The Armour Archive

SO, yet another question...nothing new there though.
I know armour was blacked, blued, and russeted(right term/sp?) but was it done in any other colors?

and as for my other question, i just finished(mostly) a breastplate, it's a fantasy piece, no real base in history, and it;s aluminum. made it for stickfighting and the like, anyways, i was wondering, what is the best way to get a flat black finish on it?

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What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

You left out ennamalling and guilding. Also tin-plating.

Basically, if it could bve done it was. Period armour could be found in any and all surface treatments that were available to the period. Fabric and leather covered, painted with eggwhite or gesso....it was all done.

I picked up a book form the uni library today. "The complete recipe book of metal treatments, finishes and colourations"

I must admit that I am impressed with what I have so far read (okay, I am mostly looking at the pictures)....Only problem is that steel treatments are in the vast minority. Bronze, brass, copper,tin and silver get the majority of the nifty effects described.


Sasha

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tybolt:
<B> and it's aluminum. made it for stickfighting and the like, anyways, i was wondering, what is the best way to get a flat black finish on it?
</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Would annodizing (sp?) work? I'm currently looking into getting some mild steel armour annodized but I want to be sure it'll stand up to our bashing first, otherwise I think airplane paint (ennamel?) would work for you as well.
I'm not sure how other treatments would stick to aluminum, if you find something out, let us know!

Sasha: Do you still have that book? Who is the author and/or what is the ISBN number? I'd be interested to see that.

Anodizing will work but you will need your wheelbarrow of cash for a large item. I have not dealt with completed pieces of maille so I could not say how successful that would be, only checked into separate rings and coils.

The coating will still wear with use and abuse though.

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Where are the penguins?
Uhhh... the polar bears ate them.

i'd completly fogoten about enamining and stuff, and well, i've never even heard of anodizing... but if it's expensive then well, yea. i'm a hopefully soon to be student, and unemployed at the moment, so yea.
besides, it's going to eventually be a full harness, gotta love martial arts.
here is the concept are for it, so far the breastplate is almost identicle.

http://www.angelfire.com/mt/tybolt/pics/armour.jpg

it should be an intimidating looking piece when it's finished. just a bit large for expensive methods.

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What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: