Here’s my attempt at making Stryker slat armor. It’s really not all that hard to do. I’ll try to explain the best I can, but if you have questions feel free to ask.

(1) First I bought a few packs of Evergreen plastics .020 x .060 strips and a pack 2mm x 2mm squares.

Then I made a quick jig to cut the horizontal slats to size, ¾ inch or 19mm. Figure on cut around good 500, yeah it seems a lot…most of the frames have 12 slats in each.



(2) now to make the jig to keep it straight and square. I glued the 2mm x 2mm rods down using liquid cement. Each were space out using the .020 x .060 strips. You don’t want the 2x2’s as long as the frame, looking at the photos you’ll see what I mean. doing this will help gluing in slats as it makes room for you to get in to.



(3) Now place the pre-cut horizontal slats in-between the 2x2mm’s rods, again using the .020 x .060 strips cut them at 1 inch for the vertical slats. Now here you will lightly glue everything in place.



I only just started this and in the last photo you’ll see how it will look.







Joe

Somehow I figured you'd be the first to tackle this. When I get my hands on a Strkyer, you best bet that I'm going to use this! Very nice.

Jeff

Wow. This is great.

I just bought my Trumpeter a few days ago. Still have not even opened the box. I was planning on mapping out all the mounting points with the help of the basic kit hull so I could then see if doing something like this was possible.

Joe, are you just experimenting or have you worked all this out? Are you aware of the two blast plates on the sides of the hull, and the small blast plate on the driver's side? Then there is the extended exhaust, and it seems about 50% have extended lights too. The tube stock that goes into the hull side would each have a 'foot' too to connect them to the hull and slat fences.

I tip my hat to you for being the first to jump in on this. Super stuff.

Bob

I understand that DML's version will have the slotted armor.
Mike

Howdy Joe,

I just love posts like this...it's almost like seeing the mental videotape that is my 'minds eye' played out on my computer screen
On top of that, I must confess to more than a little enjoyment at seeing someone else thinking along the very same creative lines as I would.

mother, your jig system looks like the Evergreen/styrene version of my cheap/MDF jig I made for my Mobile Riverine Force "bar" armour.
Very impressive final result too.

Question; If you are using Cyano, how are you handling the glued butt-joints? Meaning, how are you minimizing the amount of glue your using to glue your T-sections where the individual pieces come together?
{hope that isn't as confusing as it sounded rereading it }

Tread.

Joe,

Good start to your bar armour.

Mike,

Who said Dragon's kit will have slat armour?

Once again, the very first 'Murphy's Law' of modeling comes to the 'fore.......if someone finally steps up to the plate and actually begins scratching something..........dollars to donuts, one of the manufacturer's will most indubitably leap up and release it!.......... ...........

....either way Joe, your way is most splendid.

Tread.

Hey Burik,
You haven’t open the box yet…man you gotta get on deck! Experimenting, no, um I’m done with that and this is how I’ll be building the sections. I know about the extra plating and such, but I’m still looking for reference, mostly how they are installed. I’m also looking to find out the distance between hull and slats. You have any info and pics…

Gordon,
As for gluing…well I’m using Ten-X liquid cement. Once the pieces are in place I dap the cement onto the pieces, Ten-X dries fast, I then lift them out and then poured a small puddle of super glue. Using a tooth pick I lift up the glue and apply to each slat to make a strong connection.

'Murphy's Law'

How true...how so true.

Joe

Looking good so far Joe.

Joe, I can pull together some internet photos that might be helpful. I have lots and lots, but I still have not gotten around to figuring out what is what with the attachment points. I have never seen a slat Stryker myself and so I am not so sure about all of the details of slat, but I have a pretty good idea. I am most concerned about the square tubing since they are all over the place and hard to see, and many are at odd angles. And of course they have a "foot" at each end so they can attach to the hull. Some attach to the roof, some attach to blast plates, and some, I think, attach to the hull directly.

Yes, I can see you are not experimenting w/ the slat fences, but I figured you have thought out the whole thing and have an idea or are experimenting with the tubing and how they mount.

I also have some pretty good photos of 3/2 trucks with out the slat itself, but still with other slat-kit mountings. We can discuss via PM.

Bob

You're a braver man than me Joe.... looks good so far. I just bought this kit yesterday from my fav LHS, Uncle Bills...

Bob

Looks great - a very value adding post to the forum!

Thanks for the effort. Now you just have 485 more to go

Joe,

Thanks for posting! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Sounds good all i see are little red X's

how did the AARV turn out samre thing

Chewie