Now, let's turn our attention to the Vest.
Cut the 3” plate aluminum into two sections:,12”, and 14”.
Cut the 2” plate aluminum into a 12” piece and 4 1-1/2” pieces.
Cut the 1” angle aluminum in half, to get 2- 6” sections.
Now, take the Baby carrier out and remove the portion that the ‘Lil tyke sits in—this is permanently attached (the rest can come off by hand) by a set of two 1”black nylon straps that are looped around a portion near the waist belt and snap into place. Cut through the black nylon strap near the snaps. You should now be left with just the harness portion.
Cut off the waist straps (but DO NOT cut into the pad---ONLY the 1” strap).
On the 14” plate aluminum, bend both ends about 4” from each end—I bent them about 30 degrees. I used a vise, which I clamped 4” of the plate in (just below the 4” line), leaving the rest exposed…I then clamped a piece of 2x4 to the exposed portion with a pair of wood clamps, and used it as a cheater bar to bend the piece. I used a protractor to measure the angle of bend.
Repeat this with the other end—You’ll have to clamp the 2x4 to the top of the piece so it doesn’t interfere with the already bent portion.
Perform this same procedure with the 12” thinner plate aluminum, about 3” from each end. You should not need the 2x4 and clamps to do this.
Drill a 1/4” hole at the end of each bent piece, ¾” from each end.
The larger bent plate will now be called the ‘Waistplate’, and the smaller, the ‘Chestplate’.
