what can I do with 1mm mild?

Aussie Yeoman · Post by **Aussie Yeoman** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:24 pm

I was thinking I would be able to easily do backplates as I don't really get hit there, and it would have laminations which would bring up the 'average' thickness, greaves and sabatons.

What other parts of a gothic cuirass could be made from 1mm mild steel? I have acres of it, but my 1.6 mild and stainless is tightly rationed. I was hoping that by clever overlapping and slight dishing, the fauld would be possible with 1mm.

Bear in mind I do WMA, not SCA, so being whapped with a rattan stick is not what it's for.

Cheers,

Dave

Uryen · Post by **Uryen** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:12 am

Pulled blows?
Generally metal weapons fighting in my experience is more precise and controlled. So you can use it for a lot of things. I know some armour of proof was made in layers so as to absorb the impact of a ball. Bear in mind the off-the-shelf steel quality in this part of the world is pretty ordinary at best.
I didn't know any groups here did such a late period. Cool.

matthijs · Post by **matthijs** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:42 am

Generally, 1mm can be used for smaller plates, especially those with significant overlap. Think lames for knee articulation, spaulder lames, pretty much all the bits of those nifty gothic finger gauntlets and, as you said, the fauld. A brigandine can be made out of 1mm as well.

I wouldn't combine stainless and mild in one piece. Unless you keep everything in a perfect mirror finish, the mild steel pieces will change colour a bit and stand out.

Aussie Yeoman · Post by **Aussie Yeoman** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:55 pm

One more thing I forgot to add:

Because I won't really be getting hit there do to the nature of the fighting, how about the cuise?

I'd like to keep all the steel in the suit the same, but my bit of stainless is the only bit I have big enough for the breatplate. :cry:

Dave

schreiber · Post by **schreiber** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:51 pm

You could use it for patterning. I have some rusty 1.3mm that I use for testing patterns & such. 1mm is getting a bit thin so the metal isn't going to behave like 1.6, it'll wrinkle a lot easier and may even require different tools and techniques.

The other option is to find out what you can make that isn't necessarily armor, make lots of it and sell it, and then buy 1.6mm. Or find a custom auto body guy who has acres of 1.6mm and is wondering what he's going to do with steel that's so thick, and trade him.

Konstantin the Red · Post by **Konstantin the Red** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:42 pm

Compound curvatures, fluting, creasing, and edge rolls all bring up dent resistance and strength of the piece.

Down low on the legs -- it's a hikers' saying that a half kilo on the feet is like five on the back (for Imperialists, one pound, and ten) -- the weight savings can be very useful. Try using this for greaves and sollerets. Rerebraces too, again because pushing lots of mass around at the very ends of the limbs becomes slow and unfightable.