The Armour Archive

rameymj

Rereading the comments in the link clarified his assertions for me, and I agree with him that our helms are not complete protection from concussions and CTE. I also agree that "Based on the current state of CTE research, I don’t expect that SCA combat poses a huge risk, but I expect that there may b...

rameymj

Anyone actually find any errors? While his calculations don't seem to be off, but I'm not convinced the equations used are correct. I'm not a mechanical engineer, so I've haven't dealt with inertia calculations in 30 years. So his calculations of 85lbs and 24lbs don't mean much to me except that 85...

rameymj

Yeah, padding spreads the impact over time. So while the energy in the blow is not reduced (nor the total force) the head acceleration is reduced, 1) because the neck muscles have more time to produce counter-force, and 2) the peak force is reduced. Would a cue ball move the same if you put a piece ...

rameymj

First of all, great start. I wish my first pieces were this good. You've got a long neck. It looks to me the the top edge will hit your voice box, which is exactly what you don't want. Try to get the force (of a hit to your gorget) to disperse the impact into the muscles on either side. Taking a spe...

rameymj

Welcome. A lot of the patterns in the archive can be modified to get what you want. For example Ward's breastplate might be a good start. http://www.armourarchive.org/patterns/breastplate_andrewward/ Maybe shorten it a bit and add the lower part (fauld) from Sinric's pattern. http://www.armourarchiv...

rameymj

The splinted arms are the thing that threw me. They are a low probability. Why not a more "standard" metal floating arm harness? I associate the Great Helm more with jousting rather than foot combat. A bassinet might be a better choice. Replaceable face plates can swap out for jousting or foot comba...

rameymj

Fell off a ladder. Cracked the back of my head on semi's back fender/bumper, then face planted into asphalt. Doc said there was only a little bleeding inside my skull, but they'd like to keep me overnight. Didn't tell me if the brain swells in the right place, it kills you, which is why he wanted to...

rameymj

All those pictured don't have tassets. I suspect this related to a fashion trend for young men. The cod cutout is higher, the fault shorter, and lack of tassets exposes that area to greater scrutiny. You could argue these are for greater mobility for foot soldiers, as you also see less articulation ...

rameymj

I disagree with Konstantin. The rivet spacing has more to do with a long metal edge run without structural support. For example, most of you can bend a 1/4" round rod 48" with just your hands, but most won't be able to bend a 6" piece with just your hands. As long as the rivet doesn't pull through, ...

rameymj

That looks really nice.

I went to two belts, one per leg harness. The legs seemed to say in place much better.

rameymj

If you need to extend the poles, cut 3/4" plywood squares about 3"x3" to 4"x4". They can increase the footprint to manage the weight on "soggy" ground, compensate to uneven terrain, etc. Use several or none at all depending on your needs at the site.

rameymj

I think you're confusing hand protection with elbow protection, which a rigid cop is not needed if the elbow is at least 4" from the edge. Page 13 of society AC rules http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/doc ... ndbook.pdf

rameymj

Sorry you met up with a group with differing goals than you. There are stick jocks that are hyper-competitive and shaving an ounce off their kit is important to them, but not all. Many wear gambesons. Only recently have they become affordably priced mass market items, while previously they were almo...

rameymj

Exactly. It depends on a lot of factors. Generalizing for blunt mass weapons, a large plate with padding underneath will usually engage more of the padding to better cushion the blow. IMHO the shock mostly bypasses rigid armors and still causes the internal crushing damage without the cushioning fro...

rameymj

Armor can work in several different ways. Rigid armor spreads the impact energy over space, e.g. hard plate. Instead of the sharp edge of the blade concentrating the impact in a small line, the armor spreads the energy over an area. Soft armor spreads the impact energy over time, e.g. foam or paddin...

rameymj

While 2x2 will hold you up, consider a larger footprint to help prevent sinking. You can also cut several 4x4 squares from 1/2" plywood. These will increase the footprint, and can be used to level the bed when you get on uneven ground. Consider limiting your bedposts to 6'; with 18" bed height that ...

rameymj

Rope beds are nice. Make sure you include to retighten the ropes; you want to retighten them daily. Choose a non-elastic rope that doesn't stretch, polyester and natural fibers are listed in my knot book as low elasticity. Note: as the weave compresses it will "stretch' without change in the fibers....

rameymj

A padded coif will work just fine. You won't have to fill the top cone with padding, but be aware that the padding could migrate inside the coif (toward the top of your head). The helm will create a ring of pressure around your crown which can take a bit to get use to wearing.

rameymj

The Lancasters did something like this with plastidip. IIRC it holds up fairly well for awhile, then you have to recipe it or you can start throwing chunks of plastidip around. If you don't like it, it should peel off with a little effort.

rameymj

Generally, the edge of a plate doesn't stretch when you dish it in the middle, so you distances will generally be the same. Note that I said generally and middle. There are may many techniques where this is not true. I can't comment on raising as I have no skill there. Articulations rotate a fixed d...

rameymj

A decision doesn't have to be made today. Delegate when you can, or get input from experts before deciding. There are three sides to every story; one from each side, and the truth, which is usually somewhere in the middle. Listen closely to what is said; absorb facts. Stop people when they impute an...

rameymj

Arrakis: Looks cool. Your barrels might be smaller than mine.

rameymj

Konstantin: I would not use them for any thing. The ones I've seen are thick around the "rim" where the barrel turns up, but thin as it goes into the center. The tapering thickness isn't good for much, so I throw them away. There is usually 2-3 reinforcing ribs on the sides too. I've just ignored th...

rameymj

I prefer metal over the knees and elbows. With that caveat, you can get armor out of it. Lay out your pattern pieces in thin, thin cardboard (poster board or manila folders) to ensure correct sizing, then careful placement on the barrel to ensure efficient usage. Try to align the natrual curve of th...

rameymj

Corey: Yes, the straps still have to be thick enough to prevent stretching.
Aussie: Yeah, that strap is really beefy.

rameymj

Wouldn't putting straps on the inside of armor make them less vulnerable to cutting, therefore thinner (lighter weight) straps could be used? Certain straps would have to be external for function (the central front 16th century Italian breastplate comes to mind) or because of the difficulty in adjus...

rameymj

When you shear stuff, pick up the excess piece and add it to your recycling bin. After you drill, grind, etc. sweep up. Sanding generally produces dust that is embedded in my pants (just waiting for that rust color to appear). If you put a chair beside the door, you can sit and inspect your boot bef...

rameymj

I was wondering if the rivets weren't sliders to expand/contract the back, but this seems unlikely.

rameymj

He might be preping for a war. GWW is coming up and I think I've seen him there before.

rameymj

Heat treating is an art. It depends on the alloy you are treating. IIRC Cad had a heat treating article on one of the armour sites, though I can't find it right now. If I know you, you've probably already read http://www.armourarchive.org/essays/essay__metal_dissertation.shtml http://nadler.us/harde...

rameymj

That depends on the wearer's size, and the style of armour.

rameymj

Open field come in several varieties: - Open on both sides; i.e. the initial line is short so that both sides can be flanked - One side closed; i.e. there is a border that protects one side, which can't be flanked initially - Two sides closed; i.e. neither side can be flanked initially, e.g. bridge ...

rameymj

Nice!

rameymj

rameymj

Looks decent. You have a lot of articulation. Measure twice from the middle of the lame, outside of the cop, to the middle of the other lame. Once when the articulation is open, the other measurement when closed. Subtract the two, and divide by 2. You are probably looking at over one inch (2.5 cm). ...

Re: Concussions and CTE

Re: Concussions and CTE

Re: Concussions and CTE

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