Gauntlet help.

[Ckanite]

I'm working on figuring out how they work. I kind of have it, but they never quite work and I end up scraping them after I hurt myself in them badly. Can anyone take a few pics of the individual pieces on their hand so I can better understand how they work. I'm trying german guants. I think the biggest problem I'm having is that I'm not getting the size and curve right, mainly where the ulna is... I'll have pics up soon. Thanks!

[Aussie Yeoman]

exactly what problem are you having? Can you describe it a bit more?

Can you share some previous examples so we can see what's going on?

Here's a thread I wrote about the making of mine:

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... highlight=

and a couple of pics, though I imagine they might not be all that helpful:





It might help you greatly to make a template from stiff cardboard.

To help with the ulna problem: cut an oval of thick cardboard, with large and small axes of 6 and 3 inches respectively. Line up the piece of cardboard so the long axis is across your wrist, the short axis splits your wrist in half, and the end of your ulna is under the long axis line.

With a finger of your other hand, press on the long axis line until your finger is right on you ulna bump and the cardboard disc seems to balance on this point. Mark that location. That will be where you push the metal out to make the ulna spike.

Without knowing more about what you're particularly having trouble with, I don't know what else to say.

I'll try and take some better photos soon.

Dave

[Patrick]

I strongly suggest making a really basic set before you attempt anything fancy. I like the patterns that Alan Bauldree has up in the Pattern Archive. I've only made one set of those (and I changed to a one-piece thumb) but they were very good gauntlets and a very good basic pattern.

The real issue to remember is that it doesn't matter how well the gauntlets fit your hand when your hand is OPEN. What matters is how well they fit when you are HOLDING a weapon. My early issues (first two pairs of gauntlets) were because I was working with an open hand, not a gripping fist as I assembled them. Whole different shape.

A simple way to test the shape of the gauntlet bits is to buy one of those big heavy foil turkey pans. You know, the disposable kind. Cut out your patterns from that. You can "dish" this stuff with your thumbs and get the shapes right (at least with simple patterns - more complicated ones might not work so well) and you end up with a model of the finished product so you can dish and shape until your steel version matches your foil version.

Hope that helps.

-Patrick

[Ckanite]

@ Aussie Yeoman -actually, that was EXACTLY what I was looking for! I would like to see just the different pieces on the hand one by one so that I can get a measure of scale of each piece.

@ Patrick - I actually never even thought of using the sheet foil pans... brillliant!

I should have a few pice of my trial monster up soon!

[Ckanite]

Here's the pictures like I said...
this is an inside view, where it is compressed wrong.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101521c.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101521c.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt compressed, wrong"></a>

Another inside view where it is compressed correctly.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101521b.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101521b.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt compressed, right"></a>

It seems that when I try to compress the gaunt, it seems to randomly choose how it articulates, problem number one.

[Ckanite]

Gauntlet flexed top.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101521a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101521a.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt flexed, top"></a>

Gauntlet flexed side.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101521.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101521.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt flexed, side"></a>
Gauntlet compressed top view.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101520a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101520a.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt compressed, right"></a>

Gauntlet netural.
<a href="http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/?action=view&current=1105101519a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy124/Ckanite/1105101519a.jpg" border="0" alt="gaunt neutral"></a>

I think that another problem I have is that I made it too big... I also know my fluting is off a tad, but from what I can see, it's not interfeering. this is the first one that doesn't bite my hand everytime a move it, so it is a big improvement over the last ones...

[Konstantin the Red]

I think part of your problem over your wrist is that you've got that middle plate sitting atop the two surrounding it, like a knuckle-rider.

I've never seen a wrist articulation done that way: they've all been aligned the same way if all the lames are on one slant, and if there are two opposing slants, some /// and across a small plate in the middle then the lames slant \\\ ... with that central plate to the inside of the lames.

If every lame is on a common slant //// then you aren't going to get that random first-over-next-under action. They are all going to do the same thing every time.

[Aussie Yeoman]

Yep. A big part of your problem is your wrist plate should underlap all the other plates.

Another is your gauntlet is far too deep. The depth of the articulation points should be just less than half the depth of your wrist from the top.

Also, are you trying to make gauntlets in the German gothic style or the Witch King?

I'd save the fluting for when the major components, from cuff to knuckles, is done.

I'm away from home but last night I figured how to take photos to show exactly what you need. You'll have to wait for them though.

Dave

[Ckanite]

Well when I make a set and after I get all the kinks out of how to actually make one that works, it will be german gothic, but for now it's just practice, and I really don't mind waiting, I won't have acess to my new shop till monday/tuesdayish... I do intend on finishing this one just because the practice is well needed, untill I try and make greaves(which fail miserably the first time) again, I'm calling this the hardest piece to make...