The Armour Archive

polarbearforge

MFGquote is a good place to get quotes. I prefer keyways when possible just for that added little extra. I've been known to overbuild, but I only want to build things once if I can. Shoot me an email if you can't find anything. I won't be able to work on anything like this for a couple weeks, but I ...

polarbearforge

Looks good so far. It's always fun to see the differences from person to person in this process. For instance, I forge the edge thinner than 1/16" and take the point a lot pointier. The only thing I would suggest changing, is the draw filing. If it's perpendicular, it's not getting full cutting bene...

polarbearforge

Very nice. That's a really nice version of that.

Jamie

polarbearforge

I use that style for forging all the time. I have a 6 pounder that I modified in that manner. I can switch from lengthening the piece to widening the piece just by flipping the hammer over. It's a lot more comfortable at the angle than a straight or cross pein. I also have a smaller, 2 pound that I ...

polarbearforge

I haven't read through all the post yet, but I'd also cast my vote for static electricity. I've had it happen in two different circumstances in my shop. When I do a lot of slack belt sanding, not against the platen and I'm insulated from the ground (rubber mat). When I touch something, it discharges...

polarbearforge

What about turning a pulley with sidewalls? So that the cross section would look like an " H "? not sure if that would work... I tried it once. It didn't work too well. If the belt didn't dig into the sides, it rolled up the sides. Either way, it either ruined the belt or did a weird wiggly side to...

polarbearforge

That looks a lot like one of the interations I went through when rebuidling my sander. Looks good! When slack belt sanding, unless you have a pretty good amount of tension, the belt will move unless you're sanding whatever right in the middle of the belt with no side pressure. I don't do much slack ...

polarbearforge

How did you get that pattern on # 84? Did it just come out that way, or did you do something special in the layering or folding? I love it, I have never seen a damascus pattern I like better. I cut through the layers to create the pattern. If you're familiar with damascus patterns, it's the same co...

polarbearforge

PM sent.

Jamie

polarbearforge

Yep, it's #309. Here's a picture. http://www.polarbearforge.com/sales/mus ... folder.jpg

There's also one from the Viking Age found in Canterbury here, http://www.polarbearforge.com/sales/vik ... erbury.jpg

I have both started in my shop. If you email me with specifics, like blade steel, handle material, etc... I can get you a quote.

Jamie

polarbearforge

I'm fond of gas forges. They're pretty easy to build yourself. They give a really consistant heat.

If you want authenticity, you'd actually want hardwood charcoal instead of coal. And when you're done, you can grill on them.

As for how big, it depends on what you want to heat in it.

Jamie

polarbearforge

As far as doing the Damascus by hand, I'm not sure my hands and arms will take that much pounding (osteoporosis). So I figure it'd be a little less strain with something to do most of the pounding. Ah, that would make a bit of difference. I would suggest starting with cable then. It doesn't require...

polarbearforge

I've seen that forge on ebay before. I'm surprised that it takes 6 psi for forging heat. I'm really surprised that it doesn't get hot enough to forge weld. A blower isn't required for that. David01, you don't need a trip hammer to make damascus. IMHO, it's better to start doing it by hand and then g...

polarbearforge

Well, based on your definition of perfect, either really hard or really easy. I've made them with my ring roller and it takes longer to get the thing set to the right diameter than anything.

Now the machinist in me, would make it very hard based on the tolerance....

Jamie

polarbearforge

I haven't heat treated armour pieces, but am used to heat treating blades and other things. The first thing you need to do, is harden it. Tempering comes after that to relieve stresses. The whole thing needs to be heated to temperature. For 1050, that's roughly 1450 - 1550 degrees. Then the whole th...

polarbearforge

If you decide to go custom, I can also make those. Just ask and we can setup a quote.

Jamie

polarbearforge

I don't know what hardness works best for stakes, but without know the composition of the steel, you could get a few different results. Some could harden sufficiently. Some could not harden at all. Each one could harden to a different degree. There could be hard and soft spots in the same ball. Mayb...

polarbearforge

What application is it for? If you just need a hardened ball bearing, a chrome steel ball bearing from msc or someplace similar would be a better bet. Depending on what you need to do to it though, it might be too hard to machine efficiently without edm access. At work, we make a number of parts tha...

polarbearforge

I don't think that aluminum would be the best choice for a nozzle. While it has it's uses, I don't think that would be the best use. If it's an aluminum body with another material inserted for the nozzle it could work. I wouldn't use steel, even stainless steel, just because of the corrosion factor....

polarbearforge

Heat it up to the correct temperature and quench in the appropriate medium. Temper at the appropriate temperature for the application.

That's the basic process. Specifics depend on the actual chemistry of the steel. Is it known?

Jamie

polarbearforge

First and second pictures, www.vikingsword.com/vmuseum/vmm1.html
Third picture www.vikingsword.com/vmuseum/vml1.html

polarbearforge

It could be complete or it could be missing pieces. Both would be accurate. The first picture as is, is Wheeler's type I and Peterson's type M. If it's incomplete, it could be 3 lobed, 5 lobed, or single lobed with different silhouettes. In the 3rd picture, if incomplete, it could be Peterson type L...

polarbearforge

It's been covered here as well. I built one way back using a motor and some pulleys to drop the speed down. I made the arbor for the saw blade. (Just found it again yesterday actually.) 120/ minute sounds rather slow if it's galvinized. I was cutting closer to 300 per minute. Stainless is a bit slow...

polarbearforge

Thanks! It was fun to make.

Are any of those pictures from the Iceland graves online? I'd love to see them.

Many excavated saxes to have a spear point. I'd have to check, but there's a type for that too.

Jamie

polarbearforge

hurbuck style, ok, never heard of it, thanks. can I get some measurements on that sax you'v shown? Hurbuck relates to a 9th century hoarde found at Hurbuck in England. It would be easier if there was a simple, single typology for seaxes, but different books seem to have their own. The blade length ...

polarbearforge

A proviso from WW2. Helms don't stretch well in a one-stage mold. Unless you're willing to have a half dozen dies you're gonna blow through the metal of the helmet or at least make it too thin to be worthwhile. That's another problem with doing it that way. I don't really have any desire to make a ...

polarbearforge

Yep, that looks like a bladesmith's press. Once I get around to building it, mine will be similar in style. Presses are great for pattern weld patterning. You still need control, but the learning curve seems easier on a press than a power hammer. Dies for armour wouldn't be that hard to make. They'd...

polarbearforge

For 9th century probably go for a Hurbuck style sax. It has the typical broken, angled spine, but it's not as dramatic as the honey lane. Many of this period also had inlaid lines in the blade. I can provide a sketch if you'd like. I've made a few of that blade style, and have one in the shop right ...

polarbearforge

One thing I'll point out about that cd, is that it has a lot of great pictures of one knife, and a few pictures of a couple other knives. And that's it. I was disappointed that there weren't more pictures of a lot of different knives.

Jamie

polarbearforge

Krag wrote:Seriously, though, nice job! I always wondered how a simple knotwork pattern would turn out done like that. That would be an awful lot of time and wasted metal if it didn't work, though!

That's why I started with a simple test design....

Jamie

polarbearforge

Nope, I cut the pattern before forging, similar to how you'd do ladder or pool and eye. I'll toss the camera batteries back in the charger and take a picture of the end when they're charged. There's not much to see. The tang connects to the cap, but doesn't extend through it.

Jamie

polarbearforge

Just finished this one last night. I had decided to play around a little bit with patterning on regular layered pattern weld. I took the basic concept of making a ladder pattern and went with shapes instead. Here's the result. [img]http://www.polarbearforge.com/gallery/gallery_084.jpg[/img] And a cl...

polarbearforge

I have a shirt that is just laying around. It's butted and made from galvy. Minimal cleaning required and no patching required. I was going to ask $100 plus shipping. I can take some pictures tomorrow if you'd like.

Jamie

polarbearforge

Definately agree that those are two dumb things. I'll add one more, no goggles. For some people, long sleeves are required. One friend of mine that used my cutter broke out in a rash from just a little bit on his arms. (My cutter has the blade enclosed and a vacuum attached to help reduce dust.) As ...

polarbearforge

Practice, practice, and then practice. Practice making smaller blades first. Work up to larger and more complex pieces from there.

Jamie

Re: 5 foot diameter ring

Experimental damascus seax with elk antler