The Armour Archive

Mike F

Yes, actually. I'd like to thank Effingham for helping us (or at least me) get started in this. I'd be making really poor 14th century English armor right now if it wasn't for him. Mmmm. Okay, 14th century European and my Japanese harness, and then I'll do more Japanese pieces to swap out, and I'll ...

Mike F

Guys, guys. Back to compliments on the dÃƒÂ´. We're all on the same wavelength here, you know. We all want nice kits for us and others. Nobody's saying you have to spend several grand on armor. We just need to do what we can. I just made a decent menpo and I'm not even very good at this. I think the...

Mike F

Well, the "Monkey Cheeks" portion is what the problem is. I'd need to add about an inch on the back corners of the jaw, plus it's got some other sizing problems (IE: the ears) so it's all going to go. I'm going to make a new bottom part and keep the nose. I'm unclear on what you mean by the chin. Do...

Mike F

The tape is temporary. Once it's all done and fit, it attaches on a pair of pins which it springs onto.

Mike F

Alright, really bad picture time! And I apologize once again for this really awful camera. [img]http://www.getmedieval.org/armourarchive/men001.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.getmedieval.org/armourarchive/men002.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.getmedieval.org/armourarchive/men003.jpg[/img] Edited to add: Again...

Mike F

My camera's about as good as a kick in the teeth at close range, but I'll get you some pictures. Give me a few. It's based on a period model. Perhaps it's Edo, and to tell you the truth, it may be a repro, but it's one of Eff's pictures, so I'm fairly certain it's within the realm of possibility, if...

Mike F

Best part about the SCA is you get to shake the hand of your opponent when all if said and done. I hope nobody I know ever misses that opportunity for whatever reason.

Mike F

So. I'm working on a menpo (the half-face for Japanese armor) today. I'm very happy with how things were going, it was attractive and all that jazz, and it was only a bit of a modification from Eff's pattern. Well, time rolls by and I need to put the plate on that goes under the chin . . . And I not...

Mike F

Be prepared to talk the marshals into it. Outside of that, it sounds like you have a quality helm. Next best thing to standing inside of one's product is standing behind it!

Happy fighting!

Mike F

The 3/8 plate bent before the weld did. And yes, that's 120 degrees each direction. I didn't believe it could happen until I saw it. The weld itself doesn't even move, it's all the plate around it. In a lap weld, the plate on the bottom would deform heavily, but the wled shouldn't fail. Again, it's ...

Mike F

It looks like she's looking in the Turkish or Persian direction. Unfortunately, it really does seem there aren't a lot of real solid sources that we can find. Any suggestions on that as well?

Thanks, by the way. Everything has been very helpful so far.

Mike F

Short answer, people can't weld. If the bowl is riveted and has some interior welds, all the better! The welds aren't there for support, then. I wish I had a welder for mine, as it is, it's all rivets. It's also 16ga, so I'm worried about damage. *sighs* Maybe I should look into more plates. More ri...

Mike F

Mik! I can actually really help you for once! The suspensory lacing (as I was told) comes out of the lower set of holes from the normal lacing pattern. Instead of working under the next lame in the nagagawa, it drops all the way to the kusazuri. As far as the shoulders, at least traditionally, that ...

Mike F

Save picture . . . Note to self, make it look like that. That's a work of art, man. Stunning. Could you tell me what you used for the watagami cords and the sode frogs? I wanna be like you when I figure out what I'm doing. Seriously, it's very nice. I'm jealous of you and the man recieving it.

Mike F

Well, you have to make sure the lead-in/lead-out is smaller than the hole.

I can't imagine small holes with a plasma cutter. Everything else? Oh, yea.

Mike F

Now, people always ask questions, but no, this isn't for me. Does anyone have any place on line with some nice information about authentic (versus the usual SCA style) bellydancing garb. I aplogize for not knowing the name for it offhand. Patterns, of course, would be a plus, but any nice informatio...

Mike F

Ron! You've just cost me several years of my life! That's an idea I actually hadn't had. I thought, "Hey, I can always swap out parts for new parts when it's done," but I never thought of having several suits to mix and match at the same time. Mmm. Interesting. Once I get the bug to get the Noble Pl...

Mike F

Heavy, specialized gear like that always makes me think of the periods when it wasn't really used in war anymore. When the Knight could afford to spend his money on a tournament horse and harness, I figure that's more late period.

Again, I have nothing to back it up.

Mike F

You know, I'm unsure. I assumed it was late period, but I could have been completely wrong. Plus you can define late period in a hundred ways.

Mmmm. My fault. Passing along somewhat faulty information. Sorry.

Mike F

From what I recall, it looks like a little nail puller . . . Sort of a blunt chisel with a concave face. )== Like so, but less poorly rendered.

Chuck's a great guy. He just moved, actually, so he probably has at least seen the piece lately.

Mike F

I'm trying to resist, as I need to clean out my stuff, too . . . But what edition manuals?

<- sold my Battletech years ago.

Mike F

Don't joke, Corrius. It's only about $1200 round trip. I have a car I don't need.

Mike F

Last piece? I'd think it'd be done in a different order, but whatever works for you. I started with my dÃƒÂ´ and may end with starting over on it. It was one of the first pieces I'd done on my own, and it looks it. Passable, but I'm sure I could do better. We'll see when it's the last on the hit list.

Mike F

If the $10 knees fall through, I'll take 'em. Not sure how a $10 knee falls through.

Mike F

No, it connects all the nagagawa. Check it out more closely, the rust makes it look like it ends, but it doesn't.

Mike F

Multirole helms had visors. Late period jousting helms were designed to be as safe as possible. No visor=one less weak point. The bottom definitely supports the frogmouth argument, as it has the shoulders all snuggly tucked away. Although, personally, I think the frogmouth is one of the ugliest thin...

Mike F

Give me a few days to a week to get the board up, and maybe a bit longer for the registry. I'll figure something out.

Unless someone else wishes to do either, I mean.

Mike F

I can do a forum and attempt a registry on GetMedieval. Any takers?

Mike F

With any luck, I'll be ordering this Friday. 3/8" is going for $20/gross yard, with two gross minumum.

Last call.

Mike F

Ah! Good call.

Mike F

In <u>Techniques of Medieval Armor Reproduction</u> they touch upon it, I believe. Or was that Master Talbot's manual . . . Regardless, they're both commercial products. Allow me to sum up what I know. 1) Roll edge. 2) Use blunt chisel to make rope-like marks. 3) Profit. Never tried it myself, so I'...

Mike F

Raito, I see why you have laser cut pieces. Those prices are (at a certain quantity) more than worth my time in cutting the pieces!

I'm definately interested in talking to them at some point. Considering my problems in getting steel reliably, this is a pretty nice find. Thanks.

Mike F

Eff mentions that, at least is Edo armor, decorations like that are gilt. Please bear in mind, combat armor will probably lose any sort of wondeful gilt patterns in the first hit. Lacquer cracks very quickly, and while I havn't tried paint, I doubt you can powder-coat a pattern, and that's one of th...

Mike F

Pell, keep your wife. Steel is cheap.

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=14161

That should be what I was talking about. It'll be good for a nice box.

Mike F

Not to mention it could be an almost cubist representation of the flat that's almost horizontal.

I find it odd they choose to put a helm that has no use outside of tournaments on a device.

Measure at least twice. Or: Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Historical Bellydancing Garb