Might there be an 'easy' solution to this cullet problem?

[Aussie Yeoman]

I have a problem with my cullet. Instead of being a flexible protection for my buttocks, is is in fact a flexible veranda for my hamstrings.



I was thinking of perhaps doing the following:

- Disassemble the cullet
- Drill new holes about 1/2" further toward the medial line on the lower edge of each lame
- Re-rivet through the old holes in the top of each lame and the new holes in the bottom of each lame

I was thinking that by doing this, I might get each lame to rotate a little further downwards and get closer to my butt.

On the other hand, my other thought was just to remove it and go cullet free. It's only my first effort, and don't get attacked there anyway.

If anyone could point out the errors of my way with regards to the rest of the backplate, I'd be most happy to incorporate advice into my next one. I already know the cullet's first lame should in fact be the flared lower edge of the backplate; that the silhouette is wrong.

I'm more after subtleties of shape and form of the plate surface...though it might be hard to tell from these pictures:









Although for people like Mac who can spot a simply curved plate at 10ft viewed on the screen of a smartphone, it might be to much to bear to look at!

[coreythompsonhm]

Lets see if I can make this post make sense and helpful for you...

It appears that the lame at the top has a decent shape to it, not too "flaired" out at the bottom. However, the next lame down looks like it started out as too much a u shaped pattern, causing the bottom edge of the lame to stick out farther than necessary. The bottom two lames appear to have this issue as well, but to a less severe degree.

So, if this were me, i would leave the top lame on, mock up the other lames in poster board until it looks right. Then cut the new patterns and remake the lames.

If I was to save these and re work them, I would start shrinking the bottom edge of the lames and stretching the top edge to "relax" the angle of the lames to the body.

Personally, I get frustrated with trying to tweak things like this myself. If I was doing this, it would be faster to cut a newly patterned set of lames, shape, and flute them rather than hours of cussing at it. Plus, I see it as pattern refinement so I dont run into the same problem in the future.

I hope this made sense??

[Mac]

I'm afraid that the short answer is "well..not really".

The thing that would make the greatest overall change for the better with the least work would be to change the angle at which the backplate interacts with your back. If you made the upper back come in more above you shoulder blades, that would make the lower back angle in more toward your waist. This would bring the cullet in a bit and reduce the "duck butt" somewhat. This procedure would involve dismounting the "V" plate from the neck to allow the upper back to be reshaped. The old plate may or may not be reusable.

Mac

[Aussie Yeoman]

Corey,

your post makes sense. When I originally made the patterns, I made each one out of tape and cardboard, then out of steel, then made the next one. I guess that when I sought the 'shapely, not-an-apron' look, I went too far.

Mac,

I think I understand what you're saying. So I take out the V plate. I think (and this is where I show my wrongness) that if I draw an imaginary horizontal line at the level of the bottom of the V in the backplate, and shape the 'ears' of the backplate from there up, then that would achieve what you're suggesting?

I think that considering what needs to happen with this backplate, and how many other things are incorrect...I will just remove the cullet and try and do all of it better next time. I know there's probably a valuable learning opportunity in fixing this one, but for how long does one try and teach Rocinante a collected trot?

Next time I'll try and have a torso cast to model the backplate on.

[Konstantin the Red]

Culet: armour piece. Cullet: recycled busted glass going into the next melt to make more glass. Collet: goes in a Bridgeport mill. Collect... the priest says it during the service.

I figured he couldn't be having trouble with his finely broken glass...

[Aussie Yeoman]

You'd be surprised at the number of things I can have trouble with.

Thanks for being my green/red squiggly line

[RandallMoffett]

Man you and me both AY!

RPM

[Mac]

Mac,

I think I understand what you're saying. So I take out the V plate. I think (and this is where I show my wrongness) that if I draw an imaginary horizontal line at the level of the bottom of the V in the backplate, and shape the 'ears' of the backplate from there up, then that would achieve what you're suggesting?

Sort of. What you want to do is create more shoulder blade room by curving the upper back in slightly. This should make the profile of the backplate less vertical. I'm not convinced that you will get mush out of it, but you will get some.

I think that considering what needs to happen with this backplate, and how many other things are incorrect...I will just remove the cullet and try and do all of it better next time. I know there's probably a valuable learning opportunity in fixing this one, but for how long does one try and teach Rocinante a collected trot?

If you have the technology to weld a new flange onto the lower back, you might be able to reuse the cullet at a different angle. The flange would have to be longer in the back than it currently is.

In any case, it is time to go back to your full sized drawings.

Next time I'll try and have a torso cast to model the backplate on.

A good torso would certainly make this easier.

Mac

[Aussie Yeoman]

Do you mean the dished part over the shoulder blades needs to be deeper, as well as the ears being more forward than they currently are? If so, it would pose a pretty stiff challenge around the flutes.

I don't know about the welding...it's only 1 mm thick, and I'm not very proficient at all with a stick welder at the best of times. But, I could cut the flange off (it's only about 12 mm wide), re-profile the bottom edge to be more accurate, then cut a new plate to simulate the flange which then gets flush-riveted in, underlapping the backplate.

The rivets would look inaccurate, but the overall form would be improved.

I will indeed do more full-scale sketches from now on. I even bought a roll of wide paper to allow me to do such sketches. When I did this backplate I did zero sketches, and sort of made it up as I went along. Won't make that mistake again.

I feel that sketching things like greaves, helmets, and vambraces can be very beneficial in terms of visualising the piece and having a reference when working in steel making the part for real. However for me, the backplate is extraordinarily difficult to translate into 2D owing to the very subtle shape distributed over such a wide surface area. Breastplates are much easier as they're nearly completely convex.

This is perhaps more suitable for the 'where's the shape?' thread. But it fits here too. So, if I did manage to get a torso cast, and I'm able to draw reasonably proficiently and get to the sheet steel stage...what should I try to keep in mind when making a breastplate?

[Konstantin the Red]

Man you and me both AY!

RPM

I'm not convinced that you will get mush out of it . . .

Me either, boiled cornmeal w/molasses and steel being such different substances. Tasty in its way, though...

______________

KtR The Caterpillarish Line

[Mac]

Do you mean the dished part over the shoulder blades needs to be deeper, as well as the ears being more forward than they currently are? If so, it would pose a pretty stiff challenge around the flutes.

That is what I mean, but it might be too much trouble for the amount of good it would do.

I don't know about the welding...it's only 1 mm thick, and I'm not very proficient at all with a stick welder at the best of times. But, I could cut the flange off (it's only about 12 mm wide), re-profile the bottom edge to be more accurate, then cut a new plate to simulate the flange which then gets flush-riveted in, underlapping the backplate.

Flush-riveting on a new flange might really be the most effective thing to do. While you had the flange off, you could reshape the cross section a bit and try to get better contact with your back at the waist. The way it is, it looks like you have quite a bit of room there.

The rivets would look inaccurate, but the overall form would be improved.

I would not loose any sleep over the rivets.

I will indeed do more full-scale sketches from now on. I even bought a roll of wide paper to allow me to do such sketches. When I did this backplate I did zero sketches, and sort of made it up as I went along. Won't make that mistake again.

I feel that sketching things like greaves, helmets, and vambraces can be very beneficial in terms of visualising the piece and having a reference when working in steel making the part for real. However for me, the backplate is extraordinarily difficult to translate into 2D owing to the very subtle shape distributed over such a wide surface area. Breastplates are much easier as they're nearly completely convex.

This is perhaps more suitable for the 'where's the shape?' thread. But it fits here too. So, if I did manage to get a torso cast, and I'm able to draw reasonably proficiently and get to the sheet steel stage...what should I try to keep in mind when making a breastplate?

By the time you sketch up the new back, you will see what has to be done on the new breast.

Mac