The Armour Archive

I have previously made helms using the tops supplied by Rough From The Hammer, but until now had never tried to dish anything deeper than a cheek piece. Everything I did here I learned from The Armour Archive (Thanks!) or from trial and error.

My tools include a small 2 pound sledge type hammer I polished and am using to dish. I can certainly see where a proper dishing hammer would help. My form is the bottom of a compressed gas bottle and a 3 inch ball stake. I have an anvil shaped object that isn't good for much because it's so soft (Originally got it for leather work) and various vices, clamps, and such. The steel is 14 gauge mild.

I have one more panel to fit, then some finessing of the panels to make them fit nice and tight. Then sand and polish. It will be polished with brass rivets, nasal/eyebrows, and maybe brass trim. This is for SCA. Criticism, and opinions welcomed.

It looks like a great start to me.Thanks for the photos!!

It certainly looks good so far.

-Badger-

Wow, that's a heck of a lot nicer than *my* first attempt at the same thing! Very nice and clean. Just keep at it, I'd say!

Matthew

Good start.
I think you may need a tad bit more shaping to get a good fit for padding.
Cleacos are a god send when building this helmet.
You"ll find the panels lay easier when scalloped.

Donngal

Donngal wrote:Good start.
I think you may need a tad bit more shaping to get a good fit for padding.
Cleacos are a god send when building this helmet.
You"ll find the panels lay easier when scalloped.

Donngal

I can absolutely see where I need more shaping in the helm. After looking at your four panel helms my dishing looks really shallow. I actually got lucky in that it's coming out a tad bigger than I expected which allows a bit more room for the padding. However that's beginners luck. My next attempt will be dished deeper though.

The scallops scare me. I had to grind and sand the edges of the panels after dishing to straighten them out a touch. The scallops look like they leave little room for error.

The top is now done and all bolted together and the cheek peices are cut out. I plan to post a few more photos. I really appreciate the criticism and opinions. Making this helmet has been fun so far, and having it come out OK makes it even better.

Looks great so far Ciaran, keep up the good work.

A few more photos. The helm top is just about done and bolted up. I have a couple of more holes to drill and some planishing to do. Cheek pieces are cut out and have a rough shape to them. I am taking my time and not rushing anything and am pleased with how it's come out so far. It gives me encouragement to have another go at it after this one is done and see if I can make it better.

Lookin good.

My plan is to be at GWW this fall, for sure. Id like to sit and talk with you about this pattern.
Its actually kind of complicated and I can probably help steer you away from making some of the same mistakes I
did originally.

I would have to say that cutting the scallops with a jig saw would be pretty nerve wracking, lol.

I have a great book that is only about these helms, its all in Russian but the pictures are great. I may be able to track down another
copy, it was around $40 last time I saw it.

Donngal

And Ziad or I would be able to help with the text of it, along with Norman, who is better at Russian than either of us. No doubt I've left somebody out.

That is really cool!

look forward to the finished product. I plan on making an attempt at my own helm in the relatively near future. well done!

Thank you for the feedback everybody, I appreciate the encouragement! Donngal, I would love to sit and pick your brain about this helmet at GWW. I will bring cold beverages. This is my favorite helmet style and plan on making more.

I got the cheek pieces pretty much done. The look even so far, but there is room for adjustments.

This is also one of my favorite style helms. Awesome work.

One of my Favorites also.
I keep making new ones for myself and some how I keep selling them.

My wife confirmed that GWW is defiantly on our calender.
Ill bring some documentation as well.

D

Donngal wrote:One of my Favorites also.
I keep making new ones for myself and some how I keep selling them.

Guess ya gotta make 2 and hide 1 for U. Maybe with Raymond's Quiet Press brass eyebrows? Probably not the full Sutton Whozit treatment, but just some of it, in an Eastern Europe taste.

Hi Ciaran, Nice work on the helm, Thanks for the pics I cant wait to see more of them. Where does gulf wars take place? I wish I could go kinda, Id at least like to goto estrella again sometime. its been years since I went to an event.


Take care

Andy @ Pitbull Armory

Sanding sanding and more sanding!

I am using flap wheels to sand with. I start with an 80 grit to smooth things out and get rid of bumps. Then I go to a 120 grit then to a 240 grit. I am unsure of where to go from there... a higher grit flap wheel, 320ish or so, or go straight to the buffing wheels. Last time I went to a buffing wheel from here. It turned out pretty good, but I am wondering what it would look like with a higher grit flap wheel in between here and the buffing wheel. I know that there are probably better ways to sand and polish, and I intend to learn them, but for now I am working with what I have. As you can see from the holes, I had a little trouble fitting the back panel to the brow band. It all worked out OK, though.

After the 240grit




I also have the cheek pieces done, and the back slats cut and mostly shaped. These have only been hit with the 80 grit wheel.





I found this lady when I pulled my welder out. SPLAT! (I kill black widows on sight, but leave other spiders alone)

Lookin good Ciaran!!!!

Marking so I can see the latest set of pictures when I get home.

Well done! Nice lines.

What do you use the flapwheels on, a bench grinder? Sorry, I'm an ignorant newbie and this is pertinent to my helm

Andrew Sterner wrote:What do you use the flapwheels on, a bench grinder? Sorry, I'm an ignorant newbie and this is pertinent to my helm

Yes. I use them on a bench grinder.

scotch brite sanding belts is what i use after 100grit sanding,medium to light grit scotch brite then buffing and i can get total mirror out of these steps. they have the scotch brite in belts discs and i think i remember seeing flap wheels also.

Ciaran, that looks like ass!!!!
Throw it in the trash, unless it'll fit a 24" head then mail it to me and I'll throw it in the trash for you.



Looking forward to seeing the cheek plates on it and how/what ou're going to do for grill.

We're getting closer! I decided to go from the 240grit flap wheel to the buffing wheel. I'll add another flap wheel in between the 240 and the buffing wheel on the next helm.

We are now all shiny and welded together. My welder is just a 110 mig. I am using .025 wire and tips, with mixed gas. Next steps will be to polish out the weld marks, set the rivets, and then start working on the bottom half.





The welds are mostly just insurance against a nervous marshal.

that is freaking amazing! Man you are making me want to make a helmet so bad i can't stand it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Clecos-25-New-3-16-Cleco-Fasteners-w-New-Pliers-/360383800565?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e88c64f5

these would have made your life alot easier instead of using the bolts.

Wait, this is for SCA combat?? I missed that part! Geez, it's prettier than most living history helmets I've seen! Wow.

I've only done one steel piece polished to anything like that degree, though I've done more bronze, and my usual progression is 150-220-Scotchbrite pad-buffer. Most I do with a sanding disc on my drill, including the Scotchbrite. I'll go as coarse as 100 grit if I have bad scratches or lumps, but my usual material is 18 gauge and I'd rather dish carefully and plannish than grind away too much metal.

Actually, about those bolts--I have seen at least a couple original helmets with tall spikey rivets! But I guess the marshals might be less than thrilled with that.

Gorgeous work!

Matthew

Is it wrong to develop lovey dovey feelings for a piece of metal? o.O

Gabriel von Stettin wrote:Is it wrong to develop lovey dovey feelings for a piece of metal? o.O

absolutely not brother.

Just out of curiosity, what is the point of the top rivet of each column of rivets? On the inside shot, they don't look like they are holding anything together, or are they just to add continuity.

Other than that, all I can think of is putting it on and going around headbutting people.

There should be a cap on the top. Perhaps for riveting that down. ??

The bolts (which will be rivets) on the top are just there to look nice. I am undecided about putting a top cap on the helm since it will be used for practice only. There will be another fancier, schmancier one for tournies that will have a top cap and other decorations.

CiaranBlackrune wrote:The bolts (which will be rivets) on the top are just there to look nice. I am undecided about putting a top cap on the helm since it will be used for practice only. There will be another fancier, schmancier one for tournies that will have a top cap and other decorations.

Because you can tweak the pattern and you will make most of your mistakes on this one instead of the pretty one?

Bjorn