The Armour Archive

Johann ColdIron

If it is in your budget several armourers have the Grizly 2"x72" here. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Knife-Belt-Sander-Buffer/G1015 It has enough motor to work without bogging down and enough surface area to work larger pieces. Eldrid, Wade and I all run ours with the belt side pointing down so yo...

Johann ColdIron

Used it a couple times so far, aside from the 1-2 seconds of wobble on first startup (unbalanced weight/length) it works awesome! this scares me a bit, most grinders/buffers are spinning in the neighborhood of 3000 rpm. you say it wobbles a bit and you are relying on a threaded coupler to absorb th...

Johann ColdIron

How much should we be our brothers' keeper? If you're working with a friend who doesn't want to wear ears and eyes, do you refuse to work with him or let him learn the hard way? We're only working with a jigsaw and plastic but I feel my safety Nazi coming out of me. I make it available but it is th...

Johann ColdIron

Mac, is the specialized chisel you use for the inside of the mortise hot essentially a form to swage the inside of that mortise? Pretty neat idea! Johann, It is (or perhaps was) a sort of punch or drift. I ground a piece of hardenable stock so that the business end was the shape of the intended mor...

Johann ColdIron

I actually owned a spun top by Wolf's Head Armoury and remembering his line drawing catalog. My helm was built like a tank. One of my friends had one of the cheap craptistic helms that you are mentioned complete with several dents from everyone in the barony. Bought my first gorget from them at the...

Johann ColdIron

I added some detailed images of the pins on my gorget, and a couple more detail images of the gorget itself: http://www.allenantiques.com/A-25.html Wade Nice shots Wade! I hadn't noticed the wear marks from the pauldrons hung on those pins before. Cut a fine wallow there at the bottom. I'd imagine ...

Johann ColdIron

I tend to make a frame first and fill in from there. PLAN your bar locations based on eye level so you do not place a bar right in view just because the math works that way. Build from eye level out to the top and bottom (if horz). For vertical builds it is important not to have bars that obstruct ...

Johann ColdIron

BdeB wrote:Jees, I can't believe my polypro sword is still going strong....and not a single injury. Wow! March will be five years.

Cuan had one snap at our local practice. 4" from the tip. It failed safe other than the hang time of the final flight...

Johann ColdIron

Mac wrote:I really admire that helmet. If I were still fighting, I would make one like that so that my beard would not get smooshed.

Mac

I was just looking at that and having the same thought. A bit early for me though! Need to find a 16th century version

Johann ColdIron

[quote="coreythompsonhm"]Well froes are supposed to be more wedge shaped than having a knife edge. They also are not sharp. But I think it would do the trick just fine.[quote] Yep, they are supposed to rive (split) the wood along the grain not cut. The idea being the long fibers make for stronger mo...

Johann ColdIron

I've been experimenting a bit with armouring for a while, and have been attempting to learn raising, but I don't currently have a heat source (it's on my shopping list though). But before I commit to that, I thought I'd ask - when raising just doesn't seem to be happening cold, will working it hot ...

Johann ColdIron

easy/quick method is the wrist strap and wire that techs use when working on electronics Might not be safe with spinning tools. I'd suspect a bad ground first. Cord Plug and outlet tested good? Could be a break in the cord or at the motor end. If nothing else- rubber matt under your feet will help.

Johann ColdIron

It might be super-awesome as well to have a separate album for every type of armour (or at least for arms, legs, torso and helms). 16000 pictures are quite a lot to scroll through if you are looking for a specific object =). No kidding! While it is a fantastic document it is quite a bear to go thro...

Johann ColdIron

It is useful! I have a pan I need to reseason. Glad to have the link!

Johann ColdIron

OK on to the musing portion of the thread. Right now it does not have four elements of the original. Two applied bar systems for trapping the point + 12 rivets. A hook that would make for a good blade breaker and a handy belt attachment +two rivets. As well as a silk lining with leather stitching st...

Johann ColdIron

Nice! One of the things I've noticed about playing with this type of buckler is that the valleys can be used to direct the opponent's tip away and even control it with a little pressure for a moment. Most certainly! I got a chance to use it this weekend and its shape did come in handy several times...

Johann ColdIron

Now on the handle and supports. I eyeballed the different parts with image scaled to approximately full sized and drew them out. http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p181/JColdIron/Buckler%20A318/th_20141025_205325_zpscb74313d.jpg The thumbrests have a bit of a dish in them to keep the thumb indexed. ...

Johann ColdIron

I've been working on a copy of the Wallace Italian Buckler A318. It's one of the Iconic shapes you see in the manuals and I wanted to see how the straight sides would be different than the round one I have been using. First a prototype in mild in advance of one in 1050. Here are the stats on the ori...

Johann ColdIron

I think the visor problem is just a poorly rendered helm being held upside down by the front of the aventail. The top leading edge of the visor is actually the bottom edge of the visor with a ton of foreshortening .

Johann ColdIron

Thanks for the ideas, guys - and the cautions... Turns out they want these babies all done by Advent - which is very very soon, so they are off to the polishers. There are a couple 'big' candlestands (and various other things like table legs & kneelers) that are hard to transport that I may get to ...

Johann ColdIron

The problem I have with them for actual use is that the rivets pull out MUCH easier that way. The leather doesn't have to tear; it's already split. Are you using a round punched hole at the stress end of the slit? That gives the rivet somewhere to nestle and helps limit the tearing at the end of th...

Johann ColdIron

Brasso. 3 quaillion soldiers can't be wrong. It will take off the varnish and tarnish. It will also cram into every . single. nook . and cranny leaving a visible residue. In fact it looks like someone already did that to them. We see that a lot on sword hilts here at the museum. Our conservator cur...

Johann ColdIron

Rich outdid himself with that one!

Johann ColdIron

They are a really handy for pieces you don't want to damage drilling out strap rivets on!

I covered them a bit in my elbow thread. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=170940&hilit=+elbows

They are quick and easy to set. I did those out of roofing nails.

Johann ColdIron

What is the bolt size/thread to attach the pipe handle on a B2A shear? Looks like a corse thread 5/16"... On a side note if something is listed as "local pickup" ask about shipping anyway... Any other maintenance issues or adjustment tips on something that's been siting for a few years. Pulled from...

Johann ColdIron

If you can find your way to Fuquay on a Monday night with a helm you want to convert I can help. I have a shop night for people who want to make armour. I have a bunch of 18 ga perf that I have used to convert several helms. You are welcome to what you need. Here is one of the Indian Burgonets I di...

Johann ColdIron

If you can find your way to Fuquay on a Monday night with a helm you want to convert I can help. I have a shop night for people who want to make armour. I have a bunch of 18 ga perf that I have used to convert several helms. You are welcome to what you need. Here is one of the Indian Burgonets I did...

Johann ColdIron

Send a note to JT on the board. He is the man.

Johann ColdIron

That is just oxide residue from the bluing application. Nothing we all haven't done at some point. :wink: I'd guess you went through the whole process but did not arrest the bluing by washing the work piece or you let it air dry with no oil applied after the said wash. It also can depend on how many...

Johann ColdIron

Wade, you are right. Ten years in museum time is a lifetime. Most exhibits close more quickly than that. We are lucky if our exhibits are open for a time equal to the time it takes to develop. Temporary exhibits are usually booked in terms of months not years. Still stinks with such short notice. I ...

Johann ColdIron

They also allow you to hold horse reins properly. ;) Never assume that your riding instructor is informed about historical practice. Go have a look at a bunch of medieval depictions and see what they really did. You will be surprised by what you see. Mac Considering I have only ridden informally I ...

Johann ColdIron

It seems finger gauntlets give better weapon control, and mittens give better protection. This would be the best of both worlds. Perhaps it would be the ultimate sport gauntlet! VERY Glad to see you working again Mac. They also allow you to hold horse reins properly. ;) Long live the Splittens! :lol:

Johann ColdIron

Working on a project that requires a piece of pigskin leather, something pretty tough. It needs to be about 4 to 6 oz in thickness, 2 inches wide by 12 inches long. I need it ASAP! I have some pig but it a bit thin. Probably 4 oz at best but it is tough. I've made knife scabbards out of it. Vegi ta...

Johann ColdIron

Ckanite wrote:Yeah... they can catch and throw things. Even the bench mounted ones. Once when I was finish polishing a knife it got caught and wound up stuck in my sternum.

That is one of my phobias!

I may need to finish that breastplate after all!

Johann ColdIron

You could, but you will hate yourself in the morning. :lol: Along with the safety concerns already mentioned the swirls left by a 4.5 polisher would be hard to keep even and look good. Maybe if you went to a low gloss finish and completed with hand sanding. Can you make friends with some one local w...

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