The Armour Archive

brother_fredrik

I'm betting we've got a mule foot stamp, a seeder, a coat or two of black dye and then gold paint on the seeder impressions and red paint wiped on so it caught in the impressions from the mule foot but was wiped right off the smooth surfaces. At least that would be how I would do it :) Close. Mule ...

brother_fredrik

Some time ago I saw a set of fantasy greeves that inspired me. Here is the result. They are light weight (6-8 oz) leather. I made the "fittings" using elastic and Velcro so that you can't see what holds them closed. [img]http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/freedomgof/HFS/Armour/DSCF5616.jpg[/img...

brother_fredrik

It would help to see the pieces. Without knowing shape and fit, trying to suggest a closure is pretty haphazard ;) Good point, but i don't want to "reveal" anything yet... I've seen several good ideas above I think Velcro might work best. Completely hidden it would not change the look at all which ...

brother_fredrik

I'm working on a set of fantasy leather arms inspired by the excellent leather greaves posted a few weeks ago. I'm going to the a thin piece of leather stitched to both sides for a "hinge" but I'm wonder about the best way to close them. I'm thinking some form of "hook and loop" closure but I'm not ...

brother_fredrik

I know this has been covered, but my search fu is weak tonight. Can anyone recommend a good source for Hide Glue? I would prefer a chain brick and mortar store as I'd like to start the hardening process this weekend, however I'd be happy to order it if that's the only way.

brother_fredrik

I'm looking at doing the same thing only having a decorative brass edge. So my thought would be to fold the cloth over the edge during the glueing phase then rivit the brass (also folded over the edge) into place insuring the edges of the cloth are held by the brass as well as the cloth. Any thought...

brother_fredrik

You can make your own tools. Non-ferrous stainless, aluminum, brass, etc, will usually work (test on a wet piece of leather first). You can grind your own with a dremel, and can even have them chrome plated if you work in ferrous metals (iron + leather = black). My metalworking skill is nowhere NEA...

brother_fredrik

One question. What stamping tool are you using for the "scales". I was looking for something similar but the only one I have that comes close is Crafttool D434 but it has a more rounded shape where as yours looks almost V like in it's point.

brother_fredrik

Did you file down the edges so that you don't accidentally catch flesh or clothing? I know I get pretty exuberant when playing and those edges could be an issue unless you put a thick clear coat on the wood to bring it up to the level of the guard. But it looks WAY cool. excellent work!

brother_fredrik

Wow how do you find time with the new baby. :wink: So far so good thanks for the pics. My beta testers are too slow for me. 5 months and no report. I had 3 beta testers on the tab top crusaders helm kit. Hey guys whatssssssup.... I ain't making any more helm kits until I know someone can build one....

brother_fredrik

After a long wait I received my order today. I was impressed with the quality and because of the delay they included a nice undershirt to go with my gambeson. I have no complaints and am satisfied. Thanks guys!

brother_fredrik

My plastic shield was not up the the challenge of SCA combat. Need to start working on a new shield. Can any one recommend a good supplier for aluminum shield blanks? Have not decided on a specific shape other than leaning away from heaters.

brother_fredrik

I bid on it. It will make for an interesting mail box decoration!

brother_fredrik

The heavy 11 ga. plasma cut grill spangen is an earlier helm kit. I called that one the SCA Combat Helm Kit. This is helm pic that mike made from that kit. http://home.armourarchive.org/members/halberds/plasmahelm3.jpg I also bought a half sheet of 11ga. hot rolled mild steel. So I am thinkingâ€¦ a...

brother_fredrik

I'm wondering 'cause I'm making a spangen with 1/8x2" mild steel, but it's a little on the heavy side (about 3ish-5ish lbs, and I'm almost done with the frame), so I'm wondering what you'd recommend I use for future projects? Also, I'm currently making rivets with 1/8" bronze rod, should I stick wi...

brother_fredrik

The only way you would run into a problem with putting leather down the edge is if you used a narrow strip of sole leather, something that would reduce the striking area of the edge significantly and not readily collapse. It's why we're also not supposed to run rope along the edges. But a layer of ...

brother_fredrik

My wife uses a stiff cloth called "Buckram". It's got holes in it so you can weave thing wire in it which will allow you to shape it.

brother_fredrik

Well, I was going to be moving to southern cali this summer, but plans have changed and I will be in san antonio for a year while my fiance gets O.R. nurse experience. Any armourers in that area that I might be able to meet up with? I'm thinking about just renting a shop somewhere to use for the ye...

brother_fredrik

6 Hours to go and he has not had a single bid... Maybe he'll believe us after no one bids...

brother_fredrik

He probably picked it up at a flea market and either a) thought it was authentic and he was getting a steal or b) thought "this looks authentic enough, I can use it to steal some money from some rube on eBay." Judging from the fact that he has a history of these kinds of complaints, I find it unlik...

brother_fredrik

It is interesting to note that most of his sales are motercycle parts and accessories (Jackets, patches, etc) but he has a sprinkling of WWII items that appear to be represented as originals. WhileI doubt that an authentic NCO ring from the Afrika Corps could be had for 79.00, it's possible I suppos...

brother_fredrik

Ok, so this was my first attempt at spalders and I'm fairly happy with how they turned out. It was also my first attempt at copper rivets. The leather is Tandy heavy saddle skirting with latigo straps. They are water/heat hardened and there's no finish on them yet other than the dark brown all-in-o...

brother_fredrik

I'd also recommend a padded cloth liner. I could offer a class handout on cloth-based padding I've written some time ago if that helps. Cheers, William I like the idea of posting this class handout to the tutorials section, personally. If you are willing, of course. While this is not the route I'm ...

brother_fredrik

Ok, I FINALLY finished my SCA helm from Hal's DIY kit. Hopefully will have pics up soon (Note: Not pretty because I was lazy, but I'm very pleased with it). Now I need to pad it and put a chin strap on it. Does anyone know where I can find a good tutorial on doing this? I have camp pad ready and wil...

brother_fredrik

Judging from the image you chose as an example and what you have said thus far, you may want to look again at what the SCA is and what it is not. You have come across as somewhat of a stereotypical "fanboy" of Americanized Japamation. If this is not you, forgive me. This is just what I have seen and...

brother_fredrik

Sharks are known for having rough skin. Their value as sword grips is because of this. So you would not want to "descale" the hide as this would make it smooth. Basically if you tan it (no expert knowlege here, sorry) and leave the skin rough, you'll never lose your grip on your sword. Of if you do,...

brother_fredrik

Dan:

You have helped me grow quite a bit in my leather work. Thank you. Having recently returned from Iraq, and also being in the Guard, I know what you are going through. Keep your head down and your weapon clean, my brother in arms. "See" you when you get back.

Yours in Service,
David Graves

brother_fredrik

I'm not sure how to describe the process of embossing (AKA "Tooling") leather, but it is not difficult. Usually it is done before you dye the leather, but I think it can be done afterwards. First the leather needs to be wet This is called "caseing". Then you'll need the embossing tools. You can get ...

brother_fredrik

There was a recent history channel ep of Ancient Discoveries on Egyptian Warfare. Some armour was shown. Web page here:

http://www.history.com/shows.do?action= ... eId=211104

brother_fredrik

Now I still had a question as to what would be a good project to jump in with. I'm fairly new to the SCA, and am still deciding on a persona, and unfortunately my knowledge of the terms for the periods aren't that great. I'm especially interested in the transitional period (1400s?) in England, as w...

brother_fredrik

Is it indicative of the downfall of our society that as terrifying as that "anal pear" looks, I'm QUITE SURE If you made them today you could make a killing on em, selling them to people who would willingly use them on themselves? Someone once suggested that I could make a lot of money making BDSM ...

brother_fredrik

Question: You say the fumes are toxic, yet in your pictures there is a BBQ grill above the wax bath. Does this pose any issue, IE does the toxic substance leave deposits on the grill? I personally would remove that grill before heating something that gives off toxic fumes, just to be on the safe side.

brother_fredrik

You could always make a simple 4 panel spangen as normal. Then make a covering out of thin leather and attach the disks to the leather. Finally attach the leather to the helm. This would give you the appearance of a leather hat with disks, while still meeting SCA regs for the helm.

brother_fredrik

Ecthing can be done in period fashion, using various solvents (ie acid) but I don't recommend that for the difficulty/danger factor. So I guess you'll be doing them by hand. Good luck to you and I'd love to see your results.

brother_fredrik

I have looked into this. Have you considered etching your dies? Coat with wax and remove wax with a stylus. Then etch in a salt water bath with electrical current (about 6v DC) going through it. That was what I was going to do. For a machine I have seen a set up where you put the blank between the t...

Fantasy Arms (Pics)

Closures for fantasy leather arms

Source for Hide Glue

WTB or recommendations: Aluminum Shield Blank

Re: Good steel thickness for helmets?

Re: Anyone in the San Antonio area?

Re: Fantasy Leather Spalders

Helm padding and strapping