Contructing multi lame gauntlets.

[Benedek]

So due too an injury on my index finger I don't feel comfortable fighting without grounding gauntlets, so I'm going to try my hand at making some grounding hand protection.

I've currently got a set of modified Armstreet gaunts.

http://armstreet.com/store/armor/armor- ... eenactment

The large metacarpal plate and cuff are great, I will be using these as a base and and just replacing the lames. The current lames don't ground and have taken a pounding over the last 4 years. The armstreet gaunts have given me more than my monies worth since I purchased them.

My question is, do I dish the lames before bending the ends down and riveting them, or do I bend the "tabs" of each lame before dishing and rivet them together?

Here's the pattern I've been working up.



How would you go about it?

Thanks

[schreiber]

Dish first, then bend the sides. This is mostly a practical concern. It's not going to be really possible to swing a hammer up to the edge of where the sides bend down. Dish it first and you don't have to worry about hammer clearance.

Also if you're not concerned with authenticity, I believe it's a better idea to have the lames overlap toward the hand as opposed to toward the fingers as you seem to have it now. If it overlaps toward the hand, anything that hits it is going to (ideally) transfer force to the lame behind it, back to the metacarpal.

If you have the overlaps going toward the fingers, the first thing is that the lame edges can rock backwards into the fingers (this can't happen if it overlaps back), and if it transfers any force to another lame, it's transferring toward the fingers, which I think is a worse idea.

[Benedek]

Thanks for the reply, I had figured dishing first was the way to go.

As far as the overlap goes, I had originally thought about overlapping them towards the metacarpal, but with my mock up, and in my minds eye, I can't see how I would be able to get as much articulation that way without gaping.

In my head (sometimes a dangerous place) these will almost fully enclose around the hilt of the sword. Much like the picture in the armstreet photo, I don't see being able to use that construction and have the gauntlets ground out, that many lames wouldn't be able to overlap and would be too bulky.

I'll try and mock one up and see how it goes.

[Pitbull Armory]

Hi there, Schreiber said it good I think. The articulation will work better if you make it go towards the metacarpal and gap alot less. Each lame only has to move a little and the dishing will help the plates not gap and look alot better, not to mention make them twice as strong. If you do get any gaps just extend the back of the lame a little more.

Take care

Pb

[wcallen]

You are aiming for something that works like one of these:

http://www.allenantiques.com/movies/Gau ... vement.mp4
http://www.allenantiques.com/movies/Rus ... vement.mp4
Normally they overlap the way you have them. In theory you could do it either way, but there will likely be a little bit of taper unless you work terribly hard to avoid it, so you might as well take advantage of it.

The dish should work like these - have the correct curvature to form an even curve as it closes around your weapon.

One of these has cute flutes, the other doesn't, but the basic principle is the same for the movement of the pieces.

Wade

[Benedek]

Thanks Wade, that does explain a lot. Mine won't have quite that many lames, but it appears the premise will still work.

I've worked up a second pattern, basically the same as the one shown, but have overlapped them towards the metacarpal plate. Maybe it's my biased (in my minds eye images), but even my patterns seem to articulate better when they overlap towards the fingertips.

I just may have enough materials to try one of each and see how it works. I'm only retrofitting the lames to the current gauntlet parts.

Thanks folks, I'll have to try and get into the shop later this week and see what I can work out.