[KillingYouGuy]

Is anyone else having difficulties getting the pouches attached to the tac vests on the newer HT figs? I am trying to get the front mag pouch onto my USMC II M.E.F. and having serious issues. This pouch has the flaps with the little metal dots on the ends and I am trying to get them through multiple hoops and tuck them back in. Is there an easier way or am I really missing something here?
Thanks, - KYG

 

[Chii]

Some small tweezers, and some patience, helps out A LOT!

I personally think the metal tabs makes it a tad easier, and they stay threaded through the MOLLE straps much better than ACE's offerings.

 

[Just Clay]

Glue. Never come off, never move.

 

[54thCuda2]

I'm dealing with the same vest KYG. It helps to take the plate out of course. I found my tweezers too big to get in the straps so I fed the pouch strips thru with a tooth pick. It was a pain, but it worked for me.

 

[Pivot]

As much as I hate it when Hardcase does it, glue is the easier solution, and the pouches stay tight to the body of the MOLLE platform, look good and never come loose (unless the glue goes brittle and crumbles). I on the other hand have spent literally hours, swearing like a trucker raised by sailors with Tourettes, feeding little tiny MOLLE straps through little tiny MOLLE loops. I do this simply because I can't bear the idea of not being able to take the pouches off and re-use them for a different bash.

If you are a static modeller who's going to put it up on the shelf and always be happy with it the wy it is, like Hardcase, glue 'em. If you're a OCD action figure accuracy nazi with attention deficit disorder like me, strap 'em and weave 'em.

That being said, you can make your own, do Toy Soldier-style prong clips and sew them down to your pouches. They look good, keep 'em tight, and are movable/removable. This is probably my favorite sytem of all. I find the best material to make them from is 4 liter milk jugs.

 

[54thCuda2]

swearing like a trucker

I resemble that remark.....LOL!

Toy Soldier-style prong clips and sew them down to your pouches

I have done that as well, works great.

 

[tang]

I use the tiny pen (came with the USMC Saw Gunner) and widen the strap opening, tweezers holding onto the metal button n PUSH!!!! I have also tried removing the metal button and simply use tweezers to push/pull the strap into the opening. But one thing is necessary, tons of patience! Have a good one.
________
Park Royal 2 Condominium Prathumnak

 

[MigsGabb811]

....spent literally hours, swearing like a trucker raised by sailors with Tourettes...

LMAO:rolling

i do have the same feeling once in while, but like most do, good pair of tweezers and a whole lot of patience, lots of them, usually do the trick...practice makes it easier after a while

 

[major.rod]

Tweezers work great but sometimes I use hemostats. They widen the PALS and grip the strap so I don't lose it as I pull it through.

 

[Tatuued1]

I think that the one lesson that you must learn from this thread is patience. It is likely the most difficult thing to pick up in the hobby and most likely thing that we all lack- leading to broken parts, thrown parts, medical expense. You know.....the basic "you'll put your eye out" stuff. Definitely go with the surgical tweezers, greatest item I ever bought.

 

[Pete-the-LRRP]

For me, even with the tweezers, it still took a long time to get the pouches on the MEF

 

[Shaun1162]

I prefer Toy Soldier's method as well, cause those little strips get old and fast. But I can't bear to glue the pouches, so I use the tweezers and also a small regular head screwdriver works quite well. I have one built right into my Leatherman, and without I don't know what the heck I'd do with all these pouches....

 

[GabRaz]

The sharp end of a 1/6 hooligan tool, not only to widen the loop but also to push the metal button through. Then I glue the back end of the button to the back end of the pouch, there forever.

 

[KillingYouGuy]

Thanks to all for the replies, I ended up working with the vest upside down, getting one strap through using uber-sharp tweezers and a ton of patience (aided by beer) and then tucking the loose end into another loop to hold it better while I moved to the second strap. I first jammed the tweezers in sideways to widen the loops as Tang and Major Rod suggested. The funny thing about this vest is that the loops have loops under them that you can accidentally put the strap into. That is not actually funny as it kept happening :wail Some of the pouches have three straps, that was a no go for me. I left out the middle one, because I was accidentally undoing the straps while working on the second or third strap on the same pouch. Throughout this process I caused the vest some damage by piercing it with the tweezers as well as poking my finger hard enough to draw blood at one point. The saddest thing is that while I was doing all this, I knocked the silenced M14 off my desk and the barrel broke off :blank, I am hating HT tonight! I know some of this is all my fault, but this is really a poor solution from HT for fitting these pouches, I would pull a Hardcase and glue them - but I am the classical purist and will suffer through anything if its what was designed on the fig. I have two other HT figures that need molle assembling and all I can do is pretend they are not there silently laughing at me...

 

[Anti-Personnel]

man i just use glue for everything. i even glue the flaps/straps/clasps shut.

 

[Pivot]

That is not actually funny as it kept happening :wail Some of the pouches have three straps, that was a no go for me. I left out the middle one, because I was accidentally undoing the straps while working on the second or third strap on the same pouch.

Clearly you're not taking this seriously. LEAVING THE MIDDLE STRAP UNDONE? Next you're going to tell me you're not weaving the straps you you should?!:knock

Seriously, am I the only one who does that?

 

[grizzerr]

Clearly you're not taking this seriously. LEAVING THE MIDDLE STRAP UNDONE? Next you're going to tell me you're not weaving the straps you you should?!:knock

Seriously, am I the only one who does that?

Nope I always weave them through also. Half the enjoyment of completing the figure is doing it properly.

 

[Hollowpoint]

If you are using tweezers, do yourself a favor. Get non-conductive electronics techinician tweezers. The tips are slightly flexable as well. The tips are needlenose and thread these straps with minimal fuss, for me anyway.

 

[1911williams]

I get a form of sadistic pleasure from weaving the straps onto vests and so forth. I tend to use tweezers and the tip of a broken, blunt scalpel blade as tools.
I also find it easier to weave the HT attachment straps after the brass dots have been squashed flat with pliers.

James

 

[H34crewchief]

A good set of needle nose tweezers and lots of patience are the answer for me. At times I've shed blood but these are models of combat troops after all. A set of tweezers the with of the strap help open the areas but round tooth picks work as well when opening areas where the stapts go. But patience is the number one demand when it comes to outfiting all this gear on modern troops.