The Armour Archive

Vermin

" All I'm doing is what's right. "

And why SHOULDN'T we all tell you "Good job!" for doing that?

Sounds like a no-brainer to me, considering everything you've done, and everyone you've helped over the years......

Vermin

"There was that moment of eyes meeting and the mutual understanding that we were about to have a combat related "moment" and throw down hard . Someone popped me with a crossbow and you could see the duke make a face, then a moment after he was popped in the chest as well. We were both...

Vermin

Hal, when I did some aluminum pieces I didn't want scraping against each other, I covered the edge of the inside with duct tape.

Not kidding.

Cheap, easy, not all that hard to replace....and, best of all, it works.

Vermin

Talk to Adam (WMA) about how he does the brims on his kettle hats, I've NEVER heard of a problem with them, and they are all over the country, getting LOTS of use.

Vermin

Killer!!!!

Those are nicely done.

Vermin

I've done a sallet with a crest done like that (Two flanges welded together down the middle) and it turned out great.

I will say if you do that, -

You're going to need GOOD angle grinder skills to clean up the weld on the outside, a really steady hand, and ya gotta take your time!

Vermin

"Quit feeling guilty about liking what nature has hardwired you to like for pete's sake! " What is this "guilt" thing you speak of?!?!?!?:twisted: anyway- The beauty of being a reverend is that I'm a walkin', talkin', "Get Out Of Hell, Free!" card.....so if anyone needs...

Vermin

Lovely ladies, lovely armour...BUT-

I've got an armour related question for Ugo and Patrick.

I wanna know how you guys did those elbows in aluminum....without it cracking.....
Are they one piece, or welded?

Vermin

Well, all my triggers aren't tight enough to the point where if I lose my weapon my finger stays in them. I'm not getting what people are getting all freaked out by....your weapon wouldn't *just* be suspended by that finger anyway...either your hand is still IN the basket hilt, (because your finger ...

Vermin

Ugo knows a thing or two about banging on Ti.....

Vermin

"Steel ship built with copper rivets in saltwater environment (especially tropical saltwater environments): Really BAD! " Yeah, we had a pistol from a 1715 wreck come in a few years back, which had it's powder pan brazed on.....which meant when we got the rock off of it, we got a nice tiny...

Vermin

In hand forged iron, the dead giveaway is the grain.... In the pre-industrial/mechanically forged stuff, the grain (once it starts to decompose and you can see the grain) is wavy, it actually looks a lot like wood. Hammer blows were random, and it shows in the grain of the metal. Once things get ind...

Vermin

" working with light gauge ferrous is a dream. I'm just learning what can really be done. "

Yeah, up until 3 years ago I had never worked in anything other than stainless and aluminum.

Mild steel is SOOOOO pliable and forgiving!!!!

Vermin

You know Hal, heating and twisting some square stock for the bar grill might not be a bad idea....

Vermin

Murdock wrote- " how did you size it? I tried making stuff for my son and just going 1/4 size adult pattern didn't work" Any time I've done armour for children it required a new pattern. You can BASE it on an adult pattern, but you can't just reduce it exactly. It doesn't take very long, (...

Vermin

I'm anxious to see how this plays out in Admiralty court. I know they've been working with the government on this, BUT- The salvage company doesn't have a leg to stand on if the UK says "Leave it where it is, it's a historical site, and it's not going anywhere." And that COULD happen. The ...

Vermin

Deleted double post....

"debug mode" error message?

THAT'S a new one.....

Vermin

" Dante is right. Block, avoid, dodge. " Yeah, that's all well and good for single combat..... I got all my concussions in melees. Most times, I couldn't tell you WHO hit me. Kinda hard to pull that super-ninja dodge stuff when you don't see the blow coming. (Not that I disagree with you a...

Vermin

Is that pattern welded sword blade a repro?
It's gotta be......

IF it ISN'T, that is in AMAZING condition!!!!!

Vermin

I think I've got some pictures in my desk somewhere.... I'll did around today and see if I can locate them and I'll put one up. Most of the links were pretty badly corroded, some not so much. You can get a good idea of the diameter from the picture I'll put up. The WAS some metal lost, but since the...

Vermin

"I think the conquerorsÂ´mail probably was round section and round rivet."

And you would be absolutely correct.

All of the links I've conserved from the Martin site has been round wire, with round holes.
And it's light stuff too.

Vermin

I would like to mention that IF you are going to use a baldric for SCA combat use, you REALLY need to have it be able to be fastened on your shoulder during combat.

There's nothing quite like it slipping down and tying up your sword arm.

Vermin

Not just the French.... There's more than a few from 1750 Spanish Plate Fleet wrecks. I mean, c'mon, what's NOT to like about a big swivel mounted deck shotgun? They're just handy! The first cannon I ever cleaned was from a 1700's wreck. Not a breech loader, but it was a swivel gun. I recovered the ...

Vermin

Yeah, no problem!

Vermin

"That bent thing on the back should be straight out, and was the tiller. " Tiller?, yes....straight out?, not all the time. "The breech looked like a beer mug with a neck-down lip. It would be wedged in with (probably) wood blocks" And don't forget the leather washer! Sometimes t...

Vermin

This is now in treatment. It's off of a 1660 wreck....though to my eye it looks like it MAY be a bit older than that. The bore looks to be slightly cone shaped rather than straight all the way down, it's actually rather pronounced at the muzzle. If you look closely, you can see that one of the bands...

Vermin

"I just dont like the look of the Kettlehelm"

Not so fast.....

It's just a matter of finding the RIGHT kettle helm style for YOU.....

There are MANY different looks to them.

Vermin

Are the rings flat, or round, and will you be offering hauberks as well as haubergeons?

Vermin

Well, I have to raise a point you may or may not have not considered....the first piece of metal armour I ever made was a 16g SS munitions breastplate....and I didn't think it all the way through....

Articulated tassets and many faulds ADD WEIGHT.

And, I'd go 16g, 14g is overkill.

Vermin

So what happens when you Google bacon AND porn at the same time?.......

Vermin

So what happens when you Google bacon AND porn at the same time?.......

Vermin

Well, it's called "compression articulation".....but as for the name of the actual term used for THAT particular defense of the inner elbow, I'm clueless.

Vermin

That guy made some stout, well crafted, cheap, knees....

Vermin

Yeah...about that 16 gauge business.... No one uses 16 gauge metal for helms unless they're a bit wrong in the head. By the time you get done sinking/dishing it, it's thinner than 16G, plus it doesn't have the mass you REALLY want to keep your head from flying around when you get whacked. In short, ...

Vermin

"you will have learned valuable lessons about how things should be made, what is involved in making them, what you should expect in armour you purchase, etc., etc., etc." You'll also learn why GOOD armour isn't cheap after you've put some time into making armour and understanding the effor...

Sweet cannon......