The Armour Archive

Mike F

Well, the basic level should have a copy of the journal (probably next years, though. Talk to Brian if you'd want this one instead) and the next level up (the patron) gets you a discount for the conference (which you didn't intend to go to) and access to the live chats. The chats you can pick up aft...

Mike F

What about O-A, A-A, friction welding, forge welding, vacuum welding, explosive welding...? Friction, forge and explosive are right out due to brittleness. Sonic is probably useless except on certain plastics. (You didn't mention it, I know) Stick is impossible without a pewter electode. O-A and A-...

Mike F

Actually, a hard copy of the rolls is a good idea. It's possible there already is one, however. I think it's less cutting the Archive out than simply stating that they've said the same thing a few times now, and things appear to be mostly under control. I had a package from McMaster Carr arrive in t...

Mike F

You got it man. Good job.

Mike F

The pattern is that helm. It's a very nice helm, I have one I made myself.

16ga is SCA minimum, and 14 should hold up fairly well, but it will dent soon enough.

It'll work for quite some time, though.

Hal: We do always need more people.

Mike F

You can do an etching trick and use a "resist." Clay, masking tape, primer, basically anything that'll take the heat/chemicals involved. Just be aware some of it will be hard to get off if the finish isn't durable.

Mike F

Does, say, Pam give you a nice, even, black color? What sort of oils give what sort of coloration?

I'm looking towards blackening my next harness.

Mike F

Huh. I wonder if I can use pyramids like that to make stakes for gadlings . . . Probably not, but I'll check it out. Okay, here's the way mine works, your mileage may vary, of course. I took the kidney plates, riveted near the back edge and the forward edge. I riveted those straps where they needed ...

Mike F

Sorry. A bloomery makes a "bloom" of iron. It's the old way of refining iron ore. I made one based off of a pattern on the Archive . . . Skip the top and bottom back plate. http://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/breastplate_andrewward/ I re-cut the plates so I had . . . was it seven plates? Or was it...

Mike F

An alternate theory on C-13 is that it was due to bloom sizes. Bloomeries of that era couldn't all produce a large enough bloom for a full breastplate. Thus it's possible it was from a smaller bloomery and it was designed to use smaller plates. This is not dissimilar to maille, lamellar, and even lo...

Mike F

We've (accidently) gotten a propane grill to 700 degrees before, and if you do the same things we did (a lot of burgers and brats, it started a grease/fat fire) you can do the same, but I don't reccomend it. It all depends on how you blacken it, of course. I've never tried anything but the forge/wax...

Mike F

Damn. That looks really nice. Good job.

Mike F

I've seen people fight with replica swords before, and it's almost kinda funny. Try fighting with boffers or rattan (or wasters, or blunt steel in armor) and you'll find what you're doing isn't very accurate. If I fought with steel, I'd be dead already. I've taken some nasty shots and given the same...

Mike F

Don't know. It appears the jury is still out. I'd not trust Wikipedia as much as most of the hardcopy books I have, but I only have a handful of my books with me currently. I'll happily cite hardcopy this weekend if you're interested. m WELD: A localized fusion of metals produced by heating to suita...

Mike F

I second just going to lamellar. And don't make the hexagonal brigandine, it's Edo period (think Victorian) to use it for a full body. It was usually only for shoulders and underams.

Mike F

That is so damn cool!

Mike F

I wonder if maille was ever left black from the forge from the last annealing pass. And I've hearned maille had been tinned from time to time, and while it's not much better in an apartment than hammering, it's something to consider. That being said, it'd probably melt the putty. Is the surface tens...

Mike F

By definition you cannot. Welding is joining over a certain temp. Soldering with excess pewter, silver, lead, etc. can be performed with a soldering iron or torch. You'll run the risk of melting the entire piece, however. You can minimize that danger by joining with a metal with a lower melting poin...

Mike F

You know, I usually like Grizzly, but didn't anyone explain to them what a horn was used for? It seems to be a constant problem to find a real horn on a cheap anvil.

They are a nice deal, though.

Edit: Ugh. Cast iron. Have one, never want another.

Mike F

Yea, hey, about that. How ya doing? Sorry, I don't check this board much.

Send me a PM and we'll discuss prices.

Mike F

It tends to be, but I have seena (modern) example with a battleship-style prow on the face. It looked a bit like the lovechild of a greathelm and a frogmouth.

Mike F

I'm with the riveted patch. Wing ona cop was cracked 2/3 the way through, and it was mended with a plate and six flush rivets. While I can't say with certainty that it was a working-life repair, I'd be confused if it wasn't working-life damage, and important enough to warrant immediate repair. That'...

Mike F

And this is why I'm not a professional.

What size ball are you using for the helm?

Mike F

Most modern ones, yes. That's what I was going off of. I've seen some nice greathelms with anticlastic raising on the faceplate and gently dished panels. It would've taken a lot more than the flat plates. I think that's what Alcy was getting at. A well made greathelm is slightly dished, at the least.

Mike F

It'll be great for planishing work, but none of it's really good for heavy forming. If you can find any one of those hammers seperately, it'd be a good investment, but the kit's probably overkill for many armorers, especially when the money can go elsewhere. I've spent much more than I originally wa...

Mike F

Steel baskethilt hits tend to hurt, yes. And as always shape plays a major role, sometimes moreso than the metal itself. I'd put money on a raised 16 ga bascinet (raised only for consistant thickness) over a flat-plated 14 ga greathelm. Just for denting, mind you. Run with people who have experience...

Mike F

The bowl of my helm is 12ga mild, and I think I could hit it with a truck. It's just very, very heavy.

It can be done, but it's glaringly excessive, and you'd best worry about your head in that case.

Accidents happen, of course, but it's not often 12ga would dent.

Mike F

Stainless is more expensive, but is harder to dent per thickness. You can blacken mild, while stainless is a special process to blacken. Stainless and certain metals (like Aluminum) cause an anode and cathode pair (don't mind that) and cause corrosion where they contact. That's about all I have righ...

Mike F

My experience in heavy maille and kusazuri: Cold chisel is hard to get done well. Period. It works, but it's rough. I agree completely on the nick and break theory. It works great. I've done demel, and it throws of a hellish amount of dust, burns through blades if you don't use the lightest touch, a...

Mike F

According to the ARS forum, they should all be in the mail. I think it's under the announcements section if you'd like details.

Mike F

The points are probably for SCA legality. He could put the . . . I forgot the name. The cloth skirt that goes underneath . . . Sorry, brain failure.

Anyway, that'd cover it nicely.

Mike F

Huh. My apologies, I was mistaken. The names on the board were standardized at one point, right? I do recall that.

Mike F

Bob, did you re-enter your information when the user accounts were re-created? If I recall, the boards had the user information wiped once so we could have a standardized naming convention.

Mike F

Isn't there a copy of something similar in the special features of The Last Samurai?

Mike F

Archie: The picture you drew, although I recognize it, has a flaw. Then man on top would be in a bad position. The man was on the ground, and the vat had an opening on the side, much like a kiln or brick forge. He was standing some distance away using the stick. Small point, I know, but molten steel...