The Armour Archive

Mike F

It looks like a mix between Japanese retainer armor and European Crusader armor. Granted, that's India in the period previously mentioned. One thing of note is that the Japanese influence is that there doesn't appear to be maille under the plates. Makes sense. I can't offer you must historical basis...

Mike F

You work here in Milwaukee or in a different plant or custom shop?

Mike F

Do you mind if I kidnap you for an in-house armorer?

That's nice, man. Really nice. What do you do for the spacing on the holes? Just centerpunch and punch/drill?

Mike F

You and me both.

Never fear. School comes first. I'm sure I'll have some around by the time you run out of lace.

Where are you headed, anyway? I'm heading off to the Milwaukee School of Engineering come the 7th.

Mike F

Heh. As an engineering student, I hear ya. Far as I know, the best you can do with a helm is something which may stop a pistol round. I can't stress the article in a sentence in type, so let me point out, I mean one round. It's possible to make a miniature CHOBHAM style suit of armor with face harde...

Mike F

Believe me, if the air conditioner died tomorrow and was turned into my next kit, I wouldn't hear a negative word. That's neither here nor there. I'm figuring that when the time rolls around when I can get my own home, I'm making a nice, well ventelated workshop with its own power coming in. Hell, m...

Mike F

Very nice. I think it's mostly the visor that gives the riot-helm effect. You know, I'd like to do the armor from Halo just to prove to the "Do you know how much it would weigh in steel?" crowd that it can be done, and is probably lighter than their fiberglass and resin monster. It's a beaut, though.

Mike F

Bump. The day is getting close, and I have no takers.

Mike F

Thanks. The only practical knowledge I had of TIG is "This end is still very hot when you're done, so don't let it swing down and hit you in the leg. It'll heal from the outside, so you'll need to rip it open. A lot. Get back on the stick!"

Ah, Elmer rocked.

Mike F

What's what now? Mig's stick and tig is wire? Ir is Mig wire and Tig Heliarc?

I never got that.

Mike F

Looking good, Hal. I'm glad someone will have a nice costume for Halloween. Maybe next year I'll have my Japanese armor done. *grumble*

Mike F

Well, the visor won't level with the koshimaki on the sides. I'm not sure it's fitting well anyway.

Do you think I should look into getting some lace and working on the shihoro and the like, or shall it become shop-art?

Basically, is it a glaring error or something that I could get away with?

Mike F

But, I saw a picture in a book once and it looked like that and so everyone had to look like that and we're all great looking so why don't you shut up about it!?!? You historians and SCAdians don't know what you're talking about! Why do you have to be such buzzkills! First my pentagram pendant and m...

Mike F

Speeds and feeds are a tool and die idea. If you list what diameter drill you're using, we can actually tell you the best speed for the drill.

Mike F

3M scotchbrite surfacing wheels give a nice shine to metal and you can use them to take edges down to a comfortable smoothness. That's what I suggest for all edging, but if you get a nice grade and a smooth hand, it's just below mirror. It's not really abrasive, though, so I suggest doing abrasives ...

Mike F

Mmmm. Think of how much stew I could make . . . I mean . . . Neat pic, Hal!

Mike F

Yea, it's already pretty close to that. I'm gonna go double-check. Pretty close. Oddly, that was the exact picture I was looking at when I first puzzled out why it wasn't working right. (I originally thought you bent the koshimaki out under the plates) I'm starting to do some pretty serious damage t...

Mike F

Eff, I made a visor to the pattern you gave me and it's still lining up where it was before. It looks like I'd need to bend the koshimaki/visor to almost 90 degrees to get the sides of the visor to line up with the top of the koshimaki. Should I keep bending it upwards, or shall I just write it off?...

Mike F

See, Step drilling is all fine and dandy except I wouldn't try it on something for riveting. In all honesty, I find anything smaller than 1/8 (and even that!) too flimsy for me to feel safe using. Personal preference, the smaller the bit the less metal to remove.

Then again, I'm heavy-handed.

Mike F

Learn Japanese. There are a handful of Japanese smiths who make "authentic" blades. (As mentioned, they tend not to smelt the same way anymore) Governmental regulations limit them to two swords per month. Imagine a sword master living on two blades (minus paying the polishers, saya and grip [the wor...

Mike F

You're managing to kill cobalt bits? Geez. For the cost of all those you've lost, find carbide. Note: NEVER pour coolant on hot carbide. Start with constant coolant or none at all. Are you not pressing hard enough? Too hard? Serously, I've gone through some pretty heavy stainless with cobalt and rec...

Mike F

Gruber's gaunts would be heat-treated carbon steel and wonderfully well done.

Sasuke's stuff would also be very pretty.

I reccomend them both. I'm certainly not downplaying any of the other armorers, I've just had the pleasure of meeting them both and seeing their work extensively.

Mike F

Very attractive, my man. Great job!

Mike F

Ah. That's how you get such nice lines.

Tool and die is pretty cheap in my area if one of my friends is correct. He says it's cheaper to have a custom fabricated part than to jury rig one of his dumptrucks.

I guess I'll have to look into that. Once I get the whole hammerwork down, anyway.

Mike F

Oh, no, not a surcoat (I have two), but one of those helmet covers. That's a lot of black right on top of the head. It is gloss, so it might not be that hot.

Mike F

Never stop. It keeps me going. Ah, it took me two read throughs to catch the padded weapon thing. Yea, I thought SCA regs banned aluminum and the like from helms for weight purposes. I think it's nice, except the vertical jump at the top, which sort of puts me off. Personal preference. Gonna be hot ...

Mike F

Quick and dirty? No, sorry. Koshimaki is the metal band around the bottom of the helmet plates which also attaches the shikoro (the guard for the back of the head) and visor (visor).

Mike F

Ah! Just got them. I actually finished the visor work on Friday, and I hadn't checked my e-mail after about 5:00 that day. I'm currently on a witchhunt on my computer, as I have about 400 more megs free than I thought I did, and things have been odd. Thus it's taking forever to load the patterns. Wo...

Mike F

See . . . Therein lies the problem, I think. That -is- in line with the koshimaki. I think I cut the front of the bowl a bit too high. Well, wait, let me qualify that a little. It's in line with the koshimaki in the front center. Mmmm. Would it work better if I trimmed the sides of the visor down? I...

Mike F

Don't hurt me Eff! Oh, sorry, not yet. Ahem. Allow me to apologize for my camera once again, but it's all I can justify buying. Eight plate multiplate helm, all 16 gauge mild, pretty ugly and not very refined. I havn't quite figured out how the hoshimaki is punched, but I have some cobalt drill bits...

Mike F

Steel. All steel. Well, not all, but the armor itself is usualy steel. The helm is probably mild steel, about 16-14 gauge. The brass cross is just that. You can do 18-16 gauge carbon steel if you can heat-treat it. Body armor is usually 18-16 ga if mild and 20-18 if carbon. Did I answer your question?

Mike F

Very nice. I must be doing something wrong . . .

Mike F

Awwww. I knew I shoulda read it again.

On the other hand, I'm stickied until you delete this thread or my post.

Vote Cthulhu 2004!

Mike F

As far as I recall, SCA policy is permission from every person who can be identified in the picture. I've never understood if that was by face or by heraldry, as one has a MUCH longer range. Also a message/e-mail addy saying "If you or your minor child are on this page and you do not wish to be, con...

Mike F

"I told you helmets were for whiners!"

First Kabuto WIP