My first gorget (pics)

Lord Vanguard · Post by **Lord Vanguard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:42 am

This is my first gorget. It is made out of 16g aluminium (again!) and is inspired by this one made by clang . It is held closed with a spring pin and a stotted keyhole, but I was too stupid to take pics when it was open :oops:

. Overall I am very happy with how it turned out, but it is a bit stiffer than I had expected. It is a bit restrictive but I guess every gorget is, to a certain degree. It took approximately 13-15 hours to make this. Give me your comments, good or bad, and constructive criticism is always welcome. I may submit it for armour of the month, if I think it is worth it.

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/vanguard/15th%20Century%20Kit/Gorget%2002.JPG[/img]
[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/vanguard/15th%20Century%20Kit/Gorget%2003.JPG[/img]
[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/vanguard/15th%20Century%20Kit/Gorget%2004.JPG[/img]

More pics here: http://home.armourarchive.org/members/v ... ury%20Kit/

Rhoetus · Post by **Rhoetus** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:11 am

It looks pretty good. And don't worry about the stiffness, the leather will loosen up over time.

As for criticism, I find it hard as I don't know what type of harness you will wear with it....
If it is meant to hold armor, then I would suggest slightly wider shoulders, and slightly shorter back and front.... if it is for chain then I think its fine.

Maelgwyn · Post by **Maelgwyn** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:56 pm

I can see that you have used leather strap articulation between the upper and lower neck rings. This is good. It looks as though the connection between the front and back plates and the lower neck ring may be metal riveted to metal. This would be...stiff. My impression from looking at 16th century gorgets is that leather strap articulation should be used here as well. I believe I have seen some examples with slots and sliding rivets but only for concentric rings like your two neck rings.

DAVID01 · Post by **DAVID01** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:59 pm

GOOD GOD! Get this abomination out of your armoury befor it taints everything you have. I will send you my address and you may send it to me, I shall hide it for you in my house no matter how painfull it may be for myself. I am just that kind :lol:

HEY no kidding,go for armour of the month :wink:

It looks great! Wish it were mine.

Thomas H · Post by **Thomas H** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:07 pm

mmmmm, cake :-)

That is NICE. That roll turned out great.

Lord Vanguard · Post by **Lord Vanguard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:22 pm

It looks as though the connection between the front and back plates and the lower neck ring may be metal riveted to metal.

Yes, the front and back lower neck plates are riveted solid to the mantle, as you can see here: http://home.armourarchive.org/members/v ... t%2006.JPG
I chose not to articulate these plates because I didn't want the gorget to bend toward my neck when I get hit. I may be a bit paranoid concerning injuries, but at 5' 10" and 130 lbs, I'm far from being a big guy and there's not a lot of meat over my neck bones to absorb hits, so I chose to follow the route of safety.

There is a loose rivet holding the 2 piece of the mantle together and allowing the gorget to be opened on one side (you can also see this rivet in the pic).

As for criticism, I find it hard as I don't know what type of harness you will wear with it....

Ok guys, be prepared because this is gonna hurt... I am going to wear it with my mid 15th cent. kit. I know, it is sin, I am supposed to wear a maille collar, but I needed better neck protection for fighting. I could have made a collar-style gorget covered in maille, but I was afraid of the gorget being smacked into my neck (see above). So, this gorget appeared to be a good solution. I wear it under my breast and back plates, so the mantle is hidden, and the rest of the gorget is not too visible because of my barbute, reaching almost my shoulders. Soon I will make an armet and it will have a maille collar hanging from it, completely covering the gorget. So, will you pardon me for not being a good boy :cry:

.

Thanks for your comments so far, keep 'em coming!

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:39 pm

I gotta say, thats beautifull, i'd say go for armourer of the month.

as soon as i'm finished my gambeson(SO MUCH QUILTING) i'll be starting on a gorget sorta like that myself.
it's nice to see all the different angles and whatnot. gives me a better idea of what i'm in for.

so ya, all in all, 2 thumbs up.

as an aside, how tricky were those gauntlets to make, i've been a big fan of that stile for sometime, but i've never atempted to make set.

Padrig · Post by **Padrig** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:49 pm

Maybe not armour of the month material. But just because of the finishing. Thecnically sp? excellent!

Pad

Lord Vanguard · Post by **Lord Vanguard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:35 pm

as an aside, how tricky were those gauntlets to make, i've been a big fan of that stile for sometime, but i've never atempted to make set.

They're not that bad to make. It's not really difficult work, its just a lot of adjustment, trying, readjustment, retrying that gets on your nerves. The only two tricky steps are making the articulation on the finger lames (obviously) and getting the cuff to fit the metacarpal. Other than that, it's basic metalworking. It took me about 25 hours to finish the metal part of the gauntlets. It took me another 15 hours to modify work gloves and sew the cuff lining and then fit everything together.

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Nice gorget...Thanks for sharing.

Have you ever tried the scotch bright pad and oil for finishing?
It leaves a very nice satin finish that hides all the sanding scratches.

Hal

Lord Vanguard · Post by **Lord Vanguard** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:20 pm

Have you ever tried the scotch bright pad and oil for finishing?

In fact, I do use scotch bright pads, just without oil. I first do the rough sanding, then I use a wire brush and finally a scotch bright. Maybe I don't have the right pads? I think they come in 3 different grits and I have the green ones. Would the oil method work even if it is aluminium?

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:01 pm

I like the brown coarse ones. The oil (sewing machine or 3-in-one) help to smooth it out. They don't last long, they dull quickly. Keep a fresh one going and it will really bring a soft luster to the metal.

This works very aggressive on aluminum, perhaps the red or green would be better.

I have found that a wire brush wheel is really hard on alum. It will burn and burnish a pattern in that is hard to remove.

Hal