The Armour Archive

Cap'n Atli

As I once demonstrated and explained on a History Channel program about tools; the difference between a fighting axe and a hewing axe is the difference "...between the quick; and the dead."

Cap'n Atli

Only Master Thomas could visit an outhouse and find a hoard of gold coins tucked under the seat! Excellent hunt sir; my compliments!

Cap'n Atli

...and then there are those of us who are still striving for competence.

Please keep inspiring us.

Cap'n Atli

You could go for a strycsitten. Here's a really good summary of of examples and a really nice modern replica: http://thomasguild.blogspot.com/search/label/strycsitten At its simplist, one could build the chest version as a six board chest but extend the ends higher to form the arms. Then attach the...

Cap'n Atli

If I am in Spring of 1985 what would I have in my Walkman instead of "Princes of the Universe" and "Who wants to live forever?" ? Those two came out a year too late and I need substitutes that are as close as possible. Queen would be ideal but not required. But mood and type of music need to match ...

Cap'n Atli

"...and here come the Budweiser oxen!"

Cap'n Atli

I take the liberty of adding the e-mail response of my friend, Drey, from Markland's Horse Guild. (I do longships, he does horses, we both share miseries. :wink: ) "de chambre's response pretty much sums it up: the concept of breeds did not exist, and that draft breeding as we'd call it did not exis...

Cap'n Atli

One sail (or appropriate size piece of canvas); five oars, 50 - 100 feet of sissal line, two tent stakes, one extra pair of hands, 20 to 40 minutes = One oar tent! Our basic shelter for about 20 years worth of MTA weekends. o.O that wouldnt of done so well in that storm we got at gulf wars then aga...

Cap'n Atli

One sail (or appropriate size piece of canvas); five oars, 50 - 100 feet of sissal line, two tent stakes, one extra pair of hands, 20 to 40 minutes = One oar tent! Our basic shelter for about 20 years worth of MTA weekends.

Cap'n Atli

Some useful information here: http://www.anvilfire.com/power/

The Catalog of User Built & JYH Hammers link shows the wide (and weird) varieties that people have put together.

Cap'n Atli

Dante della Luna wrote: >>>SNIP<<<

We only had lighters, no flashlight, so I couldn't see how deep the hole was. My cooworker almost fell in, we didn't notice it at first.

Possibly why the site was off-limits.

Cap'n Atli

"Hey, a friend of mine was visiting your wonderful historic site and told me about..."

Cap'n Atli

It's probably George and Martha's original tomb. Check out the interactive map at: http://www.mountvernon.org/visit-his-estate/map

Cap'n Atli

I will observe that the steel cutting edges of most of the tools in the Mastermyr find are 40 pt. steel. One virtue of 40 pt. is that it can be quench hardened in water, and does not, usually, need to be tempered. Once again, in abundance and homogeneity, probably a lot better, or at least no worse,...

Cap'n Atli

Also, there's wrought iron and wrought iron, both historically and in modern scrap (if you get lucky). They can range anywhere from really nice, consistent bars from "semi-fancy" fence work to old ship spikes to the equivalent of muck bar. Some works well, and some barely works at all. In the origin...

Cap'n Atli

I won't get into the "Odin's hat" argument; that has been well tread here before. On the ship and boats, in the Mid-Atlantic, I go wide-brim for most of the year. Roman style straw hats are popular with the crew; I tend to go with a narrower brim or leather. Spring and autumn aren't as much of an is...

Cap'n Atli

I use them all the time for minor tools and chisels, but you have to take into account their origins and limitations as extensively discussed, above. Junkyard steel rules apply in that you need to test and confirm the quality of the steel, and prepare to be disappointed * ; but car spring stock is f...

Cap'n Atli

I wouldn't trust any armor or weapons from BudK any further than I could spit a dead rat! Their best stuff is crude but semi-effective, while their wall hangars are usually too ugly to hang on a wall. Some of my friends have given me some of their stuff as gag gifts, but that's about it. The problem...

Cap'n Atli

Effingham wrote:
Charlotte J wrote: Jeff pitches a fourteen inch tent.
I love you so much right now.

Aye, he's a real piker!

Cap'n Atli

Well, this was a little rough due to nautical neccessity, but she looks pretty good when properly rigged-out for the night.

Cap'n Atli

Luca Sogliano wrote:I would love to join a 14th century LH group, but if I did it would be a vacation from the SCA, not the other way around.

Equally valid.

Cap'n Atli

Internally my forge building is divided into two halves: a 12’ X 12’ “hot work” end with a gravel and sand “no-bounce, self-fluxing” floor, and a 12’ X 12’ “cold work” end with (at my wife’s suggestion) 11" square concrete pavers over a sand base. The pavers at the cold-work end make it easy to clea...

Cap'n Atli

I was thinking "mental vacations" as well as the more traditional forms. And yes, one of the reasons my wif doesn't have livestock on the farm is the maintain flexibility (unlike some of our friends, who do); and then we seldom go anywhere, anyway.

Cap'n Atli

Aussie Yeoman wrote:Anyone have a link to a bigger version?

http://mikemonaco.files.wordpress.com/2 ... ersize.jpg

Lots of fun activities; death isn't waiting for you in this picture, it's running up and cutting your throat!

(Click on picture for further enlargement.)

Cap'n Atli

I was following another thread (http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=148048&start=0 ), observing the viewpoints and attitudes reflected by various folks from Scadia and the reenactment community and I was wondering if some reenactors go to Scadian events just to get away from t...

Cap'n Atli

As usual, a smashing job! Keep up the good work!

Cap'n Atli

Then be sure to make something nice out of the stash to remember her by. I have a number of tools with various family associations; and they bring fond memories whenever I put them to use.

Cap'n Atli

Baron Alcyoneus wrote:Pieter Brueghel the Elder, The Triumph of Death, c1562

If you get to see a close-up of that picture, it really will give you the willies!

Cap'n Atli

What a nice sister! :D (Reminds me of mine, who have given me such gifts as Sonn's Early American Wrought Iron .) I'm still finding stuff from my old forge that was "temporarily" stashed in the barn while we built the new shop. It's amazing what turns up in odd corners and under lower shelves.

Cap'n Atli

Waaay back then, they all had very short feet.

Cap'n Atli

Response from Drey (Markland Horse Guild) on the other piece:

"Looks like the underchin strap for a curb bit. Not absolutely certain however, but it sure looks like what it is."

Cap'n Atli

The spiky thing at lower right is a linstock for firing cannon. I'll try to check with drey on the piece next to it, 2nd from lower right.

Cap'n Atli

Stahlgrim wrote:I second the non- power tool approach some tomes faster isn't better.It is a whole lot safer too.

It's how they did it in "the old days" and the virtue is- it still works.

When it comes to safety, it's good to remember: "Hand tools injure, power tools maim."

Cap'n Atli

Hard lessons with a wire wheel: http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor.php?lesson=safety/demo Getting Away with it: http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/got_away_with_it.php As for me, I tend to brush and buff with a hand drill and with the work firmly clamped in a vise. Also, if it doesn't feel right, I si...

Cap'n Atli

A boat is a hole in the water into which the owner pours money . . . Ah, but it gets more complicated than that. Merchant vessels and fishing vessels are engines of commerce; i.e. money machines. You send them out to bring back stuff you can sell, or to transport people for a price. As long as they...

Re: Extant axe question

Re: Gloat++

Re: So much talent here

Re: Chairs: easiest

Re: 1980ies reinactment music question

Re: Draft horses pre 17th century

Re: Draft horses pre 17th century

Re: Ways to deal with non period camps around in the SCA

Re: Ways to deal with non period camps around in the SCA

Re: question, hammer / anvil weight?

Re: Washington's Mount Vernon House Question

Re: Washington's Mount Vernon House Question

Re: Washington's Mount Vernon House Question

Re: railroad stuff

Re: Iron Age knives?

Re: Scandinavian hat for sunnier & warmer climes?

Re: Truck spring as source for smithing material?

Re: SCA helmet

Re: Ways to deal with non period camps around in the SCA

Re: What does your encampment look like?

Re: Do Reenactors Take Their Vacations at Scadian Events?

Re: Floor for armour shop

Re: Do Reenactors Take Their Vacations at Scadian Events?

Re: Resurrection & the undead in period

Do Reenactors Take Their Vacations at Scadian Events?

Re: V-6 ocular spangen by Knotwolf

Re: Junk metal score.

Re: Resurrection & the undead in period

Re: Junk metal score.

Re: The walls of Babylon

Re: Horse tack

Re: Horse tack

Re: Dangerous polishing

Re: Dangerous polishing

Re: Roman Boat