The Armour Archive

AwP

You say they're used for masonry, but are they the same thing as "masonry nails"? If so then yes they are hardenable.

AwP

There's a phrase, "being caught flat-footed", and it doesn't mean ready to fight.

AwP

Try oil first, and if that doesn't get it full hard then there's no harm in trying again with water. If you start with water first and it cracks your striker it's much harder to go back and try oil instead.

AwP

Fair enough, against a helm it wouldn't really make much difference, in general principle though it makes sense. Yes, I can see how it might work well for the game, but I'm of the school of trying to be as realistic as possible without the "bad realism". I look through the manuals, test c...

AwP

How far past the surface are you encouraged to aim? It's not that I don't aim past the surface. I aim an inch or two in. However, if the target is not there when my blade arrives, it will effectively stop, unless I choose to let it move past into the return. The sword strike is thrown more like a p...

AwP

Bah, 2 people posted while I was typing and I can't edit in this forum... Ok, I see what you're saying Duke Paul, I can see how that can be advantageous in the sport we play, but it also seems like gaming to me since in a real sword fight you won't kill anyone by just breaking the skin.

AwP

I agree with Count Johnathan. Without seeing it myself, it sounds like he's actually generating power more efficiently than you are, it might be that he NEEDS to due to being smaller or weaker than you. I also don't understand how swinging through the target is a bad thing, In the small amount of da...

AwP

I would recommend having every heraldric color, because people like to do stuff in their colors a lot of times.

AwP

Not sure what you consider "midrange" since I've seen some excessively expensive boots. If $100 and change is acceptable then I recommend Redwings, I've had a pair for going on 20 years now that are still in decent shape. Good socks help a lot too, don't wear regular crappy cotton tube soc...

AwP

I've always heard that when dishing you want a soft side and a hard side, meaning if you use a wooden dishing stump then use a metal hammer, if you're using a metal form then use a rawhide or wooden mallet.

AwP

I can't answer specifically about An Tir, and not having done rapier/C&T you should take this with a grain of salt... But from my reading here, I'd not waste money on the starter mask, it won't last long, so you might as well just go straight to a perf steel mask on a helm.

AwP

The heat treating of annealed steel depends on the steel. Annealed isn't a type of steel, it's a process that was done to it. It could be mild, spring, stainless, or something else. Most likely it is mild, in which case there is no HT, you want to retain the work hardening (unless it gets too work h...

AwP

I think the best thing to do is to arrange events so that one can do both. Sometimes rapier stuff overlaps with the heavy, so it forces people to pick, and both suffer for it.

AwP

Baron Alcy, I'm having to disagree with you on this one. Mild steel refers to the compostion, annealed to the heat treatment. Annealing (in the case of mild steel heating to a red heat or orange heat and aircooling) is done to revert the work hardening (hardening by deformation) caused by cold roll...

AwP

I think you should make the brigandine. A lot of people can tell just by looking that it's galvanized, which takes away from the period look a little. But it's perfect for a brig or CoP since it won't show, and the galvanization will help keep it from rusting. Even if you want to hold off on assembl...

AwP

That sucks. Since you said printed out, that sounds like you might have them on the computer still and can reprint them? Could be worse.

AwP

Mild steel is one of the easiest metals to etch, so any of the methods work. On the topic of electro-etching, I used the power supply from an old computer.

AwP

You shouldn't need to add texture, but the bottom needs to be wider than the top, like a dovetail. I think you'll only be able to cast those in if you use some of the finest casting sands.

AwP

Ok, well good, you could probably kill someone with one.

AwP

Seems a bit unsafe to me too. Would the shaped maces include things like a gutentag? Except for the spike, a rattan gurentag is hardly any different than a real weapons grade gutentag, and I'm thinking could seriously squish someone in armor.

AwP

I realize this is a bit off the subject of OP, but why were sword handles so small? Was it simply that they, generally, had smaller hands? Way to save metal? Are there techniques that benefit from smaller grips? I'd think that the hands were about the same size (maybe a touch smaller) as ours today...

AwP

I second raito that the handle itself should be smaller too. The fact that the grips are uncomfortably small is what lead to the whole "handshake grip" theory. Didn't the Anglo Saxon swords of similar dimensions feature a "pinky rest" on the pommels? Maybe? I'm really not sure, ...

AwP

I second raito that the handle itself should be smaller too. The fact that the grips are uncomfortably small is what lead to the whole "handshake grip" theory.

AwP

No, those are Icefalcon's tips. Now that Mandrake's has passed, Icefalcon is going to be the next to go through the submission process, though I doubt it'll be done by pennsic.

AwP

Yes, Puking is period. Have fun at your next event

AwP

Since you arn't cutting stainless you don't have to worry about chromium migration. Don't be afraid to push down and make chips. If you arn't making consistant tips either your bit isn't sharp enough for the pressure you are using or you arn't using enough pressure for the sharpness of the drill. L...

AwP

Spot welder would work fine in place of tacking, we spot weld stainless baskets at work that are basically just giant grills made of 1/2" rods, but we weld them for real afterwords. I wouldn't trust spot welds by themself in rattan combat. edit: Well, assuming you can get enough power out of yo...

AwP

Brennainn wrote:You could tack weld it, then take it to a professional shop.

+1
A tiny tack of mild shouldn't compromise the final weld strength, and compromise the rust resistance only slightly, maybe not at all depending on what they use as filler for the final welds.

AwP

They won't take very long. Vinegar takes a long time (overnight if it's room temp), but ferric chloride is pretty quick and muriatic is very quick but a little bit scary too. I'd go with the ferric chloride. I haven't tried this, but supposedly for ferric chloride (and no other) sharpy markers work ...

AwP

I think some is and some isn't. If it's just basic "get you on the field" armor, or direct copies of period works, then no. If they went the extra mile and used creativity to make it pretty, then yes.

AwP

I don't think one is better than the other overall, but they are different. I think it boils down to GS being better at defense (that big crossguard helps there) and polearms being better at offense. Which of those is preferable really has to do with the individual and their own style.

AwP

Last year arty dave posted this process for putting a russet finish on steel. What is the purpose of soaking in vinegar? Is it to remove galvanization if there is any? Thanks Kenric 1. Soak your steel in vinegar overnight. 2. Degrease if you want an even patina. Omit this step if you want the patch...

AwP

heh. Is the joke funny when it reveals ignorance? As to stitches on pouchlets showing - I can't think of how you could sew them on without visible stitching. It's not possible to sew them inside out and invert them. On further consideration, if you were appallingly good at it, you could sew from th...

AwP

There's anti-spatter spray, but that's usually kind of poisonous, personally I wouldn't want it on my welding helmet. If the steel is well buffed, less (though not none) spatter will stick to it. A really thick coat of paint might do the trick, letting the spatter cool enough not to stick before it ...

AwP

I don't think there are any stainless steels that are noticeably less shiny naturally, but how it's finished can make it less shiny though. A satin finish will be less shiny, it's also possible (though much more difficult than mild) to give it a darker etched surface. HTing steel shouldn't make a no...

Re: Anyone use cut nails around the shop?

Re: SCA Combat Training: Flat Snap, foot position

Re: Hardening steel questions ( fire striker )

Re: SCA Combat Training: Flat Snap, foot position

Re: SCA Combat Training: Flat Snap, foot position

Re: SCA Combat Training: Flat Snap, foot position

Re: SCA Combat Training: Flat Snap, foot position

Re: question about lacing lamellar for those what know

Re: OT Work boots work shoes??

Re: What's the best way to dish?

Re: Starting out in Cut and Thrust/Rapier

Re: Steel

Re: Future of SCA fighting

Re: Steel

Re: Galvanized sheet metal?

Re: FU*K THIS SHIT.

Re: Quick etching question...

Re: Norse Sword, hardware size opinion

Re: Mass weapon question

Re: Mass weapon question

Re: Norse Sword, hardware size opinion

Re: Norse Sword, hardware size opinion

Re: Norse Sword, hardware size opinion

Re: 2 inch spear tips and Pennsic

Re: period illistrations or passages on vomiting

Re: What drill bit

Re: SCA-Bargrill Jig?

Re: SCA-Bargrill Jig?

Re: etching mild steel?

Re: Is armour art?

Re: 7 1/2 foot Polearm vs 6 foot Great Sword

Re: Russet finish question

Re: "Fine" Kidney Pouches 14th/15th century--visible stichin

Re: welding helmet

Re: Question about Metal types and the caring of