The Armour Archive

Thomas Powers

Your picture reminds me of why my family fought to get off the farm!

Thomas

Thomas Powers

For just cutting and heating I would look into an oxy-propane torch; propane is a lot safer and cheaper than acetylene; unfortunately it's not good for welding. Remember you use more O2 than fuel gas so your O2 tank should be larger. Talk with the folks where you will get your tanks refilled and see...

Thomas Powers

Polishing was an independent craft, you can read inventories that mention items being sent out to the polishers, or that comissioned pieces have been delivered to the polishers from the armour smith. And they are listed as a seperate guild in large cities.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Do you want to use them for welding or cut them up into dishing forms? If the first check with your local welding store they may not refill a tank you have bought elsewhere and so not low cost if you can't get them re-filled or have to drive a couple of hours to get to the company that will re-fill ...

Thomas Powers

I remember that oxen were slower but cheaper to run and horses were faster but required more expensive feeding for draft use. I don't recall mules being used for anything other than riding. A typical peseant would not own horses but would "rent them" from his overlord. Oxen could be owned in a group...

Thomas Powers

Sell the vette before they get to driving age---it will help put them through college and you would feel bad if anything happened to it or them...

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Moxon's book speaks of the different irons and what they were good for. Just like a woodworker will choose the proper wood for the job at hand a smith would be expected to know what iron would work and how to "cheat" a bit if necessary.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

The closest I can remember to that date/time was a couple of soldiers carved on an Irish cross. IIRC there is a book out there just on carved Irish Crosses that will have a good picture but the details are a bit worn. You can document the helms though!

Thomas

Thomas Powers

The anti-fencing mentality in Calontir predates Pavel---I still have my original "Calontir Stands Alone" t-shirt and well remember Calontir pre-Pavel, Did you know that Grinfells once had a reputation for *not* being a heavy drinking group? I'm in other kingdoms now and believe that someday fencing ...

Thomas Powers

Well what do you like? I think I could do the armour and weapons part of the Wallace collection in as little as 3 weeks if I skipped the parts I wasn't interested in and only concentrated on the details I am interested in....My biggest complaint with it is that the original collector tended to focus...

Thomas Powers

There was a guy that sold abrasives at Cesar's Creek Fleamarket in OH that had a "discard bin" too. I once bought 49 2x72" blue belts at 50 cents a pound---figured I saved over US$150!

I've moved 1600 miles away now and so am willing to share the source.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Hey it's a complement to be asked for your sources! Also keeps you on your toes...

Thomas

Thomas Powers

I mainly use the forges for patternwelding and the arc welder for building stakes and tooling.

I did forge weld the straps for my spangen helm---the brim strap and the two cross straps at the crown.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Franklin County Oh is in the Barony of the Middle Marches, Shire of Tirnewydd. A very old and active group it's been the training grounds of a number of groups.

www.midrealm.org will get you to them.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Shoot here I was thinking that the 5' dia 1/2" thick dished disks I had bought might have another use...I'm building some upscale patio fire pits with 2" sq dragon headed legs. Gonna ship them up to Santa Fe or Taos and go yuppie fishing with them.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Currently I have to drag the welder from the shop across the desert to the house and park it outside the kitchen window. Then go inside and pull the stove away from the wall and plug in the "welder's extension cord" and feed it through the kitchen and out the window and then plug in the welder and w...

Thomas Powers

Or we could just sit around a wait patiently. God is bound to win his war with Pavel one of these days... Wink

But will Calontir survive the final cataclysm!

Thomas formerly of Grimfells

Thomas Powers

NO most silver bearing solders may NOT be safe! Cadnium is a common alloying element in some solders. If it doesn't say safe do not use it!

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Remember also the two, later 3 field system where a considerable ammount of the land was in a fallow state to "re-charge" but also used for grazing and the animals provinding weed control and manure. Do you count this land? It's absolutely necessary in the long run but may not be for this year in pa...

Thomas Powers

OMG! He has the infamous "make a sword by flatening out a leafspring *COLD*"

This process invalidates *ANY* claim he might have to *ANY* knowledge of metallurgy or concern with safety!

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Atli, I've been in negotiations about filiming Beowabbit; so far I have made "Offers that they could not refuse" to seven directors----ah can you take 7 large dufflebags out beyond the 3 mile limit and drop them off for me? Don't pay any attention if they are a bit "squishy"... I'm sure number 8 wil...

Thomas Powers

Are you having them done in wrought iron?

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Moving can jar the wheels a bit. as mentioned above make sure they are properly mounted (correct tightness!), then get a diamond dresser and try dressing the wheels, (then check the bearings!)

Much nicer toi deal with the cause than the symptoms! (In anvils---get a Fisher!)

Thomas

Thomas Powers

also woolen prepped, woolen spun wools full more than worsted prep, worsted spun.

If you want to full yours more do it *before* you cut out your pieces as it will result in shrinkage. Do not use "washable wools" as they are treated to not full.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

It's been probably 20 years since I read it and I don't own a copy. I remember it as an oddity---a culture taking a step *backwards* in weaponry. Very unusual!

Alcyoneus, I need an e-mail address for his Jarlship! I want to invite him down for a visit/job search.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Why not buy a better welder used? I've bought a lincoln 225 "Tombstone" 220V for $40 and saw another one go for that same price last month. A newer version brought $100. Have you talked to your local welding supplier they may know of someone wanting to upgrade; or an estate sale, or even deal in use...

Thomas Powers

It's been a while since I read it but you might try looking in "Giving up the Gun" a book on how Japan went from a Nation exporting large numbers of guns to one that relied almost entirely on the sword, bow and spear.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Most books on calligraphy will discuss treating paper to avoid bleeding problems. You may want to see what the pro's advise.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

The Hunting and Fishing Museum has a very nice collection of damascus barrelled guns; but they tenede toward fairly recent examples when I last visted.

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Uilleag, I guess you haven't seen the book "Celts, Europe's People of Iron"...Their iron working skills were better than the romans in weaponry; but the romans sure did a lot better in pumping out huge quanties of iron. Alucard; hate to tell you but the Celts are best known for their presence in Eur...

Thomas Powers

Isn't there some carvings of celtic warriors on a roman triumphal---oh Trystan, I see what you mean...

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Actually one of the better sources for medieval leather tooling that I have seen is "Knives and Scabbards, Museum of London" with lots of close ups of a pretty large number to worked sheathes letting you see the tools they must have used and what they thought were appropriate for that time and place...

Thomas Powers

Linen and hemp cloth does get softer with wear so much so that beetling it was often done to get it softer. (beating it with a club).

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Remember, what you need to check for is compatible screw threads on the dies---don't think you can tell that from pictures; but you may have better eyes than I do...

Thomas

Thomas Powers

Egfroth, were the tabby woven ones worsted spun, woolen spun or some finds of each? Woolen would be warmer and would fit the army blanket usage. Worsted would be tougher and resist brush damage more. Herringbone is more likely to be worsted since it will show the pattern and not fuzz out as much. Th...