Fluting on HDPE armor?

marcidius · Post by **marcidius** » Fri Nov 09, 2001 3:40 pm

If you make the positive and negative form with fluting, would it have any effect on the durability of the finished project?
I'm not very familiar with the process of heating the plastic, or its consistency once heated, so I don't know how feasible this would be. I think I remember someone talking about heating the plastic in an oven, is this a recommended method? If so, how do you handle the material, and keep it from sticking to everything?

thanks in advance,
-gid

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-Let cry the skies to cleanse my soul, let weep the heavens to make me whole.

Richard Blackmoore · Post by **Richard Blackmoore** » Fri Nov 09, 2001 6:13 pm

I find an incinerator prevents sticking and unsightly marks.

Dalewyn · Post by **Dalewyn** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 12:59 am

If you get HDPE hot enough to keep fluting, it will be very hard to handle. Simple shapes are better. You can get pretty good results with earlier period designs.

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Dalewyn
Dalewyn@dbis.ns.ca
www.AlchemyArmory.com

Dwarlock · Post by **Dwarlock** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 1:08 am

you know the only way I can think of forming plastic the way you want it would to be to form it over a piece of metal, but of course that woyld require you making a piece of metal armour to form the plastic over....

drakken · Post by **drakken** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 1:17 am

its not hard at all ....you need to vaccum form the plastic .....around a positive mold ...plaster works best ....i have made things as detailed as roman musculata ....i make plastic braces and limbs for a living ...feel freee to e-mail me ...drakken0000@aol.com....i can copy any exsisting piece of metal armor in plastic if that is what ou are looking to do

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 3:09 pm

First, a couple of questions?

What kind of armor are you making that you need flutting in it and its made from HDPE?

IS it for SCA use?

Drakkan if he is making this for SCA use, I don't think vaccuform will work. Doesn't the plastic for vaccuform have to be rather thin?

Insane Irish

CBA · Post by **CBA** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 9:40 pm

Drakkan if he is making this for SCA use, I don't think vaccuform will work. Doesn't the plastic for vaccuform have to be rather thin?

Insane Irish[/B][/QUOTE]

Ah Insane Irish,

There in lies the one and only problem I have with this archive, most members think ALL members are SCADIANS and are pre disposed towards predjudiced against non SCADIANS.

Now let's ask the originator of the post why he wants to use plastic?

drakken · Post by **drakken** » Sat Nov 10, 2001 11:40 pm

as far as the plastic being too thin...not at all ...most breast plates i make are 3/16
to 1/4.....the platic i use you can hit witha ball peen hammer on an anvil and it dents...i have a knight in our area that fights probibly more than 99% of the fighters in sca and has not had a failure yet ....any questions ...please drop me a line

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Sun Nov 11, 2001 2:22 am

Ahh CBA,

If you will look at my above questions, you will see that I ask IF the armor is for SCA use: depending on the answer to that question is whether or not I would say yes or no accordingly.

Drakken, Realy? I always thought that to get detailed work in vacform plastic it had to be pretty thin. I find this interesting because I have some ideas for some stuff that I thought would be neat but I would have to make it to thin for SCA use. We should discuss this more.

Insane Irish

Kristoffer · Post by **Kristoffer** » Sun Nov 11, 2001 8:48 am

You can buy a little machine that can weld thermoplastic.. If you didnt know..

sarnac · Post by **sarnac** » Sun Nov 11, 2001 10:16 am

drakken...holy cow man...nice to see you here.

For those that dont know him..this guy does great stuff. I have been wearing a pair of his Knees for two years now without one failure..ever. They are still like brand new...

drop me an email...I need to talk to you.