The Armour Archive

Mad Matt

My current (in construction but just needs the brass) flat top greathelm has about 14 tabs. Basically the bottom edge of the tabs is about 1" across. This was easier to fold the tabs down then the first one which had much less and much bigger tabs. But then it took longer to cut out and deburr the e...

Mad Matt

See the sig.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Try argent company: http://store.argentcompany.org/

Also try Le Brassey he'd be able to do em cast.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Bob Hurley aka Thorgrim aka Gaston etc. etc. Not many people successfully use boiling water. You've gotta be really precise in your timing. The non-boiling water way is to fill up your bathtub with hot water from the faucet (turn the hot water on only). Dunk it in there and wait for the bubbles to s...

Mad Matt

You'll loose a teensy bit. But not enough to really matter. I wasn't talking about a greathelm to go overtop I was talking about using this top as the top for an early greathelm. Go take a look at dweezle's page he's got one that's basically what I described. Basically it's the undercap with a face ...

Mad Matt

http://www.theringlord.com/

Saskatoon Saskatchewan.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Or a false coif.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Jeez people keep posting while I'm typing. Ideval: Phase two of this helmet for me is going to be an early greathelm. And an sca legal version with false coif. Basically make the top. Add a face plate with eye slots. The face plate is rounded at the bottom and dished to a shallow globosse shape. Typ...

Mad Matt

David cool. Just wanted to make sure there weren't going to be any hard feelings.

I'd offer to give you the pattern once I do it but it's just a rectangle and a jaggedy oval.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

I'd suggest you put them on the cap plate. Basically shape and rivit together at the back the doughnut that goes around your head. Now trace that doughnut out onto your steel. Add an inch around what you traced. Mark and cut and deburr your tabs. Bend the tabs over then punch/drill the holes. Tabs l...

Mad Matt

David: I've been planning to do those for a little while now but with a tabbed and rivited top. It still looks pretty good with straight sides I'd just been putting off making the pattern for the conical shape. So this is just a note to let you know that if you see me offering them soon I'm not dooi...

Mad Matt

The roofing nails will work for basically just the CoP. Check at local industrial fastener supply places. You'll have to ask them because they'll likely have to special order them in. Nailgun nails won't work. ------------------ The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy. Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

That's a nice looking kettle hat.

Is the top made with the pattern for the norman conical that's in the pattern archive?

Mad Matt

Ok sorry I don't know how to use the quote feature and I didn't copy the post before I started to reply so I'll paraphrase. White mountian's first response was basically. "There's no historical example. These are just made to meet SCA regs." Ie. He's quite open and up front on wether things are hist...

Mad Matt

Russ: What's a pity? I'm still going to be dooin the kettle hats with the round tops. They'll still be multi piece rivited construction though I don't have a welder yet. I'm probably just going to try the pointy one next since I've got a pattern for the top that I know'll work and making it will hel...

Mad Matt

Pressure treated lumber is indeed very toxic. It's treated with pesticides and herbacides basically all kinds of toxic chemicals I think arsenic or scianide is one of them. So burning it is a BAD idea. Also any slivers you get from pressure treated lumber will be much more likely to be infected, inf...

Mad Matt

Russ: you posted while I was posting. Anyway I'd be happy to work with you on some hungarian stuff. Just note that I do have limited skills but I am honest about it so if there's something that I think is beyond me I'll have to pass. On the other hand it would be fun to work on some hungarian stuff ...

Mad Matt

Edward: Which type with which options? They range from $75 for the basic 4 piece plain ones with no heel plate to $205 for the 7 piece ones with center crease, heel plate, flared edges at the ankle, strapped and blued. The price can also get higher then that if you want more lames. You're currently ...

Mad Matt

Well I know how to do it. I've done the same technique on smaller things (besegews) but haven't actually done it on a boss yet. So what I'll do is try to get around to trying it out sometime this week. Then I'll have a pic to post and a pointy boss that's already in-stock. ------------------ The bud...

Mad Matt

Haven't started it yet. I figured I'd finish the greathelm and maybe the round topped kettle I've got in progress already before I start another helmet. Well I'll finish at least one first. Well maybe I will. With some creative hammer swinging you can get at the rivits at the top of the dome with an...

Mad Matt

I'm making a kettle hat. I've sort of made a pattern and dished the pieces for a round topped one with marginal success (the pattern for the halves need more work). And since kettle hats were generally pointed topped I'm going to try using sinric's conical pattern and assemble with a band in the cen...

Mad Matt

I did the pattern at actual size and it fits my head with just barely enough room for padding (perfect fit). I've got a 22-3/4" brow circumference. Creasing (not fluting that's different) I've found is easier to do before curving the plates. You can do it over a scrap of angle iron set on something ...

Mad Matt

Ok just went and had a look in the pattern archive. I used this pattern: http://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/greathelm_ab/index2.html

Which I believe is not the pattern you're using.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Well I'm not sure yet. I'm still in the process of making the first one and finding out how much work is involved. I'm guessing though that they'll probably be around $100 plus $30-$40 for a leather suspension liner and chin straps. But like I said I'm not sure yet. And they're definatly not SCA leg...

Mad Matt

I think I know the pattern you're talking about. I use about 3/4-1" overlap for the plates. It's the top front plate that's too short. Basically if you take the pattern and do this it corrects itself. Get a file folder or something elce that's folded in half. Put the pattern piece on so that the cen...

Mad Matt

Well for some reason I seem to be running out of things to do. With my recent reduced hours at my dayjob I seem to be producing things pretty fast. And since armor now partially pays the bills I need some comissions. So I thought this might spark some interest. Anyway I'm now accepting new comission...

Mad Matt

Nomad since you've already spoken to him you're in an easy position to reward his honesty. Help him out with the description of the auction as well as suggesting some search terms. He'll end up getting more for the armour that way which is a fitting reward for such honesty. ------------------ The bu...

Mad Matt

Thanks for the kind review I'm glad you're happy. They're tricky to photograph eh? Guess I should put up a disclaimer that they're not very photogenic. http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/tongue.gif ------------------ The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy. Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Sorry I'm a goof. I guess your local wallmart would be on a whole different continent.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Well my first one (I'm talking over a stump) took me a total of about 2.5 hours. Including folding the flange back down. The last one I did before I got my special form made up took me about an hour and 20 minutes. I use a 4# mini sledge with rounded faces to dish with. And a depression in the stump...

Mad Matt

Depends on the dimensions. How big around is the dished area and how deep is it.

16gauge what? mild steel or bronze etc.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Garridian: It's a comprimise. Kelly asked for naked armouring pics. Everyone elce didn't ask for it. So the comprimise is the bathing suit.

------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Mad Matt

Ok I was wrong. I don't have the pics of me working on the arms in my underwear. That was a different day. But I do have pics of me working on them in a bathing suit. So Kelly I'll show you mine if you show me yours. I hope to see a pic of you making armour wearing nothing but a bathing suit posted ...

Mad Matt

Actually he means I want all the metal bits preshaped but unassembled for a pair of legs. Well you can get the knee cops (that's the rounded plate in the center of the knee) from Ron Simmons. Then if you take a look in the pattern archive you should find some patterns for the parts of a leg harness....

Mad Matt

Well Athena sleeps through the night most nights now. And if she wakes up in the night then it's my wife's job. If she's the one who gets to take parental leave then she's the one who has to get up in the night. Also like I said. I don't sleep very much. BTW combined maternity and parental leave in ...

Any tips on shaping the band on a conical spangen?

Wanted armor comissions.