ok so im now at the stage to build my brackets to attach my shoulder lamp. looks like im gunna be using 5mm acrylic plastic since i dont have the skills/tools to shape metal.
just wondering how others went about this. any tips/pics etc would be great. thanks

Acrylic will snap.
Polycarb would be better but will loose strength after exposure to UV light, same for acrylic.

I made acrylic aquariums for 7 years.
Ever see the back blown out of a 100 gallon tank?

To work metal strips that you can get at any hardware store all's you need is a vise and a rubber mallet.
Drill and Rotary tool (Dremel) for the holes and slot.

The whole operation shouldn't take more than 10 minutes for both pieces including sanding and filing the edges.

The 3 attachment plates can also be done in a vise with 3 pieces of wood or plastic taped into it for a jig.
Just drop in a strip of metal and close the vise.

Remove, drill, dremel and sand and it's done.

This ain't rocket science boy's and girl's.

D6

I only just recently made a forming die for the lamp brackets, to make them in aluminum now.

I use an 8 ton press to get the U bent portion to go in right, I have yet to find a bench vise with the juice to get the bend in deep enough.

In the before times, I used a thermo formable plastic called Vivac. I heated it then pressed it into a form made of hardwood, then clamped it together....it's an excellent way to form stuff. It takes a while to get the heating just right, plastic has to be heated through and through to bend correctly, if not it will crack, too much heat will scorch it and it will bubble at the surface. and it still might crack because it may be hot on top but in the center it's still cold. It has to be a slow and steady heat, penetrating through to the core of the plastic.

M

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"Stand up for something...Or get knocked down for nothing..."

After some issues with my lamp at the NSC (wobbling about in the brackets), I'm going to do as Scapey has and fix an extra metal bolt through the back box and back armour, so it's more secure.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

ok thanks for all the help guys. i have made a set of mock brackets from thick(ish) plastic and attached them to my armour and the poistioning and shapes are dead on (but of course the main vertical bracket did snap). what i now need is for someone i can send these mocks to and have a set just the same made from metal. anyone up for it? (i will pay of course). heres a pic of my mocks......


note i have changed the horizontal brackets "groove" to a hole for added support once the lamp is in place.

As PVB said - I simply didn't trust the desigh of the bracket to hold my lamp secure.
There's too much sideways force being applied to a resin thread when the retaining screw is tightened, and if the threads go on that then the lamp is simply sitting loose on one small vertical bracket.

I picked up ( yet another bunch of ) the double-ended bolts from Ikea... Epoxied the female end to a metal bracket inside the lamp body, and drilled through the armour to allow me to screw the male end through the armour and into the lamp.
It's steady as a rock now.

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

ahhh i understand rev. hmmm might have to look into your method. still need the metal brackets made first. anyone up for the job?

As I'm off sick at the moment, I managed to start this today.

Here's the nut, epoxied to the lamp housing, surrounded by other nuts expoxied to hold the nut in place and stop it twisting off:


The hole the nut fits to:


The bolt to be used to hold the housing in place:



I'm going to give the epoxy a few days to make sure it holds, then will re-assemble the lamp and see how it holds.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

great job steve! let us know how sturdy it when all assembled

If no one else will have a go I can do em for ya ,drop me a line for address steel or ally whatever you want ? keep your cash, if it helps your most welcome

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diamond geezer
The Turtle Moves

pm me your address i have a set of brackets i don't need

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Titty Squeezer Of The Hungry Horses MC

Fixed:





Feels nice and tightly attached.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Thought I'd post in here as I've just fitted an extra secure fixing bolt to my new Matsuo lamp housing.

The lamp body is a lot thicker this time, so the drilling took a little more care.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Good tip think Il do the same when I get my gear delivered

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Marcel A11/TQ0.0.92143E1

66th Regt 1st Batt The Bucketheads

Call sign "WIDOW MAKER"

"Cecil" the pred Area 51 bio weopens division

Just make sure the inside point is strengthened, or the bolt might pull through and/or split the armour.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Cool cheers, the only bit I was going to add is a rubber washer to fill the gap between the lamp and armour

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Marcel A11/TQ0.0.92143E1

66th Regt 1st Batt The Bucketheads

Call sign "WIDOW MAKER"

"Cecil" the pred Area 51 bio weopens division

It'd have to be a block of rubber, as the gap on mine is about 8mm.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Ive found some thick ones in the plumbing department in B&Q

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Marcel A11/TQ0.0.92143E1

66th Regt 1st Batt The Bucketheads

Call sign "WIDOW MAKER"

"Cecil" the pred Area 51 bio weopens division

Ooh!

Might pay my local one a visit. Which section were they in/what description/type?

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

It was near all the tap type fittings, the ones i got are about 4mm thick and black and about 30mm across. I havent got any of my armour yet through so was just going by photos on this thread. I thought 2 washers would do it, but it maybe way off

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Marcel A11/TQ0.0.92143E1

66th Regt 1st Batt The Bucketheads

Call sign "WIDOW MAKER"

"Cecil" the pred Area 51 bio weopens division

Okay, ta for the help.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."