The Armour Archive

Johann ColdIron

Back when I traveled for a living I would bring my harness in a heavy duty duffle bag. Pay the porter to carry it (and my luggage) to the check in and send it on the plane. Porter on the other side to the car. Easy and light for me. If I was going to ship it I would be tempted to get a pelican case ...

Johann ColdIron

Burgonets and breastplates, can't go wrong with that Wade!

I'd love to be there. Hopefully the date will work. I'll be at an event Memorial weekend in VA. Other than that May is clear.

Johann ColdIron

I kind of wonder... I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust. If you are going to start welding them then zinc is your enemy. You will have to completely remove the coating at the welds or risk ...

Johann ColdIron

So, what is the normal shielding gas for a mig not using flux-core? Depends on what you are welding. 75/25 Argon/CO2 for mild steel. I think I have the percentages atributed correctly. I could have them flipped. A welding supply place will point you in the right direction. You can rent or buy tanks...

Johann ColdIron

Maeryk wrote:serfs.

Yep, they would have carried the other 9 things...

Johann ColdIron

Stacy Elliott wrote:It is so off that I do not see how to even pry it close to aligned.... Will send photos when I can. Probably next week.

We'll be here.

Johann ColdIron

Ogedei wrote:Since I didn't see it mentioned...

Soapstone.

Check the OP

Johann ColdIron

We bolted the whole thing together before setting a single rivet. Both the face and the back plate. Put one bolt in on the end of the face at the brow and then use a thin awl to pry another rivet hole into alignment. Add another bolt where the holes line up. Use a leather mallet to persuade the meta...

Johann ColdIron

Very nice work! I've made a few hilts so I know how much pain some of that can be. I like the tapers in the stock. It sets your work apart from people welding hilts together straight from rod stock. $175 is a good starting price. You may be able to bump that up over time but at some price point you ...

Johann ColdIron

Thomas Powers wrote:Tapered ball---do you mean the fireplace shovel form?

I guess I do! It makes sense now that you mention it. [Bones]I'm an armourer not a blacksmith, dammit! [/Bones]

Johann ColdIron

sha-ul wrote:
would you say they are roughly the size of an old cartoon lunch box?

Dimensions on the site said 12"x7" so not far off from a lunch box.

Johann ColdIron

Popcorn? Why? Did I do something wrong?? Not wrong persay, but you have headed out of the current SCA timeframe with the Winged Hussar styling. One of the links you have points it out as 1630's. Not that I can quibble much. I'm as late period as they come. My armoured combat helm is a Lobster pot w...

Johann ColdIron

Looks to be a decent tool. It has some good shapes, though on the small side. I wonder what that tapered ball arrangement on side 1 is traditonally used for? I have one that I bought from Centaur forge long ago. I use it primarily for the stake holders in it. I rarely use the dishes as I have separa...

Johann ColdIron

Thomas MacFinn wrote:

I like the taper on that fuller to tip transition!

Johann ColdIron

Gruber wrote:I think it's due to the vest she's wearing.... without it she's limber, but when I put it on her, even without the armour on, she stiffens up.

Could be...the armour is articulated but the vest is not. Might need some gussets or relief in areas that bunch up or limit movement.

Johann ColdIron

I think the overlapping knuckles from Johan Blau's popular gauntlet pattern were pressed as well.

Johann ColdIron

The Iron Dwarf wrote:
Johann ColdIron wrote:
jester wrote:Cool. What about a 50 ton press?

Turn three dimensional things two dimensional
you can also Turn two dimensional things three dimensional if you want

Aw, wheres the fun in that.

Johann ColdIron

I think the issue was flat plank vs more shaping. I use a spoon shaped chisel for rough shaping the fuller and a homemade tool for smoothing/evening-out the groove before sanding. I have been thinking about fullerizing my next set of swords. Thanks for the study on the weight reduction! For product...

Johann ColdIron

jester wrote:Cool. What about a 50 ton press?

Turn three dimensional things two dimensional

Johann ColdIron

It is a time tested pattern. They are not terribly hard to put together. How pretty they are at the end depends on who is swinging the hammer. ;) If you are still learning this kit will teach you the basics of forming metal and matching curvature in articulation. A heat source is helpful for turning...

Johann ColdIron

It's not even dented! I wonder what guage the spagen plates are. It could be a fixer upper with a new grill.

Johann ColdIron

Yes cut the bottom off about 6" tall. The left over cylinder makes a great bell. Hang it in a tree and hit it with your hammer. :wink: One of our guys brought one he had made to Pennsic one year and hung it in one of the trees in our camp. It was really LOUD and the sound carried through out the si...

Johann ColdIron

Not the right period but...I have a Norinco SKS, Hesse FN Fal, and Imbel FN Fal that I'm about to put on Auction Arms if interested. Have an extremely nice Mitchell's Mausers K98 with Weirmacht (spelling?) stamps and all...buuuuut I'm not 100% that I wanna part with her yet. OH I HATE YOU! :twisted...

Johann ColdIron

This song says a lot about it, I think. Having had those times when everything went all red and fuzzy, and had sections of battles were a complete blank... it can be a bit frightening. I like that poem. I've had it happen in real life when I was young. In a dirt clod fight a kid threw a rock that h...

Johann ColdIron

So all of these ideas leave the non kingdom guys on the sidelines. There are about 300 of us at Pennsic. It's OK, you can still waterbear :twisted: Actually I'm sure you all will be gainfully engaged. It just won't be by the usual players. Proxies have alway been the way around the "no Mercs" asser...

Johann ColdIron

Biggest problem making hammers is the handle eye. My heavy gauge dishing hammer is a 2 lb engineers hammer with a large steel ball welded to it. It had enough mass that I ended up cutting the non ball end off so I could use it longer. Can you find hammers like that at HF or Northern at a price point...

Johann ColdIron

I tend to place my pinkie under the end of the spear to keep it from sliding in my hand. It also tells me I am at the end of the spear as I do some range games with it choked up and then at extension. The practice called "cupping," i.e., cupping your hand over the butt end of a spear, was banned in...

Johann ColdIron

There are plenty of ways to generate a shovel handle like effect without requiring a shovel handle. I think finger loops, or a "quillon" to push up against. Both would add significant force to shots. I agree. People spiral wrap rope into their grip area to that you can lock your fingers/gaunts onto...

Johann ColdIron

Avoid bolts if you can. They get lost and require tools at inopportune times. I leave the sleeve bolted to one section of the ridge pole at all times. When broken down for storage/transport, I leave the bolts/wingnuts in the other end of the sleeve so they don't get misplaced. And with wingnuts, yo...

Johann ColdIron

ruel wrote: it served well enough to round up some slave-girls for the harem.

I'd say you are headed in the right direction then!

Johann ColdIron

Avoid bolts if you can. They get lost and require tools at inopportune times.

Johann ColdIron

Mine are wooded buttons covered in cloth. They work fine if well sewn on. The only concern was spacing so that a hit to the gorget could not drive the ones under it into my sternum. Completely cloth buttons would have been better in that respect. I had one with ties and that was a pain. They took fo...

Johann ColdIron

mordreth wrote:not quite sure where to put this link

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/index.html

I think quite a few of his patterns wouldn't need a lot of modification

He has some nice stuff there!

Johann ColdIron

Johann, I hope this will be of assistance to you. I also drew up a mitten pattern, if you (or anyone else) are interested. I'm going to try to forget I ever saw the word you suggested above....it's repugnantly cute. Mac You know, if someone made a pair and fell in love with them they could be calle...

Johann ColdIron

And they say youth is wasted on the young. I guess they were right. Anyways, it's time for me to move on. There's no use wasting more of my life seeing as I can design a better suit of armor now. Once I have a career as a 3d modeler and a workshop, look forward to my next suit. Having been 18 once,...

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