Armored messenger bag

Step 3: Measuring the armor and cutting

This was the hardest part of the project. Ballistic armor is predictably difficult to cut and you'll want to measure carefully so you don't mess up and ruin your project or find that you need to now spend more money to finish it. 

I didn't make a pattern, just laid out the pieces and marked where to cut with chalk. Not at all tricky. 

You might use large, sharp sheers if you have them. Whatever is handy and very sharp. Probably not going to cut it in one go. I have no idea what armorers use to cut this stuff. Probably big sheers or some industrial cutting machine. 

I used a rotary cutter and sheers. 

Comments

[Aaronius]

McMaster-Carr sells 6 different pair of Kevlar-cutting scissors, like 2498A28 and 3897A11.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#kevlar-cutting-scissors/=evz00d

[UnaKRon]

They sell scissors for kevlar specifically: http://armorco.com/shop/category.asp?catid=80
You can find ceramic cutters as well.

Did this ballistic insert/panel have any sewing keeping the layers together?
My body armor has a square section center mass that appears to be kevlar thread.
I'm curious as to its purposes. It looks like there was a section of sewing at the neck you cut off.

[Culturespy]

Ah, thanks. It's not something I envision doing again so I used tools I had on hand.

There were just two or three large stitches. The shape was far more complex before I cut it and neither the back panel nor the small one had any stitching. My guess is that stiching all the way through could weaken the armor. Based on how little there was and the other elements not having any I decided not to re-stitch. There also isn'troom for the armor to move in the bag. I'm sure if you wanted to add a few stitches you could but it didn't appear necessary.

If anyone knows more than that, I'm sure we'd be interested in hearing. In this case it would be a simple matter of punching a couple holes and stitching if it's something critical.