The Armour Archive

I'm posting this to show how I made a stand from PVC pipe. (It came up in another thread and I didn't want to de-rail that one.) The instructions for this are simple. Use the measurements between your joints for the elbows/joints on the stand. Pre-drill the holes for the feet and don't over tighten the screws when attaching to the base. The base can be anything from a hand-made box to a decent pallet (the pallet can be camouflaged as shown in the following pics). I used PVC glue for all joints except the shoulders and elbows. This allows you to pose them. Hope this helps someone along.....

Continued....

More....

Sorry, multiple post.

Sorry, multiple posts.

Sorry for the multiple posts. Back to the show...

Coming together....

Here's the final lap....

not bad man.... I might have to try that when I finally get my suit done...

nice, what dia is the pvc?

I used 2" with a 2" to 4" adapter to help the helmet sit right. The whole thing was pretty cheap from Lowes but I can't remember how much.

That is really quite cleaver. PVC is inexpensive and simple to work. I have two more mannequins left. When I run out of them I may try that method out. I will certainly pass the info on to some friends who will like this.

That's really cool! thanks for sharing!

Hey Excelent design and idea thank you for sharing.

Take care

The Pitbull

Thanks! When I did it I wasn't the most pleased. The stand works great, but I would have preferred something that looked more "period". It doesn't really matter when I have the armour hanging on it though.

is there a way that one could do this without gluing ALL of the joints together, I mean so that some of them could be detached and re-attached as needed? If so it would also be portable, take it apart and reassemble on site.

is there a way that one could do this without gluing ALL of the joints together, I mean so that some of them could be detached and re-attached as needed? If so it would also be portable, take it apart and reassemble on site.

Indeed there is good sir..
I myself managed it using rubber seal push-fit T-pieces and Bends.

I glued everything except the arms (shoulder & elbow). I wasn't thinking I'd ever take it down. I didn't glue them to make it easier to attach the armour through the joints. It's still very solid. The shield (shown hanging on the left arm) was made before I had a clue what I was doing - I glued 3 sheets of 3/8" in a form. It's strong as can be, but heavy as hell! It doesn't phase the stand at all.

I need to make a couple stands, and have been looking for a cheaper way to do it. This is an excellent solution! My PVC working skills are far better than my woodworking skills. Perfect!

Also, that harness is excellent. Congrats!