Thanks
c0nquistad0rian, I was pressed for time and could not elaborate on the details. I will do my best to explain the whys and why nots...
I am very particular/ picky with equipment. The slightest equipment malfunction can throw my game off. So I made sure every precaution was taken prior to the final design. As you noted, I left enough space to allow for flex above the calf plate and above the boot as well. The slot-thru design is not only aesthetic but functionally very secure. It was a pain to feed the boot strap through but it came out exactly as I hoped. I thought about the potential for the plates to cut or wear through the straps. After 20 plus games there is no evidence of such. I extensively traced and retraced prototype plates for each section before arriving at the final design.
When working with the boot gusset area, I did not want to fold any material under. I did this for two reasons 1) No sharp edges that can "catch" and 2) Zip ties snap. So I intentionally kept the edges of the plates just slightly above the binding in that area. IMO, the nylon I sewed over the lower binding keeps the area looking stock while being functional.
For those who do try, a heavy duty set of scissors is enough to cut your plates from the sheet. Once they are in their raw form, you can use a course sanding drum attachment on your rotary "dremel" tool to clean up and radius the rough corners.
- Use a (3/16ths) drill bit. Drill close to the edges but no too close that there isn't sufficient material to withstand the stresses exerted from sliding around.
- After each plate is cut, align them over their respective section. Optimally, each plate should be the same size or a tad smaller than the area it is to cover. Pay close attention to the area above the calf wrap and above the boot gusset. Now is the time for tiny corrections; remember to allow for flex.
- Once they are to your liking, place them on the pad and mark the holes for drilling. *to make the boot and calf slits for the straps to pull through, I drilled the two outer points as such
O____O then used an Exacto knife to "connect" the two.
- When drilling into the pads, make sure to drill with speed and press down hard enough to go about one inch deep. If you don't use enough torque, the drill bit will "grab" the synthetic leather and twist a hole. (possibly even tear the pad so test somewhere inconspicuous, inside the pad maybe.
- "Feel" your way through the pad with the lacing needle until you see it about to poke through the desired area (just between the calf wrap and the binding of the back of the pad) Mark that and drill. Now lace through and anchor on the other side with the anchor discs/washers.
I pretty much just combined the best of what worked from everyone who posted pics and details of their slide plates over the years. That being said, I must thank all those pioneers before me who provided me with the invaluable research needed to facilitate this mod.
If anyone has more q's feel free...
