The Armour Archive

James Arlen Gillaspie

I have seen this on a number of English brasses c. the time of Henry V. I don't recall an effigy featuring this, though. Could be meant to represent mail, I suppose, but it looked to me to be a defense of plate. I always thought, having once been lifted off my feet by a halberd thrust to the groin (...

James Arlen Gillaspie

There's a lot of time and effort being lost due to not having the punch and die aligned properly. A fixture would be a natural development for production work.

James Arlen Gillaspie

Working the edges as much as possible first is critical. It helps to have good strikers! The original skulls don't show much correction.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=174133&hilit=helmet+skull

James Arlen Gillaspie

@james 20 years?? That's a mighty fine piece of machinery :D Well, it certainly has had a very high use to cost ratio! The arbor bearings are getting a bit worn, though. A couple more pics to show how it works; the arbor is mounted on a block of wood that is in turn mounted on a big door hinge, so ...

James Arlen Gillaspie

...Alumel and Chromel. Of these two alloys (both of which sound like they are probably Superman's uncles, or perhaps lesser known Archangles)

I think if I didn't have to deal with prep time, I could get three times as much done!

James Arlen Gillaspie

This is based on a very real Italian export breastplate that is in Chris Dobson's e-book, Alla Tedesca. It sucks boulders through a soda straw, though, when it comes to execution. Yuck!

James Arlen Gillaspie

This is my $150 rig. $100 of that was the 1 1/2 horse single phase HF motor. No welding or drill press required! :lol: The frame is mostly wood. The rear wheel is a large caster, and the contact wheel is a stack of tightly spiral sewn buffs. The clamp adjusts belt tension. The rear caster... I'll ha...

James Arlen Gillaspie

I'm with you on this one. It would be great if we could break people of saying 'gor-jay' instead of gorget! The folks at the Royal armouries snicker at those who don't use the 't'. I do use the French form for one thing; the 'grand bacinet in the French style', as this is the way they refer to this ...

James Arlen Gillaspie

When I saw this, I would have spat my coffee if I'd been drinking any. What are we seeing here? What is the artist trying to portray?

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James Arlen Gillaspie

Nah, it's just top-of-the-line etching in the manner of Daniel Hopfer. Here's another example.

http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/a ... 258634.jpg

James Arlen Gillaspie

If the parts are already strapped, heat is out. He will have to use some sort of chemical bluing. If he gets Brownell's 44/40 Creme Formula and leaves it on for a couple of weeks, spritzing it with a water bottle every day, it will get very rusty. Steel wool will take off the red stuff, and leave it...

James Arlen Gillaspie

The harness of Emperor Ferdinand I is etched, not engraved. The gold armour of Charles I in the Tower of London, on the other hand, is engraved, as is that of Louis XVI in Paris. Note how much it looks like the engraving on firearms.

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James Arlen Gillaspie

Dibs on the 'practical'!

James Arlen Gillaspie

There is another sort of construction that antedates the true close-helm. Few surviving examples, alas, but I think it the most likely. Pardon the small size of the Friedrich the Victorious harness. The Philly example is iffy, but shows the principle better. Why this didn't take off but the true clo...

James Arlen Gillaspie

Rise... RISE! Alright, now that I have this thread out of its coffin again, I looked at Amazon UK today and saw the Wallace digital catalog for 80 pounds, as opposed to the Wallace's 175. Heck of a deal, right? But Amazon UK won't ship flash drives to the U.S. :sad: Anybody figured out a way around ...

James Arlen Gillaspie

I think this is the best I've ever been able to do. I sure would like to see its inner side. It is a bit short and squat, and it looks to me as though there should be something on the bottom, but, as has already been commented...

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James Arlen Gillaspie

Graham, do you even have a photo of one of the gauntlets that you made so we can see what you are talking about?

James Arlen Gillaspie

The Sforzas sure would be fun, but my dream series would run from Agincourt to the execution of Jeanne d'Arc. So, earlier 15th c. The Wars of the Roses offer quite a bit of material, too, for later in the century. There could be at least one of these projects running all the time for decades. Histor...

James Arlen Gillaspie

Yeah, what's up widdat? Around here it's all 'Migration Period'.

James Arlen Gillaspie

These folks are making a pretty strong presentation.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60646291@ ... 6628553414

James Arlen Gillaspie

That looks to be one really early example. It looks like the 'arming nails' are clinched over, not peened down. Pembridge helm, or its mate?

James Arlen Gillaspie

They are not square. They are octagonal till they tend to become more round in the 16th c. They are not neatly punched perfect circles, though. Have a look at the 'real sliding rivets' thread.

James Arlen Gillaspie

The 'decorative' rivets are so close together they might as well be backed by a narrow punched strip of metal as have separate burrs (washers).

James Arlen Gillaspie

As soon as they tell me, I WILL let you know.

James Arlen Gillaspie

It will also be on some PBS channels, such as the 'Create' channel, I think.

James Arlen Gillaspie

TA_DAAAH!
http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/episode ... #undefined

James Arlen Gillaspie

This subject needs someone with real language skills and record access to find the data. I have no doubt something can be found. I have read that in Italy, some sort of preparation based on marrow from a goat's bones was used on the external surfaces. I have read that varnish was used internally, bu...

James Arlen Gillaspie

And the other gusset;

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James Arlen Gillaspie

To continue, and introducing its gusset sliders;

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James Arlen Gillaspie

Thanks, Wade! It is interesting to look at the marks at the tops of the sliders; you can get a pretty good of the size of the cutting chisels. Some are rounded at the resting end, some more square. Here's an example that does not, for the most part, fulfill my expectations. It is from an anime, and ...

James Arlen Gillaspie

Here is the slot on the other gusset.

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James Arlen Gillaspie

Alas, all the rivets were replaced. Here's an exterior shot showing three slots at once, as it is where the top arm lame meets the main pauldron lame (the pauldron's arm lames overlap upwards). Also shots of the slider on a 'Maximilian' breastplate gusset. IMG_6121sm.JPG IMG_6122sm.JPG IMG_6123.crp....

James Arlen Gillaspie

To continue...

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James Arlen Gillaspie

In order not to hijack another, related thread, I have decided to start one that pools photos of real examples. I am sure Wade has plenty to contribute. :D I have, where possible, photographed BOTH ends of the slots. I am sad to say I have only started doing that in earnest with the pieces I have on...

James Arlen Gillaspie

That would indeed be the lame above the cop that was snapped in two.

Re: Gothic codpiece?!

Re: The start of a Journey: professional armouring

Re: Helmet Formed by Squashing Technique Video

Re: Sources on belt grinders-

Re: Dusting off the cobwebs

Re: milanese-infantry-breastplate

Re: Sources on belt grinders-

Re: You say bascin-AY, I say bascin-ET

Re: Early barbute, keyhole visors, aventails and face protec

Re: Engraving Plate Armor

Re: Lord of the Rings , Witch King "armor" rust/rugged loo

Re: Engraving Plate Armor

Re: FS/FT: Paul Chen Hand-and-a-Half & Practical H/H

Re: Kastenbrust great bascinet(image heavy)

Re: Wallace collection book WITH digital catalogue

Re: What exactly is the chest-piece of the Churburg S18?

Re: Hourglass with hinged cuff help ... please

Re: Photos of Italian tournament

Re: Photos of Italian tournament

Photos of Italian tournament

Re: Rivets: Square Burrs/Roves/Washers?

Re: Rivets: Square Buurs/Roves/Washers?

Re: Splint rerebraces

Re: TV show- 'A Craftsman's Legacy' -armour

Re: TV show- 'A Craftsman's Legacy' -armour

TV show- 'A Craftsman's Legacy' -armour

Re: Inside armour rust protection?

Re: Real sliding rivets

Re: Real sliding rivets

Re: Real sliding rivets

Re: Real sliding rivets

Re: Real sliding rivets

Re: Real sliding rivets

Real sliding rivets

Re: Sliding Rivets