More Baby pics

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:05 pm

Hi All,

here are some more shots of my armour in progress, courtesy of Jeff Hedgecock

Enjoy !

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Bob R.

Vincent_c=={=====- · Post by **Vincent_c=={=====-** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:15 pm

Well I guess all I can say is nice Chef, is this the work of a hobbiest armourer or does he have an armoury?

Brodir · Post by **Brodir** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:17 pm

Great, he got the shape of the couters really right.

Josh W · Post by **Josh W** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:21 pm

Looking good, Bob.

The cuirass I have commissioned from Tom Justus will look similar in form, but with less pointy cusps and whatnot.

pics here: http://justus.pair.com/JDW

Randall · Post by **Randall** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:35 pm

Hi Bob!

It is looking great! I can't wait to see the finished product. Thank you for posting the in-progess pics. I have a question. On the elbow of the right arm there is a plate rivetted on(not the reinforce on the left arm). Is that an extra piece on top to reinforce or is the "fan" actually 2 pieces? I have seen that on many Italian harness and wondered what they are for/how they are constructed. I haven't seen any pics of the right elbow from the inside to be able to tell. If anyone has a picture I would love to see it. Thanks,

Randall

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:37 pm

How do you get rid of the black marks near the welds? I realize I am a newbie and do need enlightening.

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Torr O'Neal
The Irish, Norwegian Merc

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:38 pm

Hi Vincent,

He definitely has an armoury, and a waiting list to boot. www.historicenterprises.com

Jeff would be ranked amongst the top armourers in his field, and he specializes in 15th century harness, but covers late 14th - late 15th century. He can pretty much make anything, above and beyond armour as well.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:41 pm

Hi Torr,

Those are not welds. There are no welds on this harness (possibly 1 on each couter, to raise the shape out of a cone), what you are seeing is where he has applied the heat to anneal to raise and to lay in flutes with a chisel and fluting stake.

That is what god made grinding wheels for, which is how the harness was made smooth historicaly.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:45 pm

Hi Randal,

I believe that is an additional reenforce riveted in place on historical Italian harness.

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Bob R.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:49 pm

Hi Joaquin,

Way cool about the new harness. From what I've seen of Tom's work, you will be very pleased. I've gone for an Italian export (more like a piece made by an Italian armourer resident in Flanders) this time around, and it sounds like you are going for a more purely Italian suit like my Milanese.

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Bob R.

Ideval · Post by **Ideval** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:19 am

Having finally received a copy of Arms and Armour of the Medieval Knight, I hope I am neither too froward or inaccurate in complimenting your tight lookin' culet

Chef!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
The enclosed vambrace alone screams its exactness!

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IdÃ«val
The Huntsman of
I-NossÃ« LÃºmÃ«vanwa
My mind opens wide when I roar

Archais1 · Post by **Archais1** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 1:59 am

Holy $hit! How did you get such subtle curves in the vambraces and if there are no welds how did you raise the elbows on the couters to such perfectly sharp points. At that, how did you flair and shape the large couter into such a strange and complex shape. Show us the stakes you use and give us ideas of how you use them. We humbly beg!

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 6:09 am

Hi Archais,

I cannot address the question as I am not the armourer. If you want to talk brigandines, I can accommodate you. He does a lot of hot work, as you can see, and he does have an excellent collection of stakes & hammers.

In the end, I think his answer would be 'it isn't so much the metal working technique as it is training the eye. The one is possible for anybody to aquire with practise and dillegence, but the second is more difficult to train'. - to paraphrase past discussions with him.

Hi Ideval - (stop staring at my cullet plate!)

I am pretty much putting these photos up to help by showing a good reproduction in process. I have a collection of such photos of different projects in progress that will be going up on the new Wolfe Argent website.

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Bob R.

wcallen · Post by **wcallen** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 8:07 am

As Chef said, the plate on the right elbow is riveted on.

The elbow wing itself looks like a normal wing with a really extravagant flair. My theory (which is only that) is that the upper edge of the flair ended up pretty thin after all of the work and grinding and it would have been exposed to more abuse since it is sitting up right where people can hit it.

They added a plate onto the upper half to reinforce it.

Even this plate (by the time it is done) will be a pretty bizzare piece of metal work. It will likely get a flute that has to sit on the corresponding flute in the wing and often the edge is lipped over the edge of the wing - to add even more stiffness (probably) and so that you don't have that unsightly look of 2 layers of steel

Putting all the shape in the left elbow add on is not all that hard (just hit it), but getting it right......

If done right, both the wing on the right and the add on on the left will sit perfectly flush with the upper and lower cannons of the vambrace when the arm is fully bent. Since the upper and lower are not the same shape, this gets interesting....

It is this kind of detail that makes really good reproductions time consuming and expensive. I bet Chef is spending some real money on this (as an armourer I hope so for Jeff's sake

)

Wade

Destichado · Post by **Destichado** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 9:00 am

Hey Chef?
I'm still convinced.

Otto von Teich · Post by **Otto von Teich** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 9:13 am

Wow, That IS a work of art! Sculpture in steel. Jeff and Greg do excellent work.What gauge steel did he start with? Is it cold rolled? I recently got an "in Stock" bascinet from them and the visor was outstanding!......Otto Great lookin baby,your gonna be a proud papa soon!

jgalak · Post by **jgalak** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 11:44 am

I would just like to point out that like any true metalworker, Mr. Hedgecock has more Sharpies lying around than anything else.

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Yehuda ben Moshe
mka Juliean Galak

Prince Of Darkmoor · Post by **Prince Of Darkmoor** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 11:46 am

I hate you Bob

Seriously, very nice harness you got progressing there. I'm sure you are excited to get it!

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Posters like you are the reason I wish computers came with a 'bitchslap' key.
Salinas Swordsman
Darkmoor Armoury

Jeffrey Hedgecock · Post by **Jeffrey Hedgecock** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 2:54 pm

<B>"I would just like to point out that like any true metalworker, Mr. Hedgecock has more Sharpies lying around than anything else.
</B>

Well, actually I end up with more hammers lying around...

Thanks for the kind words, folks.

Wade's basically got it right on the couter fan reinforce. The flare gets a bit thin, but on the real ones they're complete, with the reinforce adding thickness. Bob's will be fluted, both the fan and reinforce. The real ones are done that way too. The edge will also be bent a bit too.

Back to the shop...

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Cheers,

Jeffrey Hedgecock,
Armourer
Historic Enterprises
http://www.historicenterprises.com

Anradan MacEwan · Post by **Anradan MacEwan** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 3:24 pm

Jeff,

Do I see a couple of forges in the background of pic # 1? What sort of forge do you use? How much of the work was done hot?

Chef,
Very impressive. I especially enjoy the quality of the vambraces.

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I hope that you will...
Farewell

Anradan

Jeffrey Hedgecock · Post by **Jeffrey Hedgecock** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 6:20 pm

"Do I see a couple of forges in the background of pic # 1? What sort of forge do you use?"

Well, one forge, one drum wood stove (I heat my shop with it). The forge is propane, I built it myself. It uses two double burners from NC Tool and is 29" long, just long enough to heat treat a broadsword blade in one go. I don't use it for armour, it's too small and wasn't built for that anyway.

"How much of the work was done hot?"

Best answer is...anywhere on the armour that is dark grey has been hotworked or annealed and then cold worked. The silver areas are worked all cold. See the pics above.

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Cheers,

Jeffrey Hedgecock,
Armourer
Historic Enterprises
http://www.historicenterprises.com

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 8:17 pm

Hi Wade,

Lets just say I needed the approximate three years from the initial discussions to this stage to save for the project.

On the other hand, the result is worth it. It is and will be my primary harness for as long as I can wear it. I'd rather have one excellent harness (and my current decent one, relegated now to second line work) than a dozen average ones.

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Bob R.