The Armour Archive

Oskar der Drachen

This is definately a job that goes piece by piece? It wouldn't work to assemble the top (dome and temple band) and put a crest down both together? What I'm worried about is how much the curve of the dome especially will change. If it narrows appreciably, the dome and band will not fit together again...

Oskar der Drachen

Well I wanted a signed pic of her in the red and gold oriental armour with the katana. The grace and art of that pic overwhelms me. Say: To Halberds... love and kisses Xena.... Whoo Yeah.... Oh yes... the center crease is made in each piece and matched up at the riveting. It better fit with just th...

Oskar der Drachen

Does the Pembridge have a crease down the top center? Looks like it is time to start a new thread with great helm progress pics. We like pics you know. Hal Ps: Say hi to Xena for me. I've seen some pictures, but none of the top of a helmet looking down. The Original in Scotland does seem to have a ...

Oskar der Drachen

I'm in the process of fitting it to the temple band/cone next. I'll get the basic shape right, then go for refinement. Well! Her we finally have something to look at! What we have here is the welded conical temple band, with the dished top inserted. We have the join gently flared into the slop of t...

Oskar der Drachen

Jolly well done ! It looks very much like the original design: m Now dish a helm half, spaulders or spangen panel and see just how well it works. Your wish is my command! Here is a picture of the 1st Pembridge top. In overall shape it's like an abalone shell. It was quite simple to get different cu...

Oskar der Drachen

It's going to look a bit of a bastard, but the added reason is that I want it to look a bit bastardy to encourage the manufacture of prettier/more accurate headgear. A few years from now you may be in the unenviable position of seeing a newly constructed clone of this design walk onto the field fol...

Oskar der Drachen

When I made mine I rolled the top of the lower ring in slightly, it takes less than what you might think. Once I was ready to rivit them together I set on rivit next to each eye slot and on in the middle of the back then worked the pieces over to get them perfectly matched up before drilling and ri...

Oskar der Drachen

[quote="Oskar der Drachen
I'm going to try to bring the loops together in a nested curve instead of a hard edge like you suggest. I should be able to start shaping soon. I'm working my dishing hammer presently.[/quote]

This is the conformation for the two bands then?

Oskar der Drachen

Fit them closely by hammering both pieces of metal together, thereby making both take the same curve, nesting one within the other. General "pretty close" fit first, then refine by hammering together. Pick one loop, make a curvature jig based on this, and shape the other loop to conform a...

Oskar der Drachen

Personally, I wrap the lower plates onto the upper. The upper section I leave in it's conical shape and then I do a little working on the upper edge of the bottom sections so that they fit to the slant of the upper section. I can see the good in that. It means that the rivets are set into a sloping...

Oskar der Drachen

If you look at the Pembridge, it appears as though the 'base loop' (as you call it) is worked to conform to the upper loop, rather than what you're trying to do. Regardless, there is absolutely no need to remove material. Metal is remarkable in its ability to be worked, whether stretched or compres...

Oskar der Drachen

All, I would very like to pick a brain or two on this next step. I have a truncated cone for the mid-loop of my Pembridge. What I need to do now, I think, is to bevel the edge so that it will fit inside the base loop. The issue is that I believe it will take a removal of material to reduce the lengt...

Oskar der Drachen

Hal,

Here is the third polish plus base. The last thread is acting funny for me, so here is the latest, and I'll try to add the progress photos to this in order for the record....

Oskar

Oskar der Drachen

[quote="Grian Ruadh Also, don't be disappointed if you don't get any fabric from the theatre department. [/quote] If you are looking for canvas, try an army surplus (or the like) store for a used tent. You can often get good canvas this way, much cheaper than trying to buy just the fabric somew...

Oskar der Drachen

Right. Here is the DDD after the second polishing pass. Tip for those that are watching! I found a neato-keen way to sand this circular puppy. Get a belt for a belt sander, the hand held kind. I used two, a 60 grit and a 100 grit. Cut it on the cross seam to get a flat belt. Then as it is fabric, te...

Oskar der Drachen

So far so good, looks to be about 6-1/4 inches. No? Ps: Weld a couple of tabs and drill some holes for the hold down screws. I have chased my dishing tools around the bench top for years. I used 1/4" lag screws by 2" long. Now that my doughnut is bolted to the bench it is by far a lot bet...

Oskar der Drachen

Here is the first polish of the DDD. Angle grinder first for the first smoothing, mid-cut half-round file for the next pass, and a wire wheel in the big drill for the polish to see where the fine filing will be. I'm going to use the other side for the top of the DDD, but I wanted to get a picture of...

Oskar der Drachen

Way cool... looks like you did a fine job. I am sure you will like the way it works. Hal Oh no, credit where credit is due! My local Dwarven Smith made this one. Short, hairy, bad personal skills, but a genius with metal. He has one of these shops that has everything everywhere, but he doesn't have...

Oskar der Drachen

Here is the first picture of the DDD.

I'll clean it up and assemble the rest this next week.

Oskar der Drachen

[quote="Oskar der Drachen]I put what looks like a truncated ladle on the end of a long narrow rectangle. I was aiming for a complex curve with matching angles. I had gotten my ball-hitch stake built, so I was able to make a pretty good job of both sinking and finishing. With some 60 grit paper ...

Oskar der Drachen

There are two related configurations of hammer head of this type: the crosspein, pictured by Hal, and the straight-pein. They are smiths' hammers whose peins help to spread out metal bar stock into the shapes the smith requires. So it's not so much an edge, but a wedge, Good. I made some progress t...

Oskar der Drachen

:wink: Well, yes, I guess it is! What is the name of the hammer type in the picture? I looked through the catalogs of the local hardware store but I couldn't find a sledge with the hammer/wedge combo. What I ended up getting was a four pound double ended sledge, which I will machine two different a...

Oskar der Drachen

Actually... I do not use the stump anymore, not since the Divine Dishing Doughnut came into my life. I can dish as shallow as I want or deep enough to make an elbow cop. Best of luck and don't forget to post us some progress pics. We do appreciate pics here on the archive. I've got the DDD worked o...

Oskar der Drachen

The Hitch ball works well. Weld it to a stand about 10" tall. For rolling the helm parts I like to clamp a 4" pipe about 3 feet long with 1 foot sticking out off the work bench to roll metal around. Leather works better for me, the weighted rawhide mallet. about 2 pound. This is a pic of my favorit...

Oskar der Drachen

Let us concentrate on sending Oskar shop and tool hints -- I've pictured what I plan on using for an anvil for the hoops. I have a 60 inch piece of rail slung between two of my workbenches. It's braced at each end, and I can slide it back along the bench to use the top end of the rail for a rivet-s...

Oskar der Drachen

Now all the parts will be under tension, so I get it dull red hot with my weed burner (very large propane torch flame thrower thing). After it cools down, I dissemble it and finish all the metal parts. Now bolt it back together. Then one by one replace the bolts with rivets. Works for me. Your mill...

Oskar der Drachen

I have another step of the prototype complete, the bar grille. Now, next steps. The Pembridge pattern, what is the preferred assembly sequence? I read that the top is the last piece made, but it would seem to me that it would be the most difficult way to attach it. My gut tells me that the easiest ...

Oskar der Drachen

Definitely the SCA-type eye-slot, or sights, or ocularia -- take your pick, or use all the terms in rotation. It will have bars included. Let us concentrate on sending Oskar shop and tool hints -- if he's lucky, he could end up supplying the entire North Island or South Island. I don't recall which...

Oskar der Drachen

I'll X-post this in weaponry, but: I'd prefer a tougher wood like hickory, but do not have easy access to such. Sifrid der Blint How about getting a pick handle? You can get a hickory pick handle much easier than getting a hickory dowel, and for much less ( comparitively) as they make masses of the...

Oskar der Drachen

Actually.... I've started making the carboard model. Here are the pictures of the first mockup of the Pembridge helm. Have a look and tell me what you think. One of the things I included in the model was a temple ring that fitted me exactly, so that the model would be wearable just like the finishe...

Oskar der Drachen

Actually.... I've started making the carboard model. Here are the pictures of the first mockup of the Pembridge helm. Have a look and tell me what you think. One of the things I included in the model was a temple ring that fitted me exactly, so that the model would be wearable just like the finishe...

Oskar der Drachen

Oskar, seems like you're finding the info you need. ...Watching for developments -- and additional Q's. Actually.... I've started making the carboard model. In designing the eye-slit, there are two ways to go that I can see. I'd like to follow my sightlines to allow for a greater field of vision. W...

Oskar der Drachen

With the crest, i had no idea how to put horsehair into it so i cut a bunch of small wood blocks and folded the hair underneath them. Obviously it wasnt the right way to do it.... heh. I appreciate the input on this, and if theres anything else you guys see please feel free to comment. I've made tw...

Oskar der Drachen

How is your peripheral vision in this? Where does you face sit in relation to the grille? You raked the vision access of the top rear of the face back, did it do what you wanted it to, or do you find it needs more lateral to get good vision?

Oskar

Oskar der Drachen

Greetings to the Assembled Gentles! Oskar It's not armor, but there was some interesting metalwork in this project. Do you know of any historical pics or manuscripts showing them or Springealds or other similar items on wheels ? I do have some references, but we should probably discuss them off-lis...

Specific Technique - Name and Process?

Devine Dishing Doughnut

Divine Dishing Donut

Re: Mace - the steel kind

Re: Multiple helmet tops, suggested method?