NEWBIE QUESTIONS ANSWERED - Add your Input !!!

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Lord Proxximo
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NEWBIE QUESTIONS ANSWERED - Add your Input !!!

Post by Lord Proxximo »

After lurking here for quite some time and never being able to really make a contribution to the boards, I have decided to maintain this thread... I have seen many questions asked OVER AND OVER, so I thought I would put a bunch of them together so people can go to one place to look for answers.

Okay, here is where you come in, because I have only hit THE TIP of the iceberg here, so add anything you can think of and I will add it to the top post ... any kind of tip or trick you know and can share please do !

Note -- since this is an aggregation of multiple people's posts, do NOT assume that any comments or opinions are those of Lord Proxximo, nor of JT, nor of the Armour Archive. They aren't... or at least, they may not be.


So here goes ....

SHOP SETUP
  • http://www.armourarchive.org/essays/
  • http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=47570
  • http://justus.pair.com/ShopPhotos/Tour.html (Still Drooling)
  • Ten recommendations on shop setup [Not claiming these are original]:
    1. Good lighting. A couple of double-tube 8' fluorescents per car-sized space, or maybe 3 of the 4' sets.
    2. Very sturdy workbench. A steel one would be best, but heavily-built in wood will do. Assuming you don't need to park a car in in your work area when not armoring, put your bench in the middle of the space, so you can work on all sides of it. You'll also need a couple of "stumps", by which I mean a couple of large pieces of wood, 50 lbs. or more. Typically, you get these as a chunk of tree, but you can assemble them from lumber if you have to. One for your anvil base, and one for a tool holder.
    3. Mig Welder and/or Oxy/Acetylene set. If you can only afford one of the two, pick the O/A. Get welding, cutting, and heating tips for it, and a gas-saver shutoff. If you don't already know how to weld, take a class at your local community college or adult ed. [voc/tech high schools often have evening classes for adults].
    4. A good heavy-duty vise. 4" minimum clamp width, rotating base-plate. Mount it on an easily accessible corner of your bench.
    5. Angle and bench grinders. I have two 4.5" angle grinders, which cuts down on switching discs. An 8" bench grinder would be best, but a 6" will serve. You'll want a variety of discs for both, including buffing wheels for the bench grinder. I like DeWalt power tools for a good mix of quality and price.
    6. A throatless shear. Beverly B-2 is the best option, but Harbor Freight sells a knockoff of the B1 model which is kind of okay.
    7. A good drill and punch. Get a genuine Whitney #5 Junior [Enco carries it a a decent price], and a VSR drill with a keyless chuck. 135 degree split-point bits in at least a few sizes. The harbor freight knockoff punch is a waste of money, and so are "high speed steel" drill bits.
    8. At least one fire extinguisher. Safety glasses and/or face shields. Sturdy leather-palm work gloves.
    9. An anvil. It doesn't have to be a real anvil, but it does need to be at least 50 lbs. of steel with a flat top and at least one straight, moderately sharp edge. Don't buy a cast-iron thing, even if it is shaped like an anvil. Cast steel is good, but cast iron crumbles when you beat on it.
    10. Other tools and supplies you'll need or want include files, ball-peen, sinking and planishing hammers, clecos [or small screws and nuts for test assemblies], rivets [3/16" x 3/8" steel round head solid and #8 copper flat head 1/2"], at least], burrs [washers] for the rivets, and probably some more things I am not thinking of.

SHOP SAFETY TIPS
  • Wear safety glasses.
  • Wear safety glasses.
  • Wear safety glasses. (Are you getting the hint yet?)
  • Do not burn off galvanization (zinc) without incredibly more-than-adequate ventilation. It produces fumes that can cause serious respiratory damage or worse. Kids, don't breathe zinc fumes. You can die from it. We're serious. Really.
  • A 4" angle grinder with it's guard still in place will wrap a t-shirt around the spindle 3 to 3-1/2 times before the motor stalls. Tuck your shirt in.
  • If you are grinding and start to smell your laundry detergent quite strongly, your clothes have reached the kindling point. Watch your sparks.
  • Tiny pieces of hot metal in your eye suck in ways you never want to understand. Wear your safety glasses. (We mean this.)

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
BOOKS
  • Techniques of Medieval Armor Reproduction by Brian Price (TOMAR)
  • Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight by Edge/Paddock
  • online PDF Basic Armouring - A practical Introduction to Armour Making -- http://www.brighthelm.org/armour/

LEATHER
CLOTH
CHAIN
PLATE
PARTICULAR PIECES EXPLAINED
PERIOD EXPLANATIONS
WEBSITE PLUGS



Hope this helps at least a little

Proxximo

(Edit by JT -- I'm gonna put a thumbtack in this, for at least a while. Depending on what it ends up looking like, I might make it into a FAQ-type post, or an essay, or maybe, I'll print it out, and fold it up into a little boat.) :P
Last edited by Lord Proxximo on Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:59 pm, edited 11 times in total.
Power is not defined by striking hard or often, but striking TRUE!
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Egfroth
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Post by Egfroth »

Here's a whole lot of stuff on the outfits of the soldiers of Emperor Constantine the Great - http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... 172#656172

Egfroth
Egfroth

It's not really armour if you haven't bled on it.
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Egfroth
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Post by Egfroth »

More mid-late 12th century stuff, with an emphasis on flat-topped kite shields , at http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... 034#753034
Egfroth

It's not really armour if you haven't bled on it.
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Kat_H
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Post by Kat_H »

A basic necessity when ordering sheet metal, here are gauges for non-ferrous and steel sheet in decimal inches-

http://www.engineersedge.com/gauge.htm
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ormus1
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Helmet Question

Post by ormus1 »

I hope this is the right section to post this. Does anyone have any info on where to purchase helm inserts (adjustable is ok too) for a tighter fit.
Thanks
Ormus1
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Lord Vanguard
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Post by Lord Vanguard »

If you look for a place to get rivets in Québec at a good price:

Wolseley (Quévis) Groupe produits industriels
3160, rue Bellefeuille
Trois-Rivières

(819) 379-0047 or 1 800 567-7932


You have to buy for a minimum of 15 $ if you don't have an account.
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Alexander
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Strapping and Padding Hints & Tips

Post by Alexander »

A general tip - make more holes than necessary in your straps. Leather stretches and bodies expand and contract so it makes sense to have more holes to adjust than making one and having to fix it with the hole punch during a break in the fighting.

Helmet -

As much as you are against using a chin-cup system for helmet retention, you will most likely find (particularly at Pennsic) that anything else will be unacceptable to the inspecting Marshals. The rule states that the helmet retention may not be designed in such a way that it could choke the wearer and a simple strap under your jaw could be seen as such a construction. Hey, wearing a cup is uncomfortable for me but I do it anyway! Wink Make sure that you pad your helmet out first before strapping it. The holes for the strap should be drilled just above and behind your ear - this way, the helmet will rotate correctly and not bash you in the nose should you take a strike to the face. A leather cup like the kind that Mandrake sells (available from Sir Giles...) would be ideal but a standard Army helmet chin strap will work well and can be easily replaced when it gets old/destroyed/ etc. It also has the advantage of being washable.

Padding your helmet goes easiest if you have someone there to observe the way the helmet sits on your head and can suggest corrections. Make a paper "helmet" by putting a large sheet (or multiple sheets taped together) over your head and cutting and taping until you have a reasonable reproduction of your helmet (again, having someone to help you is good). Take this and cut it so you can lay it flat and then use this to create a pattern for the foam.

The advice about taping in your padding is good - I used spray adhesive from Tesa to affix my foam in my helmet. You can remove the foam later and the adhesive can be cleaned out.

Legs -

You can go with the two-strap system - on the c-belt affix rings on the outside of your hips (where a holster would sit) and in the middle of your thighs. These are your anchor points for the straps. Make slots in the legs for the straps in the two areas nearest the position of the rings. You can also rivet straps with rings on the legs instead of cutting slots, but it breaks a lot faster than a slot in the metal. Make a long leather strap for each area, long enough to make a complete loop. Use these straps to hang your legs from the belt. The advantage to this is that if a strap breaks, you can use string to hang your legs.

Make a strap from the "door" on your legs that extends around but does not buckle on the inside of your thighs. The strap should be diagonal, not straight across. Start in the middle of the door and strap down and in, towards your knees. Make sure you can get to the buckle easily and without help.

Drill two holes at the "points" of where your knees would be in the knee cops and make a strap that goes behind your knee. It sounds uncomfortable, but I have found nothing better to keep your knees from wandering around. It feels odd in the beginning but you get used to it quickly. Just remember to not make the strap too tight!

I would suggest that you wear cotton tights under your legs - they are cheap, don't get caught in the articulation, and very comfortable in the heat. Wear knee pads that fit under the tights - looks a lot better and doesn't slip around. Don't go nuts with the knee protection as the pads are there more for when you fight on your knees than to really protect you against a strike. Get BIKE brand pads and forget about skateboard/rollerblade stuff as it is way over-engineered for what we're doing.

Shoulders -

I don't know what sort of garment you will be wearing over all of this so I will make a generic suggestion. Drill two small holes (5mm) at the top of the shoulder and use these to affix the shoulders either to a point on your tabard/surcoat or to the straps of your breastplate. I use El Cheapo leather shoelaces for this and tie a double granny knot. Even my inflexible self can tie/unite these while wearing my armor. To keep the lames from flopping around, two 5mm holes on either side of the last lame and tie a bit of the aforementioned shoelace between them. Anything else is overkill and will be hard to replace. Don't worry about padding your shoulders.

Gorget -

Do the rolled duct tape thing and tape a 25mm wide strip of foam along the areas that touch your neck - front an back. More is not needed. If need be, you can raise the gorget with padding from underneath if it does not cover your voice box. Make sure that someone checks this for you!

Elbows -

I have the simplest elbows imaginable - an oval of foam glued in the center of the elbow cop and a strap across with a thin buckle. I have never had any problem with this setup in over ten years of fighting (bastard sword, where I get hit in the elbow all the time! ) and it eliminates the need to wear elbow pads.
Alexander von Hardtwald (retired)
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Theo Koutz
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Post by Theo Koutz »

Modern reproductions of the Wisby coats of plate with front, back and internal views:

http://www.hoashantverk.se/hantverk/hoa ... index.html
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dochtorgajo
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Post by dochtorgajo »

Hi Im starting my first sallet. Could I ask how can i do it to make visor not to close after opening?

I have only rough idea maybe add some piece of leather but would need little advice about how to do it to make it esthethic and fulfilling its function.....well second one would be just fine cause Ive got strong feeling Ill throw that scrap away soon after I finish it. :D

And other thing: believe or not but Im not able to get sledgehammer anywhere at least not here where I live. Maybe weird but could I ask if I can use unmodified ball peen hammer for dishing or is it impossible?
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Konstantin the Red
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Post by Konstantin the Red »

Round the flat face off to a gentle curve. Dish with that.

Any heavy hammer will get the job done. Where are you located again? Can you get any hammer about 1.5 kg mass or a little more?

At least one of our correspondents says he dishes by pounding the metal with an old bowling ball. Similar results can come from hitting it with a wooden maul (Big heavy wooden sledgehammer, home made. Use a mattock handle.) with its face rounded. Others of us use iron dumbbells, the kind with the plastic coating and the rounded ends, 2.5 to 3.5 kg. They usually peel the coating off the end they hammer with and just hold the dumbbell and thump the metal with it. Some like to glue a disc of heavy leather onto that end and have a soft-faced hammer. If it's heavy enough a hammer doesn't really need a handle.

Any hammer for dishing should have a slightly rounded face, whatever kind it was originally.

Make sure the visor is free to swing to straight up or a bit farther -- so it can't fall back down.
"The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone..."
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dochtorgajo
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Post by dochtorgajo »

Thx for advices. :D
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zugislander
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gloves

Post by zugislander »

Hello,

I am not certain if this is the right place for this question but I thought I would try here before I plagued the general site with this.

Does anyone have some suggestions for a pair of historically accurate gloves. Not gauntlets, but the gloves I have noted many people mentioning that they wear under gauntlets and demi gauntlets.

Basically, where to get them, and what to look for in them.

Thanks in advance.

Cordially,

MJB
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Thlayli
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Post by Thlayli »

Hey, ive been recently setting up a shop, except i've run into a problem. I'm poor (only 17, and can't get any work), so i got what i could for an anvil; an 8 pound sledge head. I'm not planning on doing any really serious pounding on it, so i dont need anything too big- thus the small size. The only problem is, I found that the metal quality is poor, and dents easily. I would like to try to harden it, if I could. Does anyone know how one should go about tempering a large hammer head? I have the general idea from some reading, but I would rather not make a mistake and ruin the thing. Any advice or references to arcticles would be helpful.
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Post by Browin Auld »

Well, there's good news and bad news.

The good news is, even if you "ruin" it by over-heating or something like that, you can always go back and try again; annoying as it is to do that.

The bad news is that even though heating it may be a bit of a problem without a gas forge or something similar, queching an 8-pound sledge head will be a real bear unless you've had some practice with the various quenching fluids and thier flammability. Water works well, but some recommend oils or even fat. See what you can find regarding that and read up on it.

Now... about how easily it dents... This raises a flag in my head because any hammer head worth it's weight is made of tool steel (or something comparably high-carbon) and unless the temper has been ruined previously, should not dent. Even if the temper is ruined though, high-carbon steel doesn't dent easily. If you have access to a bench grinder or angle grinder, do the spark test: long, straight sparks with little or no "pops" at the end means you have a lump of mild steel. The more "pops" and secondary sparks you see coming off the larger, initial sparks means you have a high(er) carbon piece. This isn't an ironclad method, but it'll give you an idea of what you're playing with.
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Post by Cedri »

Thlayli

Good place to start is a local blacksmith guild. If you're in the states, a guild should be within a reasonable distance. You will find the knowledge base of the members to have great depth and someone will teach you the basics at a meeting. There are also knife making hammer-ins during the year which are free that you can attend. With lucj you may even find one of the members is into armor and will give you pointers on technique and where to scrounge materials.

Cedri
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Axel of Ealdormere
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Post by Axel of Ealdormere »

I'm new to all of this and am wanting to make a dishing stump.
I've got a hold of a level tree stump but I dont know how to make the dishing bowl in it...the closest thing I can figure is chiseling out wood and that'd take a long time...is there a method I'm missing? Help a newb out.
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Post by Peter Baker »

Just wanted to second the safety glasses:

I was doing a fencing project with my dad a couple years back, and while pounding in a staple I got a small piece of steel embedded in my eye, as a result of which I have a little yellow discoloration on my iris, and I had to have a surgeon remove it. It cost a couple thousand dollars, as opposed to five bucks for goggles.
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Post by Halberds »

I will third the Safety Glasses. They should be second nature by now…
Also some hearing muffs and a dust mask for grinding.

Nice leather gloves… I wear mine most the time.
My hammer hand does not wear a glove.
Both my sanding hands wear gloves.
My welding hands wear very thick gloves.

Hal
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Post by Avadon »

Peter Baker wrote:Just wanted to second the safety glasses:

I was doing a fencing project with my dad a couple years back, and while pounding in a staple I got a small piece of steel embedded in my eye, as a result of which I have a little yellow discoloration on my iris, and I had to have a surgeon remove it. It cost a couple thousand dollars, as opposed to five bucks for goggles.
I was reading a post like this a while back on Armour Archive and I do wear slim line saftey glasses. Last Christmas my angle grinder spit back some metal and material and it came in from the side. I flushed most of the debrist out of my eye but there was a sliver I couldn't for the life of me get out. I had to go to the E.R. and have a doctor take it out. This was the day after christmas :( Really not fun. Lots of eye drops later and 600-700$ I finally got back to normal. Moral of the story is that if you wear light saftey glasses in your shop, put on a face shield when you do grinding or use highspeed tools. Those light little glasses only protect from a very straight on attack from material.
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Nim
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Post by Nim »

Loki of the Ford wrote:I'm new to all of this and am wanting to make a dishing stump.
I've got a hold of a level tree stump but I dont know how to make the dishing bowl in it...the closest thing I can figure is chiseling out wood and that'd take a long time...is there a method I'm missing? Help a newb out.
Chisel and then pound smooth-ish is the method I've seen suggested most often. Drilling some holes would speed the process up, maybe. With the right tools, you could grind it out. You could char it. Never done it myself (in the newb boat right with you) but those are all possibilities :)
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Konstantin the Red
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Post by Konstantin the Red »

Loki of the Ford wrote:I'm new to all of this and am wanting to make a dishing stump.
I've got a hold of a level tree stump but I dont know how to make the dishing bowl in it...the closest thing I can figure is chiseling out wood and that'd take a long time...is there a method I'm missing? Help a newb out.
Circular saw. But go slowly. Mark the center of the dish, set the sawblade on the center mark to see where your saw needs to be.

Tip the saw up on its nose, draw back the springloaded guard, get the blade running and slowly, gently, lower the blade down to cut its way into the wood to any depth down to the maximum the blade will give you. Two to three inches is really enough. This gives you one diameter of the dish bowl. Now place the sawblade perpendicular to the first cut and centered upon it, and do it again.

And so forth until you've got enough sawn out you can chip the rest, and smooth the dish by whatever means best suits. Sanding discs tend to reveal harder spots in the wood by leaving a bulge in the surface of the bowl, but these aren't usually much of a problem in forming material in the bowl.

Take it very gently, not letting the saw grab the wood; this is a power tool you're using and in a rather risky way.

Another useful shape is a long, V section groove to bend stuff straight or conical with.
"The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone..."
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PenguinMail
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Post by PenguinMail »

The link for http://home.tiscali.be/klauwaer/malien/engels.html is broken just to let ya know.
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Tatsuyama Hideyoshi
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Post by Tatsuyama Hideyoshi »

ok..so i spent 5-6 years as a cutter foreman/fabricator in a steel shop.... So i have preety much seen it all. Here is a few safety tips for your lil shops....

1) SAFETY GLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do NOT try n be superman here folks. I went the doctor/hospital emergency room SIX time to have steel removed from my eyes during my time there. The last 5 times i was wearing so called "Safety Glasses". The bits of steel can bounce, i have seen this happen many times, off your skin into the ionside of your safety glasses and then into your eyes and still have enough velocity to penetrate. NO FUN here....hurts like hell. I recommend the kind of glasses that make contact ALL the way around your eyes and have the strap that goes around the back of your head.

2) Horseplay hurts. Ever seen a compressed canioster of oxygen or argon full get its top knocked off? It has enough pressure to hurdle said canister THRU a solid concrete wall and 300 yards down the way thru the air... Needless to say it is enough pressure to send same said canister THRU yours, or a friends chest easily. Got some air hoses in ur shop? My told of us him watching a guy up a ladder do some work. a shop worker thought it would funny to sneak up behind him and blast his crotch with a blast of air from the air hose. He blew the crotch of the guys levis out along with his man-sack and the 2 jewels they held. True story. Horseplay hurts.

3) Welding. If others are in or near your welding area please be polite and announce your welds before you pull the trigger. Welders burn on ur eyes is also very painful and WILL cause you to miss a day of work/play. I have experienced this many times from just walking around a shop that had 15 guys welding.

These are just a couple of my pet peaves and things many others overlook. Hope it helps some.

Yoshi
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Post by Avadon »

A long time ago... in a galaxy far, far away I had a pretty good amount of info for newbies in general metalworking but much of it got lost in the great harddrive crash of 08 hehe.. But never fear, the secrets of the deep were regained and I found them somewhere in another blog.


*Inspiration + Perspiration = Success

Follow that with armouring and you'll always land ontop. All good ideas start with an idea, an inspiring thirst to bring something imaginitive into fruition. Amour ideas can be found literally anywhere these days. From movies ("Chronicles of Riddeck" to "300") to online gaming (EQ3, WOW), comics, fashion/jewelry design, elements of nature, technological advancements, to recreating historical armour. Inspiring ideas are everywhere. Having a good imagination is just as important, if not more important then the skill itself. Skills can be learned, but it's difficult to create a passion and imagination.

*Ask questions.
*Make it personal (Personal flare makes the difference)
**Be safe
***Pace yourself (Start small, work up to big)
****Have Fun

*My personal choice is to make templates out of poster paper or card stock. For articulated joints I use brass brads. If it doesnt look right, move right, or feel right out of paper it's certainly not going to out of metal. This goes hand in hand with the <b>philosophy of measure twice cut once.</b>

*Work with more malleable metals to begin with i.e. (thin) copper, brass and work your way up to the hard stuff. Copper is butter soft when annealed and just playing around with small scraps and a ball pein hammer will help you understand dishing and raising. Practicing a lot on scrap will save you lots of money and aggrivation.

Understand some basics and learn some metal working fundamentals:
<font FACE="Georgia" COLOR="GREEN" SIZE="2">
<b>*Annealing & Quenching
*Drilling (Right speed for right metal + understanding lubricants)
*Drill bit sharpening (both by hand and Drill Dr.)
*How to Tap&Dye, set Rivets and identify fasteners (i.e types of screws, pitches, SAE + Metric)
*How to use punches, sets, etc.
*How to read calipers, drilling and tapping charts
*How to weld, solder, braze, operate a Gas Torch, Operate a T.I.G. or M.I.G a huge plus
*Learn as much as you can about abrasives, sanding, buffing and polishing (this can not be overstated)
*Learn the basics of metal forming, rolling, planishing.
*Having a little wood working experience also can help when making forms, jigs, slappers and similar items. After 2 decades of fabrication of all kinds of things I can tell you a table saw is invaluable to any project especailly to the smithey/metalworker/craftsman as most projects require jigs, framing, support, etc. A table saw is a great tool!
</font></b>

Having even a rudementary understanding of these concepts will save you lots of time and frustration. If in doubt on something just ask. If your broke like most the rest of us start with the tools you have, THEN work your way up. If you've got money, buy only the basics and save the rest till you know what tools you really will need. By the time you can afford or are ready for the expensive tools you will know what they do, why you need them, and perhaps even already know how to use them and you will appreciate what they do.

My first bench grinder was $12.00 and the wheels didn't even turn very straight but it was all I had and I used the hell out of it. Garage sales, swap meets, estate sales etc. are a great place for tools. Harbor freight can even be good for some cheap and expendable tools. Collect the basic tools first, then let your necessities drive what tools beyond that which you will need. Don't be afraid to make your own tools, forms, jigs, stakes, work hoders and speciality tools. It not only saves money but will allow your work to be even easier as your tooling is custom to your processes your working on. Trust me when I say you will learn to be an excellent scavenger in no time. :wink:

Armouring, like bladesmithing is quite the lost art. Most likely even to a far more degree then the guys who restore aircraft, hot rods, or handguns. It's very rare to stumble upon these people i've found. You'll probably get an equal amount of scoffers as well as people who are so intrigued by what your doing that they will help or give you discounts. So never let anyone get you down.

I've found that an interest and eye for fashion, clothing, textiles, and research of art and historical accuracy are really helpful no matter what kind of armour your making. Even if you suck at drawing, practice sketching. The more you draw the better you get. Everything with armour starts with paper. Keep plenty of different scale graph paper, tracing paper and sketch pads around. Having a compass, straight edge, etc and an area you can draw, trace, or sketch is really nice. Research on the internet is also great for getting ideas. "Google images" is terrific!

SAFETY FIRST (These things are worth drilling into your head)

ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES in a shop environment.
I know it's a hassle and they can be annoying but eye injury is the most common thing we see in metalworking, the most expensive and the hardest to recover from.

Wear a FACE SHIELD + Safety Glasses/Goggles When Grinding
You would be surprised at how many eye injuries occur even when people are wearing goggles and safety glasses or eye glasses. Glasses will not offer full protection to the eye when grinding and using abrasives (such as an angle grinder). A small metal sliver in your eye costs 500$+ (at minimum). The only time i've had metal stuck in my eye (guess what) was when I was wearing safety glasses. It cost me 750$ to have it removed at the Emergency Room. Imagine what other toys I could have done with that money! So have a good face shield and USE IT! Uvex makes great face shields and they are very light and have a huge window.

EYE CARE *When you get something in your eye (and you will), do not rub at it. Go to the bathroom and flush with Saline solution. *Note having a bottle of saline solution(or eye wash) is excellent to have on hand in metalworker/woodworking trades as it's easy to get dust, debris, and particulate in your eyes. To flush the eye, pull down your lower lid with your opposing hand and add several droplets into the bottom of your eyelid until your eye drips/tears. You can then open your eye and check for any foreign bodies. If you can feel something in your eye do not rub at it, keep looking for it, and if you cannot find it and it still bothers you go and have it looked at. Your eyes are as important as your hands so always protect them. This might seem obvious to some, but if your going to blow something off (dust, woodchips, etc), always close your eyes when you do unless you want it all in your eyes.

IF IN DOUBT ASK!
In 20 years of building things I can tell you that this is the most important tennet to adhere to. If you have even the slightest doubt about the safety of something, hop on the internet and ask someone or call a company/friend and ask them. Something that might seem safe might actually be extremely dangerous because of a lack of knowledge on your part. A question costs nothing and it could save your life.

Compressed Gasses
There are tons of general safety tips on google, but I just wanted to bring this one up. Always keep your cylinders chained up and perodically check for leaks. A small acetylene leak is not only toxic but can ignite a regulator with a simple spark from an angle grinder. I've had it happen. Always transport your Acetylene and Oxygen upright in a car or truck with adequate ventilation. NEVER EVER lay compressed gasses on their side, nor store in trunks, nor transport without their safety caps. Keep flamable liquids and aerosals away from your gasses, preferably in a metal locker. Do not store gasoline or other highly flamable items near your gasses and ALWAYS HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER in IMMEDIATE ACCESSIBILITY!
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Avadon
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Post by Avadon »

Whether your novice or expert having access to the right tools is essential. There are lots of blacksmithing shops for specialty tools, but I thought it would be good to start with a set of links for basic metalworking tools. If it's not in these catalogs you'll probably find it in specific smithing sources. I usually start in these catalogs just because they're cheaper then going to a speciality shop. If your new to metalworking it's best to take about 30 mins of your day and get the catalogs from these companies. Having these resources on your bookshelf is as helpful as having a computer plugged into the internet.

<a href="http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm">MSC Industrial supply co.</a>
Order the Big Book. It's about 4" thick and has just about every tool mankind has ever dreamt of. *Update MSC and J&L have now merged but I believe their sites are still seperate.

<a href="http://www.jlindustrial.com/cgi/jisrhm">J&L Industrial</a>
a one stop shop supplier of virtually all things for metalworking. Great source for drilling, milling, precision tools, dies, etc.

<a href="http://kbctools.com">KBC Tools</A>
Another great tool and machinery supplier. They are about par with J&L in what they carry.

<a href="http://www.grizzlyindustrial.com/">Grizzly Tool</A>
Grizzly has top of the line Industrial machinery for woodworking and metalworker. Easily on par in my experience with Jet. They ship fast and are a reliable company and they stand behind their tools.

<a href="http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/st ... rainger</A>
One of the worlds biggest suppliers of all things building related

<a href="http://www.mcmaster.com/">McMaster-Carr</A>
This is where to get a lot of those hard to find supplies, piping, fixtures, tools, Machinery, Equipment, Supplies, you name it!

<a href="http://www.palmabrasive.com/index.htm">PALM Abrasive</A>
My absolute favorite company for all things absasive, sanding, polishing, etc. This is an excellent company, great customer service, born in the 60's in famous Portland, Oregon.

<a href="http://www.aircraftspruce.com/">Aircraft Spruce
</A>
World recognized as a great source for metalworking products, rivets, and especially tools for working sheet metal.


<b>Here are also some misc links that I also use...</b>

<a href="http://www.chromalox.com/">Chromalox</a>
A supplier of all things heat related, controllers, boilers, band heaters, melting pots, radiant heaters, strip heaters, Hot plates, etc. </a>

<a href="http://www.newark.com/">Newark Electronics.</A>
A little out of the metal working genre but this a great supplier and i've needed them in the past for setting up electrical projects of all kinds. They have virtually everything electrical, computer, wire, cable, etc. related. Huge catalog too. Good resource.</a>

I'm working on getting my favourites winzipped so I can share them as I have a fairly good supply of links that I think any newbie would covet.
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Halberds
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Post by Halberds »

I would like to toss a couple on the pile:

http://www.yardstore.com/

http://www.eastwoodco.com/

Hal
Happy Metal Pounding
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Tailoress
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Post by Tailoress »

The section on fabric needs fleshing out.

http://hempbasics.com/ -- Great selection and colors for hemp fabric, but not the cheapest.

http://www.hemptraders.com/ -- They sell degummed hemp fiber, which is all ready for use as padding, in helm liners, for instance.

http://www.nearseanaturals.com/index.php -- Good source for lots of natural-fiber stuff, but especially their Batting page:

http://www.nearseanaturals.com/browse.php?category=42

-Tasha
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don
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some points in no particular order

Post by don »

- Read the rules/laws of your respective group
- Do as much research as you can on your prospective persona
- Use an Internet Search Engine such as Google or Dogpile
- Use the search function on this site to sort through some of the info
- Read some of the essays in the respective section on this site
- If you are planning on using butted maile, check out The RingLord site as he has shirt and coif calculators to assist with a project (weight, # of rings, sq. ft.)
- Stock up on poster board/cereal boxes
- Show mock-ups to your respective marshall/master/etc.
- Get someone whom you feel comfortable with to take a variety of measurements both unpadded and padded basicly from point to point and any major circumferences (ie. point of shoulder to point of elbow & head, chest, waist, etc)
- Ensure you have all the safety equipment prior to starting
- When/while creating your project, think from the body outwards (Body // Padding // Protection // Appearance) unless your thinking of hidden armour

Thats it so far
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hiall
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Post by hiall »

i have an old hot water heater is the water tank (not the out side sheet metal) good for makeing armor? i dont have much mony so the cheeper the better
i have $100 to work with
the plans are all drawn up (im useing a ww2 german helmet that i got for 2 bucks at a garage sale as my helmet) iv got a forge i built and an anvill thats a chunk of rail i fliped upside down

im very good at building tools or useing something that isnt ment for what i use it for (rideing mower as a paintball tank)

i have a bicikle that tops out at 60mph =) once you start the moter hold on because there is no cluch or brakes
just an old snowblower moter i bolted on my bike =) works grate on the high way and with a high an low gear i can go just about any where

i tested this out in montana on a long strate road with a car beside me to get the speed im puting a new gear on it so i can go 70mph (it is legal in montana to run around with i checked)

i cant delet this =( so im not dubble posting sorry about the dubble post thing my bad
Last edited by hiall on Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
some one fined my brain
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ww3sabiture
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Post by ww3sabiture »

hey this is hiall i made this account because i use this user name all the time
here is a link to my pics
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 1595713354

i plan on useing the water tank off a hot water heater will it work for my dasings/plans?
Go tell the Spartans, passer-by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
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freiman the minstrel
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Please direct the flak to me

Post by freiman the minstrel »

Guys,

I have an unusual "I wanna be" thread.

I don't know how to express this without being offensive.

I want to find a decent, fun, and non-stupid persona that a black guy can portray at Pennsic. I know some black folks who come to Pennsic and they have expressed to me that they feel like (I am quoting here) "The only chocolate cone in the vanilla factory". Some of them camp with me, off and on.

I don't want to come up with a generic Arabic or Saracen personna. I want to be more specific than that.

I want to come up with two good personas that a person with darker skin can portray and actually look like the person he is attempting to portray. Better yet, I would like to come up with several, so that I have a choice to offer when dealing with newbies.

I want to present them with at least two options.

First, the easy one, is to come up with a persona that a person could use at war. A soldier that could very easily be seen on the field in the SCA's period, who had origins in a country or culture where darker skin is not out of the ordinary.

The second is more difficult. I want to find a way that a guy can portray a person of darker skin that would be accepted on the field during the time that might be called "The Great Age of the Tournament." I want an option to present somebody who really wants to portray a "Knight in Shining Armor" who would naturally be found on the tourney field in Europe, competing for renown. I am offering bonus points if the persona could easily have been at The Battle of the Thirty.

Yes, I know that we have a lot of black guys who portray Vikings, or Mongols, or Templars.

I want something for the people who want to be the guy in the mirror, and given the rules of the SCA, that is a little difficult.

We need more folks.

f
Act Your Rage
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don
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Post by don »

To Freiman,
One thing everyone has to remember is the "C" stands for "CREATIVE".
- Vikings using heaters,
- White people w/ Mongol or North African personas
- Plastic armour
- Norse using Gers/yurts
I'm sure theres a lot more to add to this list; however if one wishes to stay with a "color" persona then that is THEIR choice, if someone is putting an African in an African persona that seems more like racisim.

I'm in the SCA for personal enjoyment and don't give a rats ass if I see a woman swinging a greatsword or a man with a 12th centry northern European persona bellydancing, its CREATIVE and ENTERTAINING

I'll get off the soap box now
Don
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freiman the minstrel
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Post by freiman the minstrel »

don wrote:To Freiman,
One thing everyone has to remember is the "C" stands for "CREATIVE".
- Vikings using heaters,
- White people w/ Mongol or North African personas
- Plastic armour
- Norse using Gers/yurts
I'm sure theres a lot more to add to this list; however if one wishes to stay with a "color" persona then that is THEIR choice, if someone is putting an African in an African persona that seems more like racisim.

I'm in the SCA for personal enjoyment and don't give a rats ass if I see a woman swinging a greatsword or a man with a 12th centry northern European persona bellydancing, its CREATIVE and ENTERTAINING

I'll get off the soap box now
Don
Don, you are, of course, correct. I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I know that we have a lot of black guys who portray Vikings, or Mongols, or Templars. That is not a problem for me. those folks don't need a helping hand to live their Dream. Just hit them with a stick, and hand them a beer afterwards, and they are happy.

But I want to make the effort to do the homework to be welcoming. We need ALL our new folks.

And I think that folks on the archive will be more than willing to help me put together a few accurate impression templates that will "fit", if you know what I mean. Part of the reason that I started playing was that I was of Scottish and German antecedence, and I had a chance to portray such a man. I am betting that the same is true for African Americans.

It wont hurt me in the least to learn something new. I am also thinking that some archivers will enjoy the slight mental/scholarly workout. There was trade across the Mediterranean in "our period". Where there is trade, there is money. Where there is money, there are armed men. It is not a great leap.

Some folks will have an issue with me doing this, or worse yet, asking other people to help me with it. If so, I am here and ready to listen, and respond privately (no public discussions). I just want to have this in my bag of tricks.

I want to be able to say "Yeah, I understand. I know how this can work. You CAN play with us."

f
Act Your Rage
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Angusm0628
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Re: Please direct the flak to me

Post by Angusm0628 »

freiman the minstrel wrote: I don't want to come up with a generic Arabic or Saracen personna. I want to be more specific than that.

I want something for the people who want to be the guy in the mirror, and given the rules of the SCA, that is a little difficult.

f
Frieman
I just went thru this thread and saw your request. Why not a Moor living in Spain after the Expulsion ?
Think about it a second. First off it would be different than the typical Saracen. It would allow some room regarding Garb and armour. And it would be plausible.
Angus MacClerie
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don
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Helm info

Post by don »

Anybody have some info/history of various styles of helms?

For an example, a conical helm can be morphed into a centerpoint bascinet or a turban helm. A round top can be morphed into a kettle or a salade or a burgonet or an asian helm.

I ask this as if a beginner has some difficulty deciding(hell, even someone who is changing to a new persona), how are they supposed to know which type of helm would suit their needs over "X" amount of time?

Don
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