hammbone
New Member
Thought I would give you guys a write-up on the gauntlet mod I just completed. First let me thank Third3ye for the inspiration and insight about a suit I have owned since 2010 and had not noticed what he did! Also because this is really just his mod with a slight variation.
Here is a pic of the finished product so you know what you will be accomplishing:
The objective of the mod, presented by Third3ye, is to create the dual row of fins on the gauntlets as seen in the movies. If you own a UD Replica's suit, then you may have noticed there are only one set of fins. This is because they are glued together, as pointed out by Third3ye. Separating them isn't too hard but what you find is the fins do not want to hold shape and position very well. In Third3ye's mod, he fixed this by cutting chop sticks to the length of the channel, painting them black, and gluing them to the channel. Here is a link to his mod: http://www.therpf.com/f77/ud-replicas-dark-knight-mods-163747/. I wanted to do the same thing but didn't want to glue anything to my suit, so I came up with idea of inserting paper clips into the fins and base of the gauntlet thus allowing the fins to keep shape and allowing me to shape them a bit.
Some of the steps I will join together and I will not show pics for as I feel they are pretty self explanatory.
Here are the tools required:
Wire Snips (Dikes or Wire Cutters)
Jumbo Black Paper Clips (these are approximately 2" paper clips. I bought mine @ Office Depot)
Butter Knife
Here is a couple pics for reference:
Step 1: Remove the gauntlets from your suit. They are simply held in place with velcro. Next you will take your time and slowly separate the fins into two pieces. This can be done with your fingers or you can take the butter knife and insert it blade down near the bottom of the fins where they are attached to the gauntlet and working your way up the fin. The inner portion of the fin are covered with a cloth material, so if your suit is as old and well used as mine then you may find that the cloth could tear a bit. This can be fixed with a little adhesive or recovered with another material of your choice. Here is what they will look like after the fins are separated:
Step 2: Unfold the paper clip as straight as you can. now measure out an inch and bend the clip 90 degrees. After doing so, hold the clip up to the gauntlet and cut the clip about the height of the stitching found in the fin. I chose this length because I didn't want to risk pushing the clip into the stitching and it coming out the leather.
Step 3: Bend the clip into a "U" shape. it doesn't need to be a very sharp angle or "V" because it will be curved to along the leather. Take the now formed "U" and insert the bottom of the wire under the top layer of the gauntlet. Take the top wire and insert it into the foam of the fin. Be careful not to push through the leather or foam. You do not want your wire to stick out. This will be done a second time so it is easiest to insert it to the rear of the fin first so you know where to place the second clip. You don't want to go to far forward as you don't want it going into the stitched area. This is where the butter knife comes in. I found it tiresome on my fingers trying to get the clip started. Using the tip of the butter knife behind the "U" made it a bit easier. Also, you can manipulate the leather allowing you straighter access. You can kind of see this in the second and third pics below.
Step 4: After completing the first fin, move onto the remaining five. Do not bother standing the fins upright until all six are completed. They will only get in the way. After the sixth is completed, use their current laid over position to allow you to touch up the cloth side. You can do this using shoe polish or a sharpie as I did.
Step 5: Now it is time to shape the fins into the position that you would like them in. Start with which ever fin you would like. Hold the gauntlet at the base of the fin on the outside where the paper clips are under the leather. With your other hand, straighten the fin up to the angle you would like it to protrude. Keep in mind, the gauntlet with have a slight curve when attached to your arm and the will increase the "V" of the fins. As you bend the fins up, take the time to use the butter knife and make sure the clips are all the way in at the base. When you finish it should be difficult to see the clips under the fins.
Step 6: Repeat steps one through five on the remaining gauntlet. Remember to take your time. Also, if your suit is as old as mine then you may find that the tips of your fins have begun to get a bit scraggly. I took scissors and trimmed the tips, taking care not to cut into the stitching. This also added more separation to the fins as it should be. After your finished, simply reattach to the suit. If you have an older suit like mine and have not thought of it yet, take this time to install the gauntlets on the opposite arm they were on originally. This means the rough sided strap will be on top and fasten downward over the other strap. In my opinion this creates a better appearance and I have noticed that David and his team are doing this on all their TDKR suits. Which I might add, is a refined version of the suit I have and looks AMAZING! Just the subtle details leave me in awestruck!
Here is a shameless plug for UD Replicas. I have owned my TDK suit since 2010. I wear the suit for PR events with the Police Department I work for, as well as birthday parties and charity events. Everyone that has seen the suit has said it looks legit. So much so, that they think I am Christian Bale, at least until I have to inform them otherwise! With that being said... I do not take it easy on the suit. I have no problem taking a knee on concrete, dirt, mud, whatever to say "Hi" to a kid inspired by Batman or climbing ladders and whatnot. The suit continues to hold up magnificently! GREAT JOB DAVID AND YOUR TEAM AT UD REPLICAS!!! One day I will be able to afford your TDKR suit and the new Arkham suit. Thanks for producing a product that inspires so many people, especially the children!
Hope you guys have found this thread useful. If you need further clarification or have a question, just let me know!
Here is a pic of the finished product so you know what you will be accomplishing:
The objective of the mod, presented by Third3ye, is to create the dual row of fins on the gauntlets as seen in the movies. If you own a UD Replica's suit, then you may have noticed there are only one set of fins. This is because they are glued together, as pointed out by Third3ye. Separating them isn't too hard but what you find is the fins do not want to hold shape and position very well. In Third3ye's mod, he fixed this by cutting chop sticks to the length of the channel, painting them black, and gluing them to the channel. Here is a link to his mod: http://www.therpf.com/f77/ud-replicas-dark-knight-mods-163747/. I wanted to do the same thing but didn't want to glue anything to my suit, so I came up with idea of inserting paper clips into the fins and base of the gauntlet thus allowing the fins to keep shape and allowing me to shape them a bit.
Some of the steps I will join together and I will not show pics for as I feel they are pretty self explanatory.
Here are the tools required:
Wire Snips (Dikes or Wire Cutters)
Jumbo Black Paper Clips (these are approximately 2" paper clips. I bought mine @ Office Depot)
Butter Knife
Here is a couple pics for reference:
Step 1: Remove the gauntlets from your suit. They are simply held in place with velcro. Next you will take your time and slowly separate the fins into two pieces. This can be done with your fingers or you can take the butter knife and insert it blade down near the bottom of the fins where they are attached to the gauntlet and working your way up the fin. The inner portion of the fin are covered with a cloth material, so if your suit is as old and well used as mine then you may find that the cloth could tear a bit. This can be fixed with a little adhesive or recovered with another material of your choice. Here is what they will look like after the fins are separated:
Step 2: Unfold the paper clip as straight as you can. now measure out an inch and bend the clip 90 degrees. After doing so, hold the clip up to the gauntlet and cut the clip about the height of the stitching found in the fin. I chose this length because I didn't want to risk pushing the clip into the stitching and it coming out the leather.
Step 3: Bend the clip into a "U" shape. it doesn't need to be a very sharp angle or "V" because it will be curved to along the leather. Take the now formed "U" and insert the bottom of the wire under the top layer of the gauntlet. Take the top wire and insert it into the foam of the fin. Be careful not to push through the leather or foam. You do not want your wire to stick out. This will be done a second time so it is easiest to insert it to the rear of the fin first so you know where to place the second clip. You don't want to go to far forward as you don't want it going into the stitched area. This is where the butter knife comes in. I found it tiresome on my fingers trying to get the clip started. Using the tip of the butter knife behind the "U" made it a bit easier. Also, you can manipulate the leather allowing you straighter access. You can kind of see this in the second and third pics below.
Step 4: After completing the first fin, move onto the remaining five. Do not bother standing the fins upright until all six are completed. They will only get in the way. After the sixth is completed, use their current laid over position to allow you to touch up the cloth side. You can do this using shoe polish or a sharpie as I did.
Step 5: Now it is time to shape the fins into the position that you would like them in. Start with which ever fin you would like. Hold the gauntlet at the base of the fin on the outside where the paper clips are under the leather. With your other hand, straighten the fin up to the angle you would like it to protrude. Keep in mind, the gauntlet with have a slight curve when attached to your arm and the will increase the "V" of the fins. As you bend the fins up, take the time to use the butter knife and make sure the clips are all the way in at the base. When you finish it should be difficult to see the clips under the fins.
Step 6: Repeat steps one through five on the remaining gauntlet. Remember to take your time. Also, if your suit is as old as mine then you may find that the tips of your fins have begun to get a bit scraggly. I took scissors and trimmed the tips, taking care not to cut into the stitching. This also added more separation to the fins as it should be. After your finished, simply reattach to the suit. If you have an older suit like mine and have not thought of it yet, take this time to install the gauntlets on the opposite arm they were on originally. This means the rough sided strap will be on top and fasten downward over the other strap. In my opinion this creates a better appearance and I have noticed that David and his team are doing this on all their TDKR suits. Which I might add, is a refined version of the suit I have and looks AMAZING! Just the subtle details leave me in awestruck!
Here is a shameless plug for UD Replicas. I have owned my TDK suit since 2010. I wear the suit for PR events with the Police Department I work for, as well as birthday parties and charity events. Everyone that has seen the suit has said it looks legit. So much so, that they think I am Christian Bale, at least until I have to inform them otherwise! With that being said... I do not take it easy on the suit. I have no problem taking a knee on concrete, dirt, mud, whatever to say "Hi" to a kid inspired by Batman or climbing ladders and whatnot. The suit continues to hold up magnificently! GREAT JOB DAVID AND YOUR TEAM AT UD REPLICAS!!! One day I will be able to afford your TDKR suit and the new Arkham suit. Thanks for producing a product that inspires so many people, especially the children!
Hope you guys have found this thread useful. If you need further clarification or have a question, just let me know!
