Category Archives: DIY

Comparison, DIY, Reviews, Tactical Gear

Dye Sublimation vs Screen Printing Camo Patterns

I use a lot of screen printed fabrics. Everything from MultiCam to various digital patterns to Kryptek. There has always been an issue with putting todays complex camouflage patterns onto some of the more robust and “course” fabrics that are popular today. Think of 1000 Denier CORDURA type materials. Most of the time the pattern doesn’t look that sharp. In a nutshell the less Denier the smaller the yarns and fibers will make for a sharper image. If you need more explanation on this see this video I made on another account many years ago.

I have recently been using a few printed fabrics in my work that used the Dye Sublimation process. Instead of screen printing [See this video produced about DURO Industries (no longer in business) if you want to see screen printing in action]. Dye Sublimation is a bit of a strange process and is less efficient over large scales than screen printing but you get the benefit of being able to make smaller batches and even customizations. In a very brief nutshell Dye Sublimation take several color inks as solids and heats them up to the point where the sublimate. This means that they go from solid to gas. Skipping the liquid state. The colors are applied (under pressure) to the fabric and “sink” into the fibers. The ink/dye then returns to its solid state as part of the fabric fibers. This allows for incredible detail. Nearly any color and even gradients. It’s also known to not fad as badly due to scratching, abrasion, and washing.

Kryptek Highlander pattern comparison between Dye Sublimation and Standard Screen Printing on 1000D Material.
Kryptek Highlander pattern on 1000D material. Dye Sublimation printing from DutchWare [Left], Screen Printing from Brookwood Roll Goods [Right]

The Story

I needed a small amount of fabric in the Kryptek Highlander camo pattern. What I didn’t need was an entire roll of Highlander from Brookwood Rollgoods who currently produces Kryptek and MultiCam patterns on CORDURA materials. So, enter Dutchware. Dutchware Clips, LLC. They have a bunch of fabric offerings. One being a 1000D CORDURA print on demand service and have procured the licensing to print these patterns and can get them to your door in under a week. I didn’t really know what to expect but when it arrived I was very surprised with how sharp the pattern was. I was also afraid that a printed pattern would easily scratch off. Not the case. As stated before, Dye Sublimation is fairly resistant to abrasion. I have just started working with these materials but with about 4 weeks in I am not seeing any abnormal or early signs of wear.

A zoomed in picture of the Kryptek Highlander Pattern on a Dye Sublimation and traditional Screen Printed 1000D fabric.
The same materials as above but zoomed in. Kryptek Highlander pattern on 1000D material. Dye Sublimation printing from DutchWare [Left], Screen Printing from Brookwood Roll Goods [Right]

What’s the difference in the material?

You can see the materials in the picture. One is Brookwood produced screen printed 1000D CORDURA nylon material. The other is the 1000D Dutchware produced textured polyester digitally print on demand offering. Both are licensed by Kryptek. If you are comparing to purchasing the traditional screen printed materials by the roll then the Dye Sublimation printed material is much more expensive. But, you are able to buy less that 50 or 75 yards at a time. That makes a difference to smaller shops or those building gear in their basement. The three main differences I noticed:

  • The dye Sublimation material is left bright white on the back side. This could be an issue if you ever reverse hem your fabric and expose the back side. If so, you might have to alter your design(s).
  • The Dye Sublimation materials is also stiffer than the screen printed material. Likely nothing that will prevent you from working with it but if you already thought 1000D was to stiff then you might want to avoid this polyester.
  • There was no Urethane (UC/PU) Coating on the back of the digital print offering. This aids in the materials water repellant properties and keeps exposed edges from fraying so badly.
Even further zoomed in look at the difference between Dye Sublimation and Screen Printing.
Zoomed in further. Kryptek Highlander pattern on 1000D material. Dye Sublimation printing from DutchWare [Left], Screen Printing from Brookwood Roll Goods [Right]

What about Near Infrared?

These days everyone is worried about the NIR (Near Infrared) performance. As you may or may not know. I have tested a bunch of camo patterns in this manner and posted the findings here with more to come.

I’m afraid I have bad news. If you were hoping for these Dye Sublimation printed fabrics to be NIR compliant then you are in for disappointment. I have pieces of both the Kryptek Highland and Typhon patterns in hand. Below you can see the results. With both Gen3 and Digital Nightvision.. the moment the IR light hits the fabric the camo pattern completely disappears. Just so there is no confusion I think it is important to point out that the traditional screen printed Kryptek materials by Brookwood Roll Goods performs pretty well under IR interrogation. You can see those results here.

Kryptek Highlander

Digital Night Vision w/IR
Digital Night Vision w/IR
Gen 3 Green Night Vision
Gen 3 Green Night Vision w/IR

Kryptek Typhon

Digital Night Vision
Digital Night Vision w/IR
Gen3 Night Vision
Gen3 Night Vision w/IR
Comparison, DIY, Informational, Tactical Gear

First Spear TUBES and other things like TUBES

Are you familiar with TUBES from First Spear? They are a great buckle. But expensive. So expensive that in my day job as a gear designer I pretty much consider them cost prohibitive except in the case of a custom built piece of gear. That really is to bad as I would love to use them more often.

First Spear TUBES 4", DuraFlex Tactik Buckle 4", Aspetto - KWIQ Clip.
First Spear TUBES 4″ (split-bar) (left), DuraFlex Tactik Buckle 4″ (center), Aspetto -KWIQ Clip (right). All with male and female sides mated.

Just in case you don’t know

In case you are not familiar with TUBES they were developed by First Spear and produced (for First Spear) by ITW. They come in two lengths (widths might be a better way to look at it). 2″ and 4″. Normally you will find the 2″ versions securing a quick detach shoulder strap on a plate carrier while you will find the longer 4″ holding the cummerbund to the plate bag. Each of the two sizes are also available in a solid-bar and a split-bar (field repair) configuration. The split-bar allows you to slip the TUBE onto a loop of webbing (if configured correctly) after it is sewn down.

Close up look at the First Spear TUBES 4" Field-Repair (Split-bar) in Coyote Tan.
First Spear TUBES 4″ (split-bar) with male and female sides separate.

Why are they good?

TUBES do a couple of things REALLY well. They can stabilize a piece of fabric (think of a cummerbund for a plate carrier) along an entire edge of that piece with only a single interface. They also offer an easy method of extracting ones self from a plate carrier. Simply pull out and up/down at the same time.

Tubes (split-bar) with male and female sides half engage.
Tubes Measurements
Tubes. Slight curve built in to ensure a tight fit

Other options

Most gear designers, gear DIY’ers, and gear-heads know of the First Spear TUBES. But, you may be interested to know there are other similarly functioning buckles. You might call them TUBES-Adjacent. All are acetal polymer construction and all are solid options with slight variations in the way they operate.

An example of several different offerings of buckles that serve the same or similar purposes.
First Spear TUBES 4″ (split-bar) (left), DuraFlex Tactik Buckle 4″ (center), Aspetto -KWIQ Clip (right). All with male and female sides unmated.

The Tactik Buckle from DuraFlex

The DuraFlex Tactik buckle first came on the scene (for me) in 2018. It was being showcased at different industry tradeshows. Originally advertised as having 1″, 1.5″, 4″ versions available. It then kind of went dark for a while. Then, all of a sudden it came available not to long ago. Well, the 4″ version anyway. We still have yet to see the 1″ or 1.5″. Like the TUBES the Tactik buckle came in two configurations (other than size) solid-bar and split-bar (for field repair or installation after production of the host piece of gear). Both pieces are 4″ tall. There are two main differences. 1) The Tactik buckles comes with the pull lanyard that is used to release the buckles. On the TUBES you normally have to make some kind of paracord pull for this function. 2) the gesture used to release is different. On the TUBES you must pull out and either up or down. This releases the locking mechanism (No springs. Everything is molded) and the up/down slides the male side out of the female. On the Tactik buckle you only pull outward on the lanyard which releases the entire buckle. One isn’t necessarily faster than the other as both releases are accomplished with a single motion. They just work a little different. I have never seen either system fail.

Tactik M/F engaged
Tactik Measurements
Tactik Buckle

The Aspetto KWIQ-Clip

The KWIQ-Clip from Aspetto is the most different and I haven’t ever actually integrated them into a piece of gear. But I do have a few… because you never know. It also has no individual moving parts just like the others. Again, the release is managed by pulling on and deforming the acetal polymer material to release a latch. I believe you call this a “living latch”. The KWIQ-Clip is a full inch taller than the other buckles referenced in this write-up. The reason being is that it allows you to interface the buckle to the gear via 3 pieces of 1″ webbing. Each separated by 1″. Sounds perfect for a 3-row skeletonized cummerbund. With the other two you have to be a little creative in your gear design as they both interface with the gear using 1.5″ webbing. This usually isn’t what you find on a cummerbund. So, the Aspetto KWIQ-Clip has an advantage here in helping your gear stay simple but I can’t help but think a 5″ tall buckle has a great chance of jabbing you in the ribs or pelvis when you bend or lean. Is the 1″ difference really enough to matter? I don’t know. But that is something to keep in mind when planning your next build. The manufacturer claims a 300 lbs Tensile Strength.

Aspetto M/F engaged
Aspetto Measurements
Aspetto Female Side

Where can I get them?

First Spear TUBES
You can now get TUBES direct from First Spear. This is fairly new. You use to have to be an approved gear producer. Beware that most of the time TUBES are sold as their individual separate components (Male and Female). You need to purchase both sides. Not always though.
Direct link to 4″ Female Split-Bar on First-Spear.com
4″ TUBES Male/Female Split Bar on Agelitegear.com

DuraFlex Tactik Buckle

4″ Tactik Buckle Split-Bar at WTFIdea.com
4″ Tactik Buckle Split-Bar at 8492Nylonworks.com
4″ Tactik Buckle Solid-Bar at StratusArmament.com

Aspetto KWIQ-Clip
This buckle is sometimes sold as Male/Female or Male/Male. Make sure you get what you need.
Aspetto KWIQ-Clip on QorePerformance.com

DIY, Tactical Gear

Building your own tactical gear

Not a tutorial but a look at what you can output when you put your creativity to it. This is a one-piece custom MultiCam Tropic chest rig that I put together a few weeks back. As I state in the video description. There isn’t really anything hard about sewing your own gear. The machine can be intimidating and yes it can hurt you. But it is really all technique. You just need to put in some hours to start getting awesome results. There are resources here on 30MC that can help you. Look in the nav bar under “Tactical DIY”.

Rumble backup link: https://rumble.com/v39heaf-building-your-own-tactical-gear-30-magazine-clip.html

DIY, Firearms

Paint Your Rifle With 3D Airmesh

Guns look cool. Painted guns look better. Rattle canned guns look even better-er. I don’t know why. Something about character or whatever. I think most shooters (and even some gun-guys) out there have used the burlap method. Putting down a base coat of tan paint and then spraying that “snake skin” like pattern using the burlap as a stencil. It’s cool and can look great but is there something else?

I have to tell you a quick story. I design tactical gear for a living. While at the SHOT Show: Supplier Showcase a couple of years ago I stopped by the APEX Mills booth to take a look at the new nits, meshes, and 3D spacers that they would be offering. As is the norm at trade shows I got some samples (below). In this case, a booklet. A short while after returning home I received a second booklet at the office. Once a vendor scans your badge at SHOT Show they pretty much have all your information including your address and some of them just starting mailing stuff. At the time we were only ordering DNB138 Airmesh from APEX Mills and didn’t need to add another material to the inventory. So, on the shelf the booklets sat.

The APEX Mills Sample Book I got at SHOT Show.

About a year and a half later I had put together a new AR and it needed some paint. But I didn’t have any burlap. Working in the office a few months ago I was looking through samples I had received in the past and came across these two booklets again. I started flipping through and wondered why different meshes [spacers, knits too] from the same mill had different patterns. Why not just find a good one and stick with it? Somehow my mind jumped to that AR I had been meaning to paint for months and I realized I was holding several different “stencils” in my hand. If I wanted to get a varying pattern on the rifle then this could be a way to do it.

So I dismantled one of the booklets and was left with a bunch of different individual pieces. About half of them were not suitable for spray painting but it left me with these pictured below.

Different air and spacer mesh samples that came out of the APEX Mills sample booklet.

I did some testing on cardboard just to see how the different patterns would look and was greatly encouraged by the result. No pools of paint or issue with the mesh pieces sticking after drying. Just a bunch of very clean and different patterns. I was ready to commit.

Spray paint test on cardbaord.

It was about this time that I realized I also had a Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle that I had wanted to paint. I decided to hit it first. The results are below.

I was happy with the way it ended up on the Ruger so it was time to move onto the AR. All of the images below are after the fact. So don’t worry.. I did remove the Dbal (laser) first. I put down a base coat (green this time) and let it dry over 24 hours. Then I pretty much wrapped the entire rifle in different types of meshes, knits, and spacers. Do be careful with how your spray hits the materials. It can blow them around and smear the result. I learned that it was best to shoot straight down on the fabric with the spray.

The rifle all wrapped up in different airmesh. Preparing to paint.
A closeup of the airmesh against the rifle.

I was again very happy with the results. The pattern varied just as I had planned. Giving it a chaotic and natural feel.

Finished paint job on rifle.

I tried something a little different with the stock. I had noticed that on the spacer mesh (specifically the DNB118 material) there was a HUGE difference between the two layers (the area between these layers is the “space” in spacer). One side was a very fine weave and the other fairly coarse. Perhaps if I laid the coarse side on the rifle (the side that would normally be in contact with the human body if this mesh was being made into a piece of gear like a plate carrier) and sprayed through the fine side it would diffuse some of the paint and give a 3D look. You can be the judge from the pic below but I think it turned out great. I might end up doing a whole other rifle in this style.

Closeup of the rifle stock after painting.

Some people will hate this right from the start. Either they think rifle painting should be done professionally with a coating or perhaps that they shouldn’t be painted at all. I have always loved the look of a rattle canned rifle and the purpose of this blog is to simply share things that I like.

Where can you get some airmesh?

Well, I don’t think APEX Mills would be to happy if all of a sudden a bunch of non-customers start contacting them asking for sample booklets and I can understand why. But lucky for you there are tons of places on the internet where you can purchase small amounts of airmesh. You also shouldn’t overlook just heading out to your local fabric store and taking a look at the meshes there. There is no reason your paint stencil needs to be milspec and/or berry compliant. If you need some web suggestions for materials such as this you can take a look at the DIY Materials and Sources section of this website. There, I am compiling an ever-expanding table of materials.

DIY, Giveaway, Tactical Gear, Website News

Tiger Stripe Chest Rig Giveaway – You can’t buy this!

It’s that time. Time for another giveaway. I have a few pieces of one-off gear that I have build over the years as a professional gear maker. Why not give a few of them away? Here we have a unique tiger stripe chest rig. Is there anything groundbreaking here? No, not really. But it is a fairly effective configuration and features a pretty nifty set of side pockets.

How to Enter

In a nutshell you need to like this video on any (or all) of the 30MC social media channels (listed below). IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE TO OR FOLLOW THOSE CHANNELS AS WELL. You can’t just hit “like”.

When a winner is selected I will verify that they follow 30MC on that platform. If not, I will have to pick another winner.

  • 1 like = 1 entry.
  • 1 comment = 1 entry.
  • Comment by tagging a friends name = you AND your friend each gain 1 entry.
  • UNLIMITED ENTRIES ALLOWED

The Channels

https://www.youtube.com/@30magazineclip https://www.instagram.com/30magclip/ https://www.facebook.com/30magazineclip/ https://twitter.com/30magclip/ https://rumble.com/user/30MagazineClip/ https://www.reddit.com/r/30magazineclip/ https://www.30MagazineClip.com

The Fine Print

Drawing will take place on or about Saturday June 3rd, 2023. Winner will be notified via PM/DM on the platform that they used to enter (ie: facebook, instagram, etc). If the winner does not respond within 1 week of being contacted a new winner will be selected. No substitutions or cash value. Void where prohibited. No Warranty. This item was built using known and good procedures and techniques. However, no extensive testing was conducted. This piece should be considered a novelty piece of gear and you should treat it accordingly. NONE of the related or unrelated equipment in this video comes with the rig. The item will be shipped to the winner free of charge to a US address. If the winner is outside of the United States they may decide to pay for the shipping charges themselves or forfeit the prize.

DIY, Informational, Tactical Gear

3DSR Buckle. Ever heard of it?

You may or may not be aware that my day job is in the tactical gear design and production industry. Because of that I get lots of samples of new buckles either via mail or trade shows such as SHOT Show. Back in 2019 I received a few samples of the Three Dimensional Side Release (3DSR) buckle. I looked at it and tried to thank of a good use but at the time nothing came to mind. I forgot about it until it was rediscovered in a drawer at my shop. A very well thought out design and while reexamining it I wondered to myself why I hadn’t seen other gear-makers using the 3DSR. It has some great properties and the only conclusion I came up with was simply that nobody knew about it. So, here is me doing my part. If you are not aware of the 3DSR then consider yourself informed.

Image of 3DSR Buckle from Mil-Spec Monkey.

Features and Stats

  • 300 lbs load capacity.
  • Squeeze really well in your hand due to shape (easy to release).
  • Will release when overloaded instead of breaking.
  • Releases fairly easily under load.
  • Fragmentation Resistant (info below)
  • NIR (Near-Infrared Reduced).
  • 1″ webbing interface.

Properties

This is probably the most impressive part. This buckle isn’t made from the traditional acetal polymer that you usually associate with other like components. The manufacturer calls it “shatter proof” and was originally developed for USMC/ARMY pack frames and is supposed to keep its physical properties down to -40 degrees. The image below shows one of the buckles that has been shot by a 5.56 round at 20 meters (test not conducted by 30MC). You can see that the round passed through the buckle while it was mated together. The buckle pictured was still operational after taking the damage. An accidental disengagement of the 3DSR is unlikely as you must squeeze both sides to release.

Image of shot 3DSR buckle from documents from Down East Innovation, LLC.

As I stated before I am not exactly sure where this buckle would be used to the greatest effect in the “tactical space”. Perhaps in the should straps of plate carriers or even a on-riggers type of gun belt. It seems a bit wide to be used as a quick detach element on a rifle sling.

There you have it. The 3DSR. I promise to not take four years to report on an innovative components I come across, next time.

Most resellers of the buckle have it listed as an ITW Nexus product but I don’t believe that is the case. The confusion probably came from the fact that Fastening Systems distributes the buckle and they are largely associated with ITW due to the volume of ITW components that they ship.

Purchasing

I receive nothing from your purchase of this item. A simple google search revealed a few places where the 3DSR is available.

DIY, Industry News, Informational, Tactical Gear

ITW Nexus releases the EVO SR buckle

For all you DIY gear makers our there. ITW Nexus has released a video showing off their new EVO SR buckle. According to ITW Nexus the EVO SR will launch in 10, 15, 20, 25, 38mm versions. Only color option so far is black. The buckle features a 2-way funneling type latch and body so it can be properly engaged without having the angle exactly correct when pushing them together. I am not sure if there is a great militarized application (over what is already available) for this buckle but it certainly is interesting and I am sure it will find its way onto future gear. Download the specs pdf from the ITW Nexus website here. If you are looking for an ITW Nexus supplier make sure to stop by the Materials and Sources page here on 30MC under the “Tactical DIY” section.

From the ITW Nexus website:
The Evo SR is the next evolution in fully featured side release buckle design. The Evo SR was designed using extensive user research, leading to real and impactful improvements to the user experience. These improvements include contoured, integral triggers, which makes the releasing the buckle easy and comfortable. The Evo SR also features new, innovative side-to-side and top-to-bottom angular funneling action for seamless buckle assembly. The minimalist aesthetic and accessible function make it a great fit for a variety of applications.