The Armour Archive

Its not armour, but it will eventually be on a harness. Just thought I would throw up a progress picture. I have no place to work on armour right now, and most of my tools are in another state anyways, so I've started working on fittings.

I couldn't find documentation for glueing on nickles so I had to go with bells. Lots and lots of bell. My estimates are around 75 total. Rather than carving them all out individually, I just made a solid one in bees wax and put together a rubber mold to pour the casting wax into. Wait five seconds, dump the excess, and you get a perfect bell half.

This is just a quickie mock up in colored beeswax, with the halves sloppily joined. I haven't gotten the casting wax yet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/crotalbell.jpg

The brass finished pieces will be soldered together with a wire loop soldered in the top, like the originals.

Eventually, way into the future when I have a place to work again, it will go on this harness:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/1457-1457ConradLaibGraz5.jpg

Cool, I never though of bells on armor--and am interested in learning to make them, as well. Is there a more complete picture of that harness?
Keep us posted.

Sweet, I have bells on my harness as well. although I did not make mine
Nice job

Neat project. For what its worth, bells were also somewhat common on germanic harnesses in the early 15th century.

I don't think its too bad for my first attempt at carving something. I've never cast, so its a learning in progress type of thing. Once I have everything made in casting wax and on a sprue tree I gotta find someone who can cast to ship it to.

The full harness:

Wow, that would look stunning if you ever got that together.
You shouldn't have to much problem withthe casting.

I didn't realize they used bells on armour until I saw that painting, but these might be an earlier example.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/monuments/thomas_cheyne/image/102/large/

Why not dish the two halves from sheet: Punch two holes and a slit, then solder together?

Bells were once required wear by tourneyers, according to some authors, and later became staples on jester garb.

Well I'm upper upper class high society
God's gift to ballroom notoriety
And I always fill my ballroom
The event is never small
The social pages say I've got
The biggest balls of all

Ernst wrote:Why not dish the two halves from sheet: Punch two holes and a slit, then solder together?

All of my research and studying images of surviving ones tells me they were cast in two parts at this time period. Judging from the style in the painting, with the flaired center line and ribbing, they are the same.