The Armour Archive

Jacob

I agree that it's strange to be able to pick any time period and place and then decide on one that you don't like the most popular elements of. however, the 13th century is my main chosen time period and I like it well enough, so I have some suggestions. First off, I've made myself three maille suit...

Jacob

I'm in an apartment now with a gas stove. I've been meaning to get into riveted maille for a while so I'm thinking of using the gas burner for annealing. The gas cost is part of the rent so it wont cost me anything. I'll be using low carbon steel wire. For raising a helm, I don't recommend Al. Coppe...

Jacob

What about wedges like a hammer or flaring the end such that it must be slid up from the bottom. It sounds like a problem that has been solved before for other applications.

Jacob

Society rules require rivets to be spaced less than 2.5 inches apart. It seems you have only 6 rivets and the welded nasel holding on the entire face of the helm. I suggest adding a couple rivets to either side. it will be sturdier and you wont catch grief from any marshals. You could still weld it,...

Jacob

Get a german style houndskull visor. The eye-slots are mounted more vertical and the cone starts just below them. That way you're not looking out of the cone. I also think they look cooler. For an example, check out the Colburg helm. I think Cad has a picture on his site. The file work and square po...

Jacob

It will be great for cutting steel, heating, and welding or brazing thin material. For heavy welding, use your stick welder. You can preheat with the torch to get a deeper penetration for stakes and similar tools. If you start doing a lot of cutting, you may want to have a second oxygen tank. You us...

Jacob

Nice.

Are the sides welded on the inside, too? I assume so with the welded nasel and top. There seem to be quite a few rivets missing. It looks good though.

Jacob

When I used to attend an indoor archery practice, I found a bunch of images of arrows being stuck in the ground in front of the archer. This seemed a lot more convienient than the current practice (arrows sitting on a chair next to you). I made a ground quiver so that I wouldn't have to stick arrows...

Jacob

I like this idea for a tourney a lot. Atlantia has a number of excellent fighters who fight in both forms and it's great to encourage more. I will do what I can to encourage this event. I intend to fight on both lists even though I do not yet have enough authorizations to make the finals. I'll have ...

Jacob

I'd like to make a two-handed sword based on the Mac Bible. It would need to have a similar construction. Any good ideas on a two-handed version?

Jacob

I'm sorry to have missed pennsic this year, and this tourney was definately one of them that I wanted to go to. I had a great time in the last 2. Everyone seemed to agree last year that it was a marked improvment from the previous year. There were fewer boxing stances and less fighting in typical sw...

Jacob

Sir Gaston's crest is awsome. I remember it from the Tourney of St. Michael last year. Sir Corby's Taco is pretty funny, too. I hope to be at pennsic next year with an anvil crest on my greathelm, based on my arms.

I am sorry to have missed such an event.

Jacob

Jacob

I'm against changing the focus of the SCA away from medieval and renaissance Europe. However, if there was a battle where everyone got out their best greek gear and large round sheilds and literally tried to push the other side off the field, I'd be interested. There are plenty of times when many ty...

Jacob

Nice! I'm not sure if it would be worse to be punched or backhanded with those.

Jacob

If anyone is looking for an awsome metalworking job in the area, I know the place to talk to. It's an architectural blacksmithing shop in chantilly. They do some incredible work. They do work for the national cathedral and others. It's an art studio, not just a fabrication shop. Let me know if you w...

Jacob

I thought I'd dig this topic out again. i just checked and found that the video clip I made has been uploaded here: m Sacbut is the first instrument under "S" Also, since this post began I have made myself a serpent. I carved it in two halves, like many originals, but I used multiple sheets of plywo...

Jacob

I just moved into Alexandria, VA. I'm inside the beltway in an apartment so I don't have a shop set up locally yet. Once I settle into the new job and surroundings I'll be looking to get more active with smithing/ living history.

I hope you like traffic.

Jacob

Jacob

I recently made a new oak top for one of those tables with 2 stake plates. It's a good sturdy setup and well worth the current high bid in the $500s.

I'm sure it wouldn't fit up the stairs in my new appartment, though.

Jacob

At pennsic the "loud band" helped out by playing from their own shade tent beside the field. There were crumhorns, sacbutts, etc. playing medieval and renaissance music when there was an extra few minutes. I thought it was a great addition to the atmosphere. The catch is finding a group of willing m...

Jacob

My site has a picture article of my first attempt at raising (a kettle helm). I would recommend a kettle helm first depending on how much material you want to handle and what your heat source is. Mine is far from beautiful, but it may give you some ideas.

Jacob

Jacob

CAD, thanks for posting those measurements. I knew I had the bottom edge measurement off, but I had no idea how far. I got the height spot on, but the bottom edge is closer to 35 inches. Apparently I misjudged the size of the original owner. Next time I attempt this breastplate it will be much small...

Jacob

I've never lost any teeth playing trombone, nor do I know anyone who has. I don't know why the early slide trumpet would make that any more likely. If you can get a spoon safely into your mouth each time you eat, you should be fine.

Jacob

Jacob

A few of those links do have prices. Generally you're looking at starting from $2-3,000 and going up from there. Expensive for a trombone, but not bad compared to a lot of instruments. Be glad you don't play something complex! The sacbutt is more of a Renaissance instrument than a medieval one. ~15t...

Jacob

I've played tenor sacbutt with the Virginia Tech Early Music Ensemble. The tone is quite a bit different, and it has more air resistance than a small bore trombone. In the next week or two, there should be an audio/video clip of me playing here: m It was made in Europe but I dont recall where. VT al...

Jacob

I have a few images of the original on my site for comparison to the one I just finished. Mine is off on a few of the curves, too. Have fun with the final assembly. I thought it was a real pain in the neck getting the sheet of leather right and it took longer than I expected. I was the only one in t...

Jacob

I have a flat round (oval actually) stake that I made for making the tops of greathelms and similar things. That way you have something solid to pound on that wont mar the material and you dont have to use the tab method.

Jacob

I recently finished a copy of the Churburg 13. There is a lot to it. 14 would be harder to handle as one large sheet, but probably much less work overall. You can see pictures of mine compared to the original here:

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/churburg.htm

It's currently for sale if you're interested.

Jacob

Jacob

My website has a picture article of my first raising attempt. I used a coal forge and went through a lot of fuel.

Jacob

What do you guys prefer to use? For armouring, a belt sander with a slack belt is probably best. The grizzly model is the one I have. It depends on the quality you want also. A flap disk will shine up a piece of metal, but it wont make it flat. If you take the time to get a mirror shine, it wont be...

Jacob

Very nice. I have a breastplate for sale (currently on the R&A board) that would match that armour perfectly. Unfortunately, it's no where near as nice a finish.

I look forward to seeing the full kit.

Jacob

Jacob

Hi James (I like the name upgrade by the way ) I think the bottom curve on the front plate is mostly what makes the bottom look less even than the original. It mostly stands out when comparing the two images side-by-side. If I make another one in the future once I forget what a pain this was to rive...

Jacob

Yes. It comes to just below my ribs and just above my belly button. My pants are around my hips, not my waist in the pictures. They're at the same level as the belt/hips on the armour stand with the original. This allows total movement as maille would be underneath. All my maille suits are a bit ear...

Jacob

Once I sell the breastplate in this thread: m I'm going to start buying materials for this project. The Medieval Tailor's Assistant and TOMAR (too bad his 15th c book isn't ready) are on the list of things to buy. Once I get version 1 of the arming clothes, there are a few things I need around the s...

Jacob

At long last, I've finished a project I started over a year and a half ago. This is a munitions grade (I'm going for the medieval definition) copy of the 9 piece segmented breastplate in the Churburg Armoury. My goal was to get the form and function right. Rivet spacings are based off the original a...

Jacob

Even if the speeds are rated for it, don't use abrasive blades often in a standard miter saw. I did it for a while without problem in a cheap home depot version, then the motor died. It tore up brushes and new ones didn't help.

I think all the grit killed it.

Jacob

Churburg 13 reproduction, comments wanted