Tutorial: MP9 Leg Holster Strap Construction

Giga Bread

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This is a tutorial showing how to put together the thigh straps along with the optional pistol belt for the 3D printed item MP9 Holster Set. This holster is specifically designed to with the 1/18 scaled MP9 that's currently still being prototyped.



What you'll need.

1) The MP9 Holster Set (this is printed in White Detail)
(optional) A printed pistol belt buckle from the MSF Stabo Gear Set.
2) x-acto blade
3) some sort of magnification lamp helps a lot
4) cork backed ruler
5) tweezers
6) super glue (preferably a fresher bottle, unlike mine)
7) medical tape folded over (what I'll be using), micro canvas (what I prefer), or heavy paper. The heavy paper is usable but not recommended for this construction as the straps will need to be pulled tight.
8) the figure it's being constructed for
9) wire snips

Tips...

1) Don't sneeze, exhale in frustration, or work next to an open window on a breezy day. Once your printed items are separated from the sprue, they can easily be lost forever.
2) When clipping sprues of printed items, always use wire snips. Bending it until it breaks can often break what you don't want broken and an x-acto knife puts too much force on one side of the cut. You need to use wire snips because it spreads the pressure on both sides of the piece being cut and they can get much to a joint when cutting.
3) Immediately bag up printed parts not being in use.




Here is the set printed in White Detail. The buckles are a little larger than wanted but this makes them durable enough for the exercise.



I label it as optional but I will be showing how to connect the holster to the pistol belt for those with an extra buckle lying around from the MSF Stabo Gear Set. Details on how to construct this belt can be found here

http://forums.fighting118th.com/showthread.php?t=3266

Just remember to leave the belt loose on one end so can better positioned with the holster in the final stages



Last tip. Finding one of these on clearance at Hobby Lobby is awesome. I highly recommend some form of magnifying device when modeling.

 
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Giga Bread

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First up. A discussion on these buckles. They are printed in a different material than with the stabo gear and this makes them appear thicker. Before even attempt to slide the material through these openings on the buckles and holster, use an x acto blade and score the insides to give a little more room to work the material.

The ruler shows that these openings are much smaller than on the stabo gear because are intended for legs straps. Ensure when you cut the material, it's under 2mm wide.



Go ahead and cut out a strap that's less than 2mm wide and make sure you have plenty of slack. Cut a point to one end as this will make threading through the holster easier. Every 1-2 openings that this strap slides through will fuzz this point up, so it's best to regularly recut the point.

Starting on the front most opening, slide the strap through from the underside. It's easiest to grab with the tweezers near the point when trying to fit it through.


Then feed it through the next hole on the topside. You'll find that you'll have to keep freeing up more slack as you go.



Slide it up through the next hole.

 
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Giga Bread

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Now pull it through the final hole and feed slack through until you have plenty to work with.



This is probably disorienting but I'm cutting off a bunch of excess where the strap will be crossing over the front thigh. I cut a point at the end because we're about to slip a buckle on.



Slide the buckle on, with the strap going over the topside and through the underside, leaving about a 2mm gap between it and the holster. Be sure to get the detailed side up.



Place a spot of super glue, fold over and pinch with your tweezers. Clip the excess with the wire snips.



Now repeat the process for the other leg strap.
 
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Giga Bread

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Fit the loose ends of straps through the underside of the buckles. The reason I'm feeding through the underside instead of the topside is a because after find the exact spot you want the holster positioned on the leg, you have to be able to pull the straps tight before gluing.



****** After placing the holster on the leg, I'm going to show how to connect it to a pistol belt. It's actually a lot easier to accomplish this with the holster not attached to the leg, so if you want, you can come back to this part later******

I've positioned the replacement holster and have pulled the straps tight, glued, and pinched. Just snip the excess and you're done.... unless you're using a pistol belt with it.



After gluing a strap to the last remaining buckle, using the previous method, I slide an end through the top opening on the holster. Be sure to slide it in so that when the buckle is flipped over, the detailed side will be facing out.



Place a spot of glue, flip over, and pinch. Snip the excess.

 
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Giga Bread

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Now feed another strap through the topside of the buckle. Glue, flip, pinch, and snip excess.

Feed the other end of the strap over the top of the belt. Pull down, and just past the bottom edge of the belt, glue, pinch, and snip excess.



Now Stalker is ready to rock and roll.

 

Giga Bread

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Does the Mp9 come with the holster?

Currently, no. The mp9 can't be printed in WD. I'm going to test this holster in FUD after I make my adjustments with the mp9. If it's durable as a FUD print, then the set will include the mp9 set.

* I started thinking about it and I could probably modify this holster to work with other guns like the mp7
 
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Giga Bread

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So I checked, and there really aren't many machine pistol/small SMGs out there with the trigger guard. Since my gun items have a poor reputation among the playdaters I was going to alter it to fit current models out there. I've only come across MGR's MP7 that might work and it's a tad on the large side for a thigh holster.

Currently, this holster, after a couple more checks, will be available in black, white, or transparent. I could have swore that there was a grey as well as a couple more colors but they must have taken them down as options.
 

daremo

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Holy crap that's awesome!!! It's nice to see that there are still people out there that don't settle for just good enough.
 

Giga Bread

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Thank you. Hopefully, I'll have issues resolved with Shapeways and this will be made available again.
 

WVMojo

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Jul 20, 2011
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I have a set of the buckles and I am too scared to use them. I snapped the pins off a couple nades just taking them off the sprue...these things are ridiculously cool though.
 

Riotheory

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I have been experimenting with folded athletic tape for straps and web gear. I've been trying to cut it with a #1 knife, but it frays badly even with a new blade. What are you doing to get such nice, clean edges on yours? Thanks

R.
 

HeelJoe

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Jan 23, 2013
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I have been experimenting with folded athletic tape for straps and web gear. I've been trying to cut it with a #1 knife, but it frays badly even with a new blade. What are you doing to get such nice, clean edges on yours? Thanks

R.

I've been having the same trouble. Tips/advice would be very much appreciated.
 

Giga Bread

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hmmm...

The kind of athletic tape I used didn't have that problem. I typically don't use it and only used it for this because I know a lot of people don't have access to the lego canvas.

If it's folded over, the adhesive should provide stability to keep it from falling apart.