How do you make medal ribbons flat like the Old Guard?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 08:15:23 -0400

I have always been impressed at the Old Guard soldiers and their meticulous uniform so I was wondering how they make their full size medal ribbons flat?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2014 8:17 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 08:17:38 -0400

You talking the ribbons or the actual full size medals?

Response by SFC A.M. Drake made Aug 26 at 2014 8:32 AM

SFC A.M. Drake — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 08:32:30 -0400

http://www.thinribbons.com

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2014 9:08 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 09:08:57 -0400

I think you can buy them like that. Take a look athttp://rackbuilder.armyawards.com they have everything and will send it put together already.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Aug 26 at 2014 9:09 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 09:09:25 -0400

Back when I was in The Old Guard (many years ago), we actually took the medal off of the ribbon (to strip and polish), disassembled the ribbons from the mounts, and ironed them flat. We then took stiff, thin plastic and cut it to shape (for 1, 2, 3 or 4 medals, depending on the medal count for that row) and glued the ribbon to the plastic and reattached the medal and glued it to mounts. We also cut off the buttons to strip and polish them, there were no anodized buttons or medals then. I think it's a bit less labor intensive now with anodized available, but I'm not sure if they still make there own mounts this way or not.

Response by SFC Stephen Carden made Aug 26 at 2014 9:29 AM

SFC Stephen Carden — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 09:29:48 -0400

Funny, I was just having this conversation the other day. I was putting together a retirement shadow box for a friend of mine who is retiring at the end of the month. As I arranged his medals and affixed all of the devices to them, I couldn't help but wonder why this stuff hasn't been updated since WWII. There has to be a better way to make medals and ribbons so that you don't ruin them when you try to slide them on the bar. Devices are ridiculous. It is kind of hard to push the pins of an oak leaf cluster through a ribbon or medal and get the OLC perfectly centered and straight. Why dont we have magnetic ones by now? Or something easier to affix. I think I will come up with something and take it to Shark Tank. The tricky part will be making something modern and user-friendly and still staying within Army regs on it.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2014 12:03 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:03:34 -0400

They build their own medals. My cousin used to work in QM in FT Myer and he showed me his. They have rolls of the different ribbons and they cut the shape out, glue it to a plastic backing, and glue the medal and clothing pin to the ribbon.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2014 1:52 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:52:18 -0400

That is an easy one. First you have to take apart the medal itself. You will then need to iron out the ribbon from the medal. Then get a index card and draw the width of the ribbon and use a ruler to make a clean v on it. cut it out. then you will glue this to the ribbon. You will then glue a bit of the top and fold it over to keep it in place. Then you will put the medallion back on and glue the ribbon on the back to form along the v cut you made. glue any of the excess ribbon to the back. You will have clean flat looking medal.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2014 10:37 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 22:37:23 -0400

Build up is made of metal cut ribbon shape, we get the ribbon from the flag shop (you could use off of bought medals) glue on the ribbon each row is separate with slightly larger build up also we used picture hooks to hang the medals off.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 7:35 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 19:35:14 -0400

I would love to see a YouTube video of this process.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 7:43 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 19:43:05 -0400

SFC Private RallyPoint Member Place the ribbons together on a mounting board before attaching the medals to the bottom. Attach a broach clip to the back of the board in order to secure it to the jacket.

Response by MSG Dorsel Boyer made May 17 at 2020 11:54 PM

MSG Dorsel Boyer — Sun, 17 May 2020 23:54:31 -0400

We would get a length of the ribbon from supply, get a hard backing (we used self adhesive beware of dog signs), Cut the backing via a template, fit the ribbon to the backing, hot glue the excess ribbon behind the backing, and the. Glue the ribbon bar onto the back, and then glue one of the hooks that hold the pocket buttons on class a jackets to the back of the ribbon and template assembly to suspend the medal device from. It took a few times to get right for me.