The Armour Archive

Cap'n Atli

Looks like the oyster knives that we use to shuck oysters around here; except oysters are out of season right now.

Cap'n Atli

Thanks for the extra note of caution on grinding; I'll be even more cautious in the future. (Not that I wasn't cautious before, and especially after, we lost Paw Paw Wilson.) I keep all of my galvanized and plated scrap in separate piles; so that friends do not make mistakes when looking for stock. ...

Cap'n Atli

A little over a week to go.

It looks like the nightime cruise on the longship is on!

Cap'n Atli

Owl Houses: Here are a few from the net. If you get a kestrel (sparrow hawk) instead of an owl, that's okay too. Kestrels will eat mice justy as readily. If you get both owls and falcons, they can work two shifts, day and night. Of course, some owls will eat snakes, and some snakes raid nests, and s...

Cap'n Atli

I think that Hephaestus is/was a German blacksmithing magazine; but that would be sort of a coals to Newcastle scenario.

Cap'n Atli

Yep, that's what i use in the summer. Every time my mother used to call me to get a snake out of the garage, I'd promptly transport it to the forge. In the winter I put moth balls in all of my cabinets, chests and drawers. I also had an owl house on the barn hard by the old forge; maybe i'll build a...

Cap'n Atli

Niall Mor wrote:Ah dang it. I fell for the numbers trap. 1400s not 14c. And here I am the history major.....

Bos'n! Have that historian flogged! 100 lashes should do it; one stripe for each year he was off between centuries.

Cap'n Atli

Looks like the hemorrhoid pillow for C3PO!

Cap'n Atli

Ah; nomenclature is everything. It's a blower, not a house fan, so your life is simplified. I would think that the bicycle conversion should be just about right in terms of gear ratio; but Master Thomas may have additional information. At any rate, you're on the right track, and it shouldn't be to m...

Cap'n Atli

I couldn't make it but my old ship was there!

Anybody get any rides aboard her, or pictures of her?

Cap'n Atli

Back to the last question.... Anyone see any obvious, to everyone but me, problems with the plan? Sorry for the diversion, above (on the Armour Archive? Digressions?). Pictures or drawings of different views or angles would be helpful. Is it a fan, or a blower? How many blades or paddles? It's sort...

Cap'n Atli

The hand crank blower was mostly a space saver.... I'd love to build a double lung bellows at some point but that will require more space than I have to commit to it at the moment. ...unless you mounted it up high, towards the rafters, like some shops did. You see it in the 19th century, but it's a...

Cap'n Atli

We have the longship Sae Hrafn launched and rigged-out for the season (we usually run from late spring to early December due to the complexities of maintenance). She is presently located off of the lower Potomac River in St. Mary’s County, Maryland; an excellent cruising grounds for both oar and sai...

Cap'n Atli

Ohhhh! Shiney metal... uh, stakes!

Cap'n Atli

That is an utterly delightful piece! Good work.

Cap'n Atli

Y'all realize that most of our shops, even our hobby shops, would qualify as industry in many parts of the world?

Cap'n Atli

http://www.playthepast.org/?p=1558

I thought it would tie-in with the "What's the Point of Reenactment"; but the way things go, it might derail the thread.

It does sidelight some of the advantages and disadvantages of reenactment, as well as the limitations of the gaming format.

Cap'n Atli

We're looking forward to it!

Cap'n Atli

The whole point of recreation is to allow me to sail Viking style vessels in the late 20th and early 21st centuries!

Cap'n Atli; Longship Comapany
39 years abaft the mast!

Cap'n Atli

So how long until she finishes the rest Stole my line; you did! I want to know when she's getting to the ships (both going- Harold; and coming- William)? (Edited for ypographical terrors; I must have been a little shakey yesterday. Then I got an odd double posting. Such is the mystery of the intern...

Cap'n Atli

James B. wrote:So how long until she finishes the rest

Stole my line; you did! I wanbt to know whne sh'es getting to the ships (both going- Harold; and coming- William)?

Cap'n Atli

Weather and health allowing, our summer session of Camp Fenby will take place on July 8-10 (Friday through Sunday), 2011 in Oakley, Maryland. Camp Fenby is a very laid-back arts and crafts teaching and learning event with blacksmithing, metalworking, woodworking, fiber arts, soapstone work, cooking,...

Cap'n Atli

I have some comments on early steels (plus a good bibliography) at: http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/armor ... words1.htm

Cap'n Atli

Over the years, and with a variety of buckles, I've had good luck replacing broken pewter and pot metal toothes and tongues with steel metal screws with the heads then filed to fit the holes in the belts, and brass or steel tongues cut, twisted and filed to fit. These do, however, tend to be larger ...

Cap'n Atli

I always used a stump, carved to the approximate size and shape of the finished boss. Taks a little effort to carve the stump, but saves time if you ever make more than one boss. Also simplifies working the flange.

Cap'n Atli

I grow mine out and periodically cut it to donate to Locks of Love. Vikings were known to have had long hair and kept it clean and cared for as evidenced by numerous finds of combs in their grave goods. Also, chicks dig it. When we took the longship and faering up to Newfoundland for the Leif Eriks...

Cap'n Atli

Cut Nails vs. Masonry Nails: Time to define what is what. All cut nails are not masonry nails and all masonry nails are not cut nails. Tremont Nail Company specializes in mild steel cut nails of several varieties for historic restoration. ( m ) I have used their rose-headed nails (from the late Finn...

Cap'n Atli

One week to go. Please contact Marc (above) if you would like to participate.

Cap'n Atli

I use them all the time for punching and chasing, and was just working on a new set for punching runes last night (the old set had been loaned to a friend and misplaced). If you just need a simple shape that you can do on the grinder; and if you watch that you do not overheat them, and draw the temp...

Cap'n Atli

I did experiment with the segmented shield method.

I failed.

Other realities may vary.

Also, note that most A-S shields were covered with ox hide, and there was even a law against the use of goat hide (much thinner and softer).

Cap'n Atli

I think I pulled about four or five inches, which later (due to time and varying humidity conditions in the barn where I keep it) pulled back to about three inches of dish. My next experiment (which has been delayed for a couple of years due to construction of new house, forge, etc.) is two blanks f...

Cap'n Atli

Nice looking vessel. Is that a steerboard on the starboard side? One advantage for standing rigging will be eliminating the yard ending up on the backside of the mast; so you won't be "backwards backwinded." If the gun'l is sufficiently thick and strong, a hole bored in the top strake make...

Cap'n Atli

Longship Company Demonstration at American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, Saturday, 1:00 p.m.; May 21st 2011 The Longship Company has once again been invited by the American Swedish Museum, in Philadelphia ( m ), to display our faering boat (the Gyrfalcon) and demonstrate our domestic an...

Cap'n Atli

If you contact the NGA, they may be able to provide a photograph of the backside of the shield, and a lot more information. I have found them very willing to cooperate when folks have legitimate questions; especially if you ar part of a "non-profit educational organization." Education and ...

Cap'n Atli

My shop is more for general blacksmithing than for armoring (as an armorer, I'm a pretty good blacksmith) but you might pick up a few ideas from the interior shots included at: m Blackistone (Atli)' If you come up to the Chesapeake, let me know; we have an event (Camp Fenby) at the forge on the seco...

Re: 1st attempt knife. File stock removal. Tourney prize

Re: time to leave blank in shield press

Re: Camp Fenby, 2011

Re: Getting rid of mice in the shop

Re: Had dinner with a German Master Blacksmith tonight

Re: Getting rid of mice in the shop

Re: Late 1400s English or Burgundy, alternatives to plate le

Re: New tool holder mounted dishing doughnut.

Re: DIY hand cranked blower for my forge

Re: Lilies XXV Role Call! Update: Archive Meeting Time(S)

Re: DIY hand cranked blower for my forge

Re: DIY hand cranked blower for my forge

Longship Launched for Season

Re: New stake rack

Re: V-5 project

Re: pics of workshops

Video Games Better/Worse than Reenactment

Re: pics of workshops

Re: The point of re-creation...

Re: My wifes Bayoux work

Re: My wifes Bayoux work

Camp Fenby, 2011

Re: Making steel

Re: Cast pewter- durability

Re: dishing a shield boss?

Re: Where does the medieval long hair/ponytail notion come f

Re: Anyone use cut nails around the shop?

Re: LSCo Gig at American Swedish Hist. Mus., Phil. PA

Re: Anyone use cut nails around the shop?

Re: Cap'n Atli - Convex Shield how to?

Re: Cap'n Atli - Convex Shield how to?

Re: Viking sailing, pointers needed. (cap'n Atli?)

LSCo Gig at American Swedish Hist. Mus., Phil. PA

Re: Parade shield in the National Gallery in DC

Re: pics of workshops