The Armour Archive

Jacob

Hi Winterfell,

I'm trying to get a job and graduate by May, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it. I've wanted to go for a few years now, though, so I'll see if I can work it out.

Jacob

Jacob

Things to add: A wider strap on the back of the legs and the turning pin in the front. Staples for a lance rest, even if you never make a lance rest to fit it. Ask around to see if you can borrow an appropriate helm. It would be a lot better than going bare-headded all day. Looks great. Time to star...

Jacob

My next major project is going to be a full suit of armour so that I can work on the shape and fit of armour as a complete set. I'm going to start from the body out, so I'm looking for advise and resources on arming clothes. The suit I'm going to try to reproduce (slowly over the next few years) is ...

Jacob

Pewter is soft and has a low melting temp, so you have a few options. You could just cast a block and use a heavy hammer to pound a dish into it. You could also cast it as a dish. If casting, I would either sand cast or carve a wooden mold. The easiest way would probably be to make your form in styr...

Jacob

One way is to put a collar at the height you want.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/ima ... hardie.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/ima ... hardie.jpg

Stakes that are wedged in can be tapped out from the bottom.

Jacob

You can try McMaster Carr at www.mcmaster.com if you are only interested in a sheet or so. If you're interested in getting a lot, talk to steel suppliers directly.

Jacob

Jacob

Aww, it's cute. It's like the baby version of mine.

[img]http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/images/Anvil.jpg[/img]

I like the shape and I've found the back horn useful for getting under various shapes.

Jacob

Jacob

I found that they really helped my center of gravity when I made a set. It's more natural to have weight distributed everywhere. Mine do not currently have feet attached. After a few years of various faires and shows I need to adjust the suspension to make them more comfortable again. Anyway, I like...

Jacob

From society: ii. The face must be covered by either 12 kilogram mesh (e.g, a standard fencing mask) or perforated metal. Such metal must not have holes larger than 1/8" (3 mm) in diameter, with a minimum offset of 3/16" (5 mm) and shall also meet the definition of rigid material. I bought the size ...

Jacob

I bought a rivet forge for $85 in need of repair. [img]http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/images/Forge.jpg[/img] I've since forged a better handle. With enough looking, I'm sure a similar one could be found for less. One could be made for much less depending on what equipment you have and how high ...

Jacob

It's my understanding that almost all of the buttons used were shank buttons (not the flat disks with 2 or 4 holes drilled). I recently tried casting some of these in medieval pewter, and this seems to be a good place to ask questions about them (not to derail the thread TOO much). Tracy Justus and ...

Jacob

Wow, this candlestand won the Best in Show at the A&S competition this weekend at Ice Castle. It seems that a number of people were impressed with it (at least its size! I'm glad I have tall ceilings). It's a bit strange in that it doesn't actually use pricks to hold the candles in place. They are o...

Jacob

Hi Ted, I'm going to try again to make it this year. I'm graduating in May and will hopefully be moving somewhere to a new job soon after. However, I dont know when or where that will take place as I'm still looking for a mechanical engineering job in robotics. If you haven't heard about it yet, you...

Jacob

My cuisses are sewn in the manner you described. For extra rigidy in the rolls and for easier rolling, I used a length of rope in the center of each roll. After that, I went for protection overkill and sewed the padded cuisses over belt leather with curved metal splints. They offer lots of protectio...

Jacob

New anvils get expensive and used ones in good condition are hard to find. For used ones, you have to just keep asking around and looking. You also want to avoid paying shipping over a long distance. Depending on the work you are interested in, various things can be substituted. Heavy steel blocks a...

Jacob

Therefore, I recommend against eating or licking your lead block. You should also wash your hands after playing with it. Since I usually return from the shop looking like a coal miner, that's not a new issue.

Jacob

I went all over pennsic this past year looking at buckles for a churburg 13 breastplate. The original has two types on it, trapazoid and spectacle. All of the spectacle buckles I found tended to be flat and the wrong shape for what I wanted and no one had the trapazoid buckles. I finally found some....

Jacob

Here's a picture of a project I just finished: [img]http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/images/Blacksmith/16th_c_candlestand.jpg[/img] This is a reproduction of a 16th century candlestand. The original is shown in Constructing Medieval Furniture by Daniel Diehl. The book describes assembling this ma...

Jacob

I'm also thinking of merchanting. I have a RR track anvil and some various high carbon pieces for tool making. A few various blacksmithed items (s-hooks, portable holes). I have some hand cast medieval pewter buttons and ingots for casting. My lady and I recently made a bunch of candles and she also...

Jacob

I tried riveting on lead recently and it went pretty well. It will definately deform over time but that's part of its charm. When it's too deformed, you can remelt it. You can shape lighter metals and thin steel on it, I've also heard of people chasing on it. I recently cast around 150 lbs of ingots...

Jacob

For the 13th century, I just use a well-padded gambeson. It's comfortable and it still allows me to sit on the ground or a bench. You may want to look into something similar.

Jacob

I'll be there. It's a block from my house. [img]http://forums.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Jacob

The method I used was different still. I made the lining layer the size of the final garment and put a layer of "warn and natural" on it and sewed the outer shell to one side. Then I made rolls of "warm and natural" and sewed them down individually. This way, I knew the pattern would fit, I got the ...

Jacob

I agree; I love great helms. This is the first helm I made (first plate armour). It's inspired by the Maciejowski bible helms but I put a greater angle in the forehead and bigger breaths. Due to the length issue and not wanting to wear a gorget, I attached a 14 ga aventail to the inside. It doesnt q...

Jacob

Here's one I found recently in a used book store. I havent read it yet: Author: Sidney Painter Title: French Chivalry: Chivalric Ideas and Practices in Mediaeval France. Publisher: Great Seal Books, 1957, 1961, 1962 Original copyright:1940 Johns Hopkins Press Subject: The Nobles of France Feudal Chi...

Jacob

Draw out your pattern on paper/cardboard/anything and arrange it different ways to find out how much area you will need. A lot of people keep a stock of material on hand all the time and only buy more when they run out instead of buying small sheets for each project. Same with rivets; you could go t...

Jacob

I've been hand-sewing buttonholes for way too many hours this past week. I may have been able to get the machine to do it through the thick layers of fabric I'm using, but it wouldn't look right. For lots of straight seems or things that no one will really see, the machine can get it done quickly, b...

Jacob

Hi Dan, It looks like both you and your partner would benefit from taller anvil stands. A bit high is better than too low. Your back will thank you. When I use shorter peoples anvils, I usually take a wider stance to make me lower. It may seem like a small thing, but it will make a difference in how...

Jacob

I've got an article on my first raising project on my site if you want to check it out. Have fun. ------------------ SCA: Edric of Scardeburg http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jselmer/ "Those who look upon a collection of Ancient Armour as a mere assemblage of curiosities have formed a very inadequate ide...

Jacob

I try to replace the things I'm most embarrassed about first. When I finally got my armour finished, you could still see my modern pants. Those got replaced by brais and chausses. Then my shoes really stood out so I made some leather turnshoes. When I wanted to go to a camping event, I only had an o...

Jacob

I have some pictures on my site. Depending on how the aventail is made, it may be annoying. A lot of expansion rings could give it an odd look. I've still never gotten around to finishing those mittens. They still need ties or buckles at the wrists. ------------------ SCA: Edric of Scardeburg http:/...

Jacob

Mild steel or wrought iron are probably best. I wouldnt want to raise something like that out of stainless. The other historic option is to use a copper alloy. It will be easier to raise but more expensive and can be toxic if not cleaned properly. Look here if you're interested in the historical sid...

Jacob

I've been slowly working on a reproduction to the best of my ability. I made my pattern based off of pictures in my books and the ones above. Mine wont include the lance rest or the etched brass as I just wanted to work on getting the shape right. There is a picture of it on my website still in need...

Jacob

I have one and like it even though I dont get to play with it much. I think it's definately a reasonable cost if you're going to use it for armour. The only thing mine needs is to be bolted down to the ground. I have it on a bench grinder pedistal and it's a bit heavy for it without attaching it to ...

Jacob

I'll bring my flint and steel to start the fire.

However, I dont think a lot of the marshals would inforce it.

1450 arming clothes under full suit (Jeff J)

16th c candlestand