Backplate question, excessive webbing

[Degenerate]

Hello,
I recently purchased a BP/W and after threading all the webbing through the backplate I'm left with quite a bit excess webbing, like 40-50cm on each end of the belt buckle if that makes sense.
I'm a pretty skinny guy so figured I wouldn't need to use all of it.
What's the best way for shortening it?
Cutting it obviously, and using a soldering iron on the ends to prevent fraying?
Not sure if I can get a flat enough edge with a soldering iron, has to be easy to thread it back through buckles and whatnot afterwards.
Clothing iron? Should get a good pressed flat edge I suppose
How did you guys do it?

Cheers

 

[EireDiver606]

Hot knife. Don’t cut all of it off completely.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Make sure you wear it with your suit and tank first. Some adjustments make take up some slack. I cut mine with sharp shears, then burn the ends with a lighter.

 

[Degenerate]

Never thought about a hot knife, that's genious and would probably work very well!
I still haven't received my drysuit yet so not gonna cut anything until I get it, I've been fitting the backplate wearing a very thick hoodie and still left a little bit of slack to account for drysuit/undergarments.
Hopefully I'll get my drysuit before the weekend as I have a rediscover course planned for sunday...
Thanks for the tips!

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . Cutting it obviously, and using a soldering iron on the ends to prevent fraying? Not sure if I can get a flat enough edge with a soldering iron, has to be easy to thread it back through buckles and whatnot afterwards. . . .

A lighter should be enough to prevent fraying, and it won't ball up too much if you are careful not to over-apply the flame. However, if it does ball up to the extent you can't thread it through the buckle, something like a soldering iron works fine to flatten it. Or just cut another sliver off the end and start over with the lighter. In addition to leaving room for adjustment, accommodating fraying of the end over time is another reason to be sure not to trim TOO much off the end.

 

[Zef]

even after you get the shoulder and waist comfortable don't cut until after you play around with the crotch strap length and different thickness undersuits...both of those can affect the length you need to have the harness comfortable...it would suck if you cut the webbing and then found that you need the crotch strap tighter and then find that the whole shebang doesn't fit anymore.

-Z

 

[EireDiver606]

Never thought about a hot knife, that's genious and would probably work very well!
I still haven't received my drysuit yet so not gonna cut anything until I get it, I've been fitting the backplate wearing a very thick hoodie and still left a little bit of slack to account for drysuit/undergarments.
Hopefully I'll get my drysuit before the weekend as I have a rediscover course planned for sunday...
Thanks for the tips!

They work like a dream. Don’t get carried away though !

 

[Degenerate]

Thanks for the input.
I'm still going to leave a good bit after fitting it with my drysuit and undergarments, you never know when you'll have to shorten the edge a bit so having a little bit extra will be fine, won't be in the way either.
As it is now there's a good half meter to spare on each side which you can imagine gets in the way quite a bit

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I usually thread the buckle first, then thread the webbing through the plate from there. That way I only have one end to trim later and it's easy to adjust. I cut my first one too short and after getting everything on I had two inches to grab and try to feed through the buckle. I replaced the webbing and now leave about eight inches extra that I stuff under bicycle tubing on the waist.

 

[The Chairman]

Cut it after a dive or two. Simply tuck the excess in the interim.