the corners and edges riveted, the armor looks pretty good.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200375_10150118849363321_612123320_6438710_7302907 _n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200426_10150118849528321_612123320_6438714_178723_ n.jpg

[rawbutter]

Step 8:

Well, now you have a piece of armor, but you need to attach it to yourself somehow, don’t you?

I’m sure someone out there can come up with a better solution, but my idea was to sacrifice an old, long-sleeve green t-shirt and stick on Velcro strips. Then, I stuck more Velcro inside the armor, like so.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200642_10150118843623321_612123320_6438607_6871213 _n.jpg

However, this only kept the armor from sliding down. It didn’t prevent it from bouncing around when I walked. So, to fix that problem, I cut up an old unneeded backpack and used the straps to keep the armor tight. I also had some elastic straps from an old project, so I sewed on some of those too.

I’m pretty pleased with the end result. It moves well with me. In fact, the pieces stay put even when I’m jogging. It also covers all the areas where I’m most often hit.

The armor does restrict some movement, but not enough to be a problem. For example, while wearing the arm pieces, I can’t bend my elbow all the way back, but when I’m carrying a paintball gun, I never bend back my elbow that much anyway.

I haven’t played with it yet, but my buddies and I are talking about playing next month, so I’m planning on trying it out then (and I’m planning on being laughed at too). I’ll let everyone know then how well it holds up to being shot.

Finished pieces:

Right forearm:
This was my first piece, and as such it’s the least “fancy.” It only covers 50% of my forearm, and it has elastic straps and Velcro to hold it in place.


http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189728_10150118845038321_612123320_6438650_948700_ n.jpg

Right arm:
The larger plate goes on the outside. The smaller, curvier piece goes around the inside of my bicep and buckles together. The clasp at the top has no purpose. It’s just decoration, I guess.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196254_10150118844908321_612123320_6438643_3114887 _n.jpg

Left leg piece:

The pouch isn’t part of the canvas. I added that on top. Since the armor covers my front pocket, I needed a place to hold some things.

Also, I should point out the little loop at the top. That actually goes over my belt to hold the armor up (it’s a few inches long… it just looks really short in the pic because it’s bent over). Then, the strap at the bottom goes around the leg to keep it from bouncing around.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200622_10150118844648321_612123320_6438635_6301314 _n.jpg

Right leg piece:
The pocket and handhold was part of the duffel bag. I think it adds some neat detail to the armor, though they probably have no practical use. (The pocket is really small. I could probably barely fit my cell phone in there.)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189103_10150118849283321_612123320_6438708_2454581 _n.jpg

Left forearm:
I made this piece pretty late, when I was much more confident about the melting/bending process. As such, it covers almost 90% of my arm. To get it on, I just push my arm through the slit, and the plastic bends outward. Then, the strap/buckle keeps it snug and in place.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200306_10150118844508321_612123320_6438632_2792588 _n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189996_10150118844593321_612123320_6438634_2501720 _n.jpg

Left bicep:
This is the most complicated piece.

First, this smaller piece goes over my bicep. (Actually, it’s two C-shaped pieces that are fitted together into a clamshell like configuration.)

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200782_10150118844338321_612123320_6438629_5857519 _n.jpg

Then, this larger piece Velcros on top.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/195870_10150118844363321_612123320_6438630_4665526 _n.jpg

Another video of me putting it all on. The whole process takes about two minutes.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dUS9R6u-y-0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Smoothice]

http://www.bigevilonline.com/images/smilies/threadworthlesswithoutpics.gif

[rawbutter]

You're just too fast, Smoothice. Or I'm too slow. Take your pick. :p

[Smoothice]

That would be a sweet setup for reball as well. I hear those pack a punch. While I dream of my daughters one day playing paintball I think it isn't likely. Something like this would probably help my chances though.

[OPBN]

While I dream of my daughters one day playing paintball I think it isn't likely. .
Same boat here. Even went out and bought a cheap hockey chest protector, but nada.

[leloup]

When mine are old enough, I'll get them to go by raising them with it. My 2yr old already knows some paintball stuff.

This armor begs to be made stormtrooper.

[Smoothice]

I've been lucky enough to get my hands on a few home videos that AO SoCal guys have made from some of our events. I think it helps my cause when I can show them "daddy" playing. They get a kick out of it and run around the house pretending to hold paintball markers.

But I know the first sting of a paintball hit will end any and all desire for the game. The worst would be taking any kid out for their first time in rec ball. They get lit up by some weekend warrior and then never step foot on a field again.

I plan on taking them up to the hills and just playing some one on one. I can limit my shots on them to less sensitive areas and have only 1 hit at a time. And let them get some shots on me to build confidence. At least that's how it goes in my head.

[OPBN]

Good luck to both of you. My oldest is 12 and she has made it clear under no circumstances will she be playing paintball with me. Still holding out hope for one of my twins.

[koleah]

Codpiece?

May as well protect the most important parts.

[Tunaman]

I give you an A+ for effort and ingenuity.

[BigEvil]

Good stuff bro! Just be very careful relying on Plexiglas for protection. When that stuff breaks it is as sharp as glass.

:cheers:

[behemoth]

I'm glad you found something to occupy your time.

However, a few things that came to mind:

1) Like BigE said, when that stuff breaks, its SHARP.

If you take a fall, you run a big risk of getting cut up pretty bad.


2) Most people go with SOFTER materials to get bounces.

I think this is the first time I've seen someone give the other team an advantage.

[Old School 626]

+1 on the being careful when this stuff breaks. You probably would have been better off with ABS or Kydex. If you're really interested google "SCA armor" and you'll find a lot of folks doing projects similarly but for different purposes. Careful with the SCA links, some folks are a little deranged and somewhat misguided (a lot of these pages are from the 80's and the creators tended to imbibe a bit deeply if you know what I mean)

[rawbutter]

That would be a sweet setup for reball as well. I hear those pack a punch. While I dream of my daughters one day playing paintball I think it isn't likely. Something like this would probably help my chances though.

Good luck getting your daughter to play. I've been trying to convince my wife to give it a try. She is pretty athletic and likes shooting guns... it's just getting shot at that she can't bear.

In all honesty, though, custom making armor isn't practical. There's a lot of cheaper options that afford much better protection. A friend of mine actually uses his motorcycle jacket. It's lightweight, and it has armored padding in the chest, back, and arms. You could always get one of these (http://www.ioffer.com/i/new-fox-armor-body-gilet-biker-black-motorcycle-jackets-183836784) :D



1) Like BigE said, when that stuff breaks, its SHARP. If you take a fall, you run a big risk of getting cut up pretty bad.

2) Most people go with SOFTER materials to get bounces. I think this is the first time I've seen someone give the other team an advantage.

You know... I actually didn't think about that. I am sure that the plexiglas won't break from paintball fire (I tested it), but I didn't think about what would happen if I tripped and fell on it. Hm... I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks for the heads-up, guys.

As for bounces... yeah. Paint will definitely break easier on the armor, but my buddies and I play HITS, not breaks, so it doesn't make a difference. I would never wear this at a real field, though.

Who knows.... I might not wear it ever. Well, no, I'm gonna at least try out the forearm pieces since that's always where I get hit. The rest might just hang on a wall in my workroom.

[Newt]

Looks like a cool piece of scenario gear. Not my taste, but I definitely appreciate the nice work!

[sjrtk]

It is a nice piece of work no matter what you do with it. Looks pretty neat.

[Xceolite]

Dude you are awesome. My wife thinks I am crazy because of the crazy stuff I do!
Looks good and it is inventive.

[paint magnet]

Well, it looks well-designed...but if I wanted a set of "armor" it seems a lot easier to just buy some small shin protectors designed for soccer and wear them on your arms instead of your legs.

[Tropical Life]

This would be a big hit in the airsoft community

[Dover]

i have seen members of the Society for Creative Anacronism ( SCA ) they dress up in medieval armor and clothes

one set of armor was made of milk jugs or water jugs, the plastic is durable enough for fake swords and other blunt weapons i guess, never thought of a paintball application but its cheap enough

http://commassets.kaboose.com/images/68552/gallon_big.jpg

[SOUP]

A lot of air soft players would love to have this stuff. Not so much paintballers though. I in particular wouldn't wear it because its a hard surface and thats just not good if you want to stay in the game longer. Especially when you can get the necessary protection from a brand name company for pretty cheap (especially if you buy last years model). Plus the pads you get from them are a gel/ rubber substance.

Very creative idea though and it looks great, you would defiantly find a better market in airsoft with this.

[rawbutter]

For all you guys saying that I need something softer, I have something for that too. :D

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215523_10150150691288321_612123320_6561002_386144_ n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215139_10150150691243321_612123320_6561001_4512480 _n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208212_10150150691313321_612123320_6561004_7808844 _n.jpg

(I don't know why some of these came out fuzzy. Weird.)

This is something I made when I was playing in college at PSU. A poor man's ghillie suit. It's actually based off the weird BDU cloaks that the Rebellion troopers wore during the battle of Endor in the movie Return of the Jedi. (Yes.... again, I know I'm a dork. Isn't that not apparent already?)

This thing is absolutely awesome. It's camo burlap sown over a simple brown sheet cut into a cloak/poncho design. I first made it for the camouflage and quickly found out it's no better than average BDUs, but I kept wearing it after I discovered that it literally catches paintballs. I kid you not. When I'm reaching my arms forward to hold up the marker, the flaps of the poncho hang down like drapes and catch pretty much everything that hits me beneath the shoulders. After games, I would often find multiple shots that punched through the burlap, but then got caught in between the layers without breaking. In fact, it worked so well that my local field refused to let me wear it while playing. They said it was an unfair advantage. Hmmm.... I wonder why. :rolleyes:

I don't really use it any more. Like I said, I now mostly play on private land with my friends and we play hits instead of breaks, so it's pretty pointless. But it was pretty awesome back in the day.

[Tropical Life]

This makes me wanna watch "Rambo-First Blood"