The Armour Archive

Chris Gilman

Thomas, A wax finish is on the metal. Gaston, Yes. I have an insulated line running from a 15 gallon keg, (in a giant ice filled foam beer cozy) through the wall that screws onto the back of the jockey box. This was one of the reasons I made the cupboard, the table I had been using was too deep and ...

Chris Gilman

Sean, To be honest I am not very knowledgeable in the assembly techniques of medieval furniture. You are correct; this is perhaps more in the style of arts & crafts era furniture. In 2009 I rebuilt the bedroom and laundry / back hall of our 1926 bungalow and I’m sure I had Greene and Greene stuc...

Chris Gilman

Cuan,
You couldn't be more right. But as Michael’s dad said, "If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough!"
The revised scaffold system is already in the works, this time designed so an idiot (me) can't assemble it upside down.

Chris Gilman

"Bossing up the backs of the floral terminals worked very nicely. It gives them a lot of depth" Really helps to avoid the cut from sheetmetal look so much non-forged iron work has. Well done! Thomas When looking at the drawings of the originals, they seem to be bumped out in the same mann...

Chris Gilman

I suppose it is possible, with the right set up and a MASSIVE amount of suction power. Physics limit you in vacuum /suction power. You only have 14.7 lbs of atmospheric pressure to use, so that is all the “suction” you will ever get. You would need to use pressure forming and I do not believe you w...

Chris Gilman

One of the things I was suppose to have for last year’s Pennsic was a correct period table/ cupboard for the “jockey box” keg in my house. In trade for a bunch of old furniture, I had arranged with a local furniture restorer/ maker to make it for me. He flaked. So, a couple of weekends ago I started...

Chris Gilman

My tool of choice for 90% of my metal cutting needs.
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-fo ... 67595.html

1050, mild, stainless or aluminum cuts it all. Set at the lowest speed 600 fpm with a fine blade and a little cutting wax. I just made hinges for my cupboard and this blasted through 11 ga. I have a B shear, but I almost never use it.

Chris Gilman

I would classify these as technical, not structural. A couple of the trim pieces have already had the tolerances loosened up. The only real damage I have found are items damaged from our hasty packing job because of the storm. Hence the crates. (I just finished the crate for the windows) The other m...

Chris Gilman

Gerhard,
I'm not clear what difficlties "we" ran into, other than the scaffold bar break. In fact most of the improvments are cosmetic, rather than technical and other that the scaffold system, none are structural.

Chris Gilman

For those of you following this thread from last year, I have started upgrades and improvements on my Pennsic house. The progress can be viewed on my blog.

Chris Gilman

I'm either a 9th century Norse "trekky" or the 17th C. historical reenactor. I haven't figured out which.

Chris Gilman

Jon,
Here are the cards displayed with 178 and 179 (note the link I posted above has many other shots of these two)
http://www.globaleffects.com/Temp/Enclo ... bat%20.JPG
http://www.globaleffects.com/Temp/Enclo ... Combat.JPG

Chris Gilman

Aussie Yeoman wrote:....
But if strict historical accuracy went out the window, you're probably best off getting a space suit and riveting brigandine plates all over it.

D

Actually, you have better mobility in a suit of armour than most spacesuits once they are pressurized.

Chris Gilman

I had read this as well, but it is untrue. Iâ€˜ve worked with Joe Kosmo, who was involved in the development of the Apollo suits and is head of development on the Mark III suit ( http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/resource/1001494 )and I asked him about that. He said early on they (NASA/ Litton) looked at arm...

Chris Gilman

Badger, I have interests outside of medieval research as well, and there was nothing offensive in your reference to sci-fi costumes. (Itâ€™s what pays my bills) My issue was that there is virtually no comparison in the level of craft or technology between these costumes and the suits of armour being...

Chris Gilman

Badger, I'm sorry, but saying "Based on my own experience with restrictive, rigid costumes, (Stormtrooper armor and a powered suit costume,) I would have to say that mobility would be limited." Is the same as saying: Based on my experience with my peddle car, I'd say driving a Porsche woul...

Chris Gilman

There a number of surviving suits with articulated, close fitting covered buttocks and groin. Two in Paris I know of and in addition to Henrys suit I think there are others. (If I am not confusing older photos of the same suits). As for articulated inner elbows and knees, there are a much larger num...

Chris Gilman

With all this criticism of the SCA knights not taking action sooner and not “controlling their own”. And as the knight who stood up 20 years ago in the belted circle that was considering Brian for Knighthood, and said, "If you consider me a knight, Brian, should be a Knight." I offer up my...

Chris Gilman

Not wanting to derail this thread, but I knew Aonghais pretty well and lived down the street from him here in LA. I agree with the statement above. (edit: in Aarons post) None of the people I talked to ever suspected he was capable of such an act. But after it was discovered many said, “It doesn’t s...

Chris Gilman

Top shelf! as always.

Chris Gilman

In looking at a larger image of the altar piece I do see they come to the hips (not counting the triangle flap) but this is dated to 1371 (?).
CH 18 , circa 1415 looks as if it extends to the tops of the cuisse. I was thinking that was the â€œcrotchâ€

Chris Gilman

A trick I learned from an old pool cue maker for turning long thin pieces without lathe dogs is to use a router in place of the traditional chisel tool. The router does not put as much drag and pressure on the wood and therefore deflects it less, allowing longer thin pieces to be turned without wobb...

Chris Gilman

End of the 14th C maybe (Correction: The bottom piece of Saint Michael is thought to be from 1420's so Chef is correct.) The silver Alter of Saint James has a nice depiction. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4629988518_c8468987bd.jpg here is another http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1i0OgI4a3XU/TK5TzK3Ry...

Chris Gilman

I was thinking more like 1380 to 1400 and if you look closely at the original, the fabric covering is torn completely away right at the rivets on the last hoop and I suspect there are a number of hoops missing. It should come down lower than it does. Contemporary Illustrations depict this type endin...

Chris Gilman

Am I the only one who feels Ms. Smith is another ostrich who has pulled their head from the sand to point out there is nothing really wrong here. Wait a minute….why are there so many “Smith’s” defending Brian? Chris, reread the post with satire and sarcasm in mind. I think it'll read differently to...

Chris Gilman

Am I the only one who feels Ms. Smith is another ostrich who has pulled their head from the sand to point out there is nothing really wrong here. Wait a minuteâ€¦.why are there so many â€œSmithâ€™sâ€

Chris Gilman

I'm not discussing the incident in question, simply continuing our side discussion. Although I am amazed that incident you cited was resolved in three months with only $330 in attorney fees. It was a small claims case. You don't NEED a lawyer, but sometime it helps. There is no jury (at least here ...

Chris Gilman

Thank you Gwen, I was going to point that out. In fact a newbie to the SCA who wanted armour from Brian 20 years ago came to me and asked if Brian was a good armourer, I warned him, do not give Brian money up front, because he has a substantiated reputation for not delivering armour. I said don’t ju...

Chris Gilman

Welp, Time to go put my Wife's Silver Pelican Medallion we got From Brian Price in a Safety Deposit Box, That Baby is going to be a Collectors Item one day. Not everyone has a Pelican Medallion Designed By........Satan. (Then again Maybe they all are) Never had any issues with Brian myself he was a...

Chris Gilman

I was referring to Gavin, I just didn't want to drag his name into this too. He told me the whole story at a party at your house, while looking at the armour in question. I heard a very similar story about pieces which had never been sent being reported as 'lost in the mail' from GW, who also worke...

Chris Gilman

Gwen put it “…and being friends with the (uncredited) maker of the nice leg harness delivered…”. Interestingly Gwen, Brian did not in fact make that leg harness, it was made by a fellow named Gavin Danker. Over the years, many of the more highly acclaimed pieces of armour coming from Brian’s shop wh...

Chris Gilman

Actually, after I posted the picture I realised this tent has a welded metal frame. The waivieness I think is the uneven tension of the base stakes as the frame is welded aluminum tube. I did not bend the wood dowels, they where straight. Edit: I also just realized this photo is from the set of a mo...

Chris Gilman

Mac, Nice models. Back in the late 80's I made 2 ten foot diameter round period style pavilions with a hoop and center pole. For ease of transport I wanted the pole and hoop to pack down as much as possible. (Very convenient for flying to an event) The segmented center pole used a simple sleeve arra...

Chris Gilman

I saw this thread at the first page and thought, oh well; another group of people who think Brian is some great____. However, this evening it was brought to my attention that it was now something very different. My response was “Me adding anything to this thread is like telling the Japanese; “Here a...

Chris Gilman

Actually I did form it complete, and then cut the slots. When I formed it around the helmet I needed a mandrel inside the roll to keep the "tube" from collapsing. You could possibly get away with a piece of hinge, but the spacing of the slots will be larger than you need. Also, in the abov...

Re: Cupboard for the Pennsic house

Re: Cupboard for the Pennsic house

Re: Cupboard for the Pennsic house

Re: Cupboard for the Pennsic house

Re: Vacuum forming...

Cupboard for the Pennsic house

Re: Shear Alternative...