The Armour Archive

I kind of wonder...

I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust.

I'm wondering though, would folks more often prefer that or normal steel bars that they can paint or what have you... as I recall, some folks want the bars done in flat black to reduce shine in the eyes kind of thing.

What'chall think?

I think that you can paint galvanized metal if you want to.

I was just kind of curious if the armour using community preferred one type of bar over the other.

It is probably 50/50. If it was me, I'd leave them plain, and let the customer know that they can be painted. They can also be painted only on the inside, and left shiny outside.

Personally, I prefer flat black.

I tend to paint mine black as well, or heat blue them in an effort to let the helm stand out more.

I prefer being able to paint the bars (a flat black). It takes the bar grill 'away' and helps focus on the helm. Yes, even under a a mail drape

It realy depends on how you construct your grills Mild is usualy cheaper, you could offer galvanized as an option when building them.
A few people localy are painting the grills more of a almond or flesh tone trying to hide the grill reuiried for SCA combat.

I've normally found the zinc-plated bars to be cheaper locally.

Anyone have a good online source for steel rods?

Otto wrote:I've normally found the zinc-plated bars to be cheaper locally.

Anyone have a good online source for steel rods?

I'll check around

Otto wrote:I've normally found the zinc-plated bars to be cheaper locally.

Anyone have a good online source for steel rods?

Is that what you see at a steel-supply store locally? Or are you doing all your buying at hardware stores? My experience -- Oxnard CA is hardly a peculiar town -- is the opposite, that mild steel round stock without a coating is remarkably cheap per foot. Look under Steel in the Yellow Pages.

cold rolled will be more expensive than galvanised hot rolled, galvanised hot rolled is more expensive than plain hot rolled

Otto wrote:I kind of wonder...

I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust.

If you are going to start welding them then zinc is your enemy. You will have to completely remove the coating at the welds or risk zinc poisoning. Which is not fun. Had it once. Not going there again!

I paint or blue mine unless they are an integral part of the design of the helm.

I prefer to make my grills a satin finish to match my helmets. I find that the bar stock doesn't rust as quickly as the sheet, and even if it does rust a quick touch-up on the wire wheel is simple.

Johann ColdIron wrote:

Otto wrote:I kind of wonder...

I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust.

If you are going to start welding them then zinc is your enemy. You will have to completely remove the coating at the welds or risk zinc poisoning. Which is not fun. Had it once. Not going there again!

Otto,

it's a trip to come down here, but if you call and talk to Chris or Lynn they are real easy to work with,

http://chenrysteel.com

I picked up 100 ft of 1/4in round for about $8.00. I get all my flat sheet there as well. most is stored in a warehouse but there is sheets in the yard as well as various other stock.

they list hot rolled, but ask for cold it thats what your after.

I don't know ifhow they would ship , but I'm sure they do.

Johann ColdIron wrote:

Otto wrote:I kind of wonder...

I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust.

If you are going to start welding them then zinc is your enemy. You will have to completely remove the coating at the welds or risk zinc poisoning. Which is not fun. Had it once. Not going there again!

I paint or blue mine unless they are an integral part of the design of the helm.

Ah, but the cure is ice cream! Seriously, the cure for the zinc shakes is ice cream. Look it up.

I prefer a flat black bar grill over shiney.

Luca Sogliano wrote:

Johann ColdIron wrote:

Otto wrote:I kind of wonder...

I've been making helms for years on end with bargrills using 1/4 inch dia. zinc plated steel bars. The plating keeps the bars shiny/prevents rust.

If you are going to start welding them then zinc is your enemy. You will have to completely remove the coating at the welds or risk zinc poisoning. Which is not fun. Had it once. Not going there again!

I paint or blue mine unless they are an integral part of the design of the helm.

Ah, but the cure is ice cream! Seriously, the cure for the zinc shakes is ice cream. Look it up.

Or milk. Still not fun till it kicks in.

100ft for $8? are you sure. I checked with my local steel provider Alro and they quoted me $78 plus change for 100ft of hot roll 1/4 inch round. Seems like a HUGE difference... and frankly $8 for 100ft doesn't seem like it'd be worth their time.

Otto,

These guys recycle steel from various industries arround the state. They sell by the pound, it think the current rate is .35 a pound.
It doesnt matter how its shaped or how long, though there are different prices for alloys, stainless, etc.

I picked up 2 sheets of 14ga 45"x50" and 3 sheets of 16ga about the same size plus a bar of mild 1x1 1/4 x 30" for about 50 bucks.

usually I'll take a helm or two and show them off (letting them know it's their steel that makes them) and they love it!

give them a call and ask, there inventory sheets are kind of static and old, but the have different inventory all the time.

Hmmm, I'll have to think on it... My truck is 20 years old, doesn't hold oil, and only gets about 10 mpg give or take. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable driving it that far.

I have steel at the moment, but I'll surely keep them in mind.