Ok, Stop. You guys and your bodged together burners are hurting my mind! Yes, they work, and well. but you can get the same results, with less effort, by building a Reil Burner. Ron Reil designed it a few years ago, for blacksmithing work. I use it for both forging and foundry, and in smaller versio...

The bullet speed used for the calculations was 900fps. This was the advertised speed for the particular bullet used in the equation. it was the first hit returned by Google for "9mm round" Also, about the large arrow size: the advertised size of the arrow in question was 1/2". if you look back on th...

Remember, the energy is dependent on two things: -One-Half the Mass of projectile. -Velocity of projectile SQUARED. Thus, Kinetic Energy = (.5) (Mass) * [(Velocity)*(Velocity)] So, for the Jousting example: KE= .5*952.5Kg*9.8m/s^2 (AKA 300lb jouster on 1800lb horse at 22MPH) KE= 45,739 Joules and so...

I am an amature foundryman, and I melt and cast zinc and zinc -containing alloys all the time. Melting zinc-based alloys is not a problem, the temperatures are not high enought to vaporize the zinc. Brass, and some Bronzes, will have the zinc flash out, and while some people are more sensitive than ...

Here's my recommendation, one of my main forums. http://www.ABYMC.com And you do not want to do much in the way of this without working in lead and pewter first. Don't worry about lead vapor, if you have vaporised any lead, you've got some more serious problems to worry about. Besides, Lead is not t...

John, Please at least _try_ to type in proper english. It makes it much easier for everyone here to read your posts, and you'll get more help from some of the guys here. I'm 18, and i started when i was 15. I'm still not that great, but then again i've probably only got some 100-150 hours in actual ...

Well, from my (limited) experiance with this crowd, plastic tends to be frowned upon for almost any type of armor. I certainly don't like it, but in this case, it would be ok. Not great, but ok. Generally, you'll want to try to dish the plastic parts so that they curve to fit your body. Not real sur...

Very nice. i really need to sit down and take the time to learn this, it's gonna be really important later on. between school and work, armoring hasnt been getting much attention lately, at least in the rigid materials sector.

i did it freehand, cause i'm too lazy to make up a jig for it. the parts are partly finished, and a generally curved backing is gnawed from a 2x4, or 6. i wipe the parts down with layout dye, and then cut the groove. Best thing to do is keep the tools sharp enough that when you slip, you just go ahe...

this type of inlay is done mostly cold, rather than heat the color to melting, and letting it solidify in the channel, a v-tip grooving chisel is used and then the V groove is undercut on both sides. the piece is then heated to several hundred degrees, and the copper wire is then hammered into the g...

Well, turns out I finished the inlay on the right spaulder first, and I said that I'd post images of it, in order to bounce ideas for the rest of the set. I've got it pointed onto my unfinished maille, because it's about the only thing I've got the will hold it in the right place. The maille is righ...

All the parts have been made, but the inlay engraving is done sequentially, as to match left side to left side, and right side to right side. the vast majority of the hammer work is already done.

Hey Howdy! i'm getting ready to start a 15thC brig here soon as well. I've found a nifty reference in the archives section of this site, showing the evolution from 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, but a real picture of a modern reproduction would be helpful too.

methinks to myself "damn these people are helpful!" Ok, so a heavy canvas inner, a lighter galvanized sheet for the plates, and roofing nails, chopped off the same way I do every other rivit that isn't shown. I'm starting to like this idea of a brigandine, is it as mobile as a maille shirt? I'm in a...

I'm pretty new at this, but it has been suggested in another thread to try working out the following: I'm thinking I'll keep to one style, rather than mixing them, so I'll choose german at random. a 15thC germanish sallet a pair of spaulders <--workin on these, finishing up a brigandine <--workin on...

Ok. this is exactly the information I was looking for. While I am less concerened with looking authentic than I am being consistant, it does mean something to me. The brigandine may go for a different harness, and I'll use the spaulders with that as well. when i get more confident in my plate work, ...

I know, the subject line is probably one of the most irritating i could have chosen, but i'm not particularly bright at the moment. I'm a beginning armorer, having made lots and lots of maille, and very little plate. I'd like to eventually particupate in the various groups that are out there (SCA, M...