The Armour Archive

Ideval

This may sound a bit white trash, but I used a heavy green cast iron umbrella base and a hidden pole to support my armour stand. They were inexpensive at the time. You could buy a white one to match the mannequin. My brother had a ventriloquist doll for a long time. Sometimes, on moonlit nights, I w...

Ideval

Thanks Vladimir! The simple Noldorin helm half-way down the essay is my design, which Joe graciously crafted for me. It is also the helmet I just built a suspension liner for. When I typed "sallet" or celata, I did not mean those helms in particular. I was describing the way the helmet should deeply...

Ideval

I love her too!
If you take my meaning.

I always have an eye out for mannequins.
Great find.

IdÃ«val

Ideval

Thanks for the reply and the advise, Reinhard, but in my second post I mentioned that this is not an historical helmet...it is for Middle Earth re-enactment.

I could get out of the house before 11:00 if I really wanted it welded.
Thanks,
IdÃ«val

Ideval

Aha! Great tips! Especially about the one piece with four "bumps." Something that I did that made the process go very quickly was that I sewed the gores onto the band before riveting it inside the helm - my father was an upholsterer for a while, but his curved needles are mostly for car-weight leath...

Ideval

Not only do I suck at welding, but I'm out of oxygen http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif Also, my planishing isn't tip-top, and it won't do to have a cleanly ground, polished, and creased weld line when the rest of the helmet is going to be russeted. The pro who does all of my other welding i...

Ideval

Hey, thanks Eric! I appreciate your concerned and thorough reply. To set your mind at ease, I do not participate in the SCA. This liner went into an "Elvish" helmet for Middle Earth re-enactment. However, I do use steel swords when fighting and your concerns are warranted. I made the liner exactly a...

Ideval

Thanks for responding so quickly, Clay! I appreciate it! By the way, what prompted the return to thine olde title? Computer related? The picture you provide is exactly what I meant. After lightly dishing the ridge band, would you suggest maybe a subtle crease or center-flute? Also, I printed Cadwall...

Ideval

Hi all, I am about to make an open-faced helmet, similar to an archer's sallet or celata. Rather than weld this helmet and deal with cleaning the weld, I was thinking about using a spangen down the ridge instead. Has anyone tried this method for a rounded helm of this type? Anything I should be awar...

Ideval

Thanks, Frederick! I was not able to find that essay, but I remembered how to make the liner. I was hoping someone would post the link. Sorry, no pictures at the moment. I heartily recommend these liners. I'm sure they could be used on almost any helm. I don't know what would prevent it, other than ...

Ideval

David,
are the knee plates 18g as well?
I ask not as a safety issue, but because I have had difficulty getting the 18g to take an even dish. Dishing one side seems to pop the other side back in.
Is the center ridge a weld or an internal crease?
Thank you,
IdÃ«val

Ideval

I was very lucky to have received a few 8 foot lengths of tar-treated telephone pole. I dug a deep hole and planted the effer at just a little over six feet. Others have recommended a four by four post, with a few sections of two by four screwed on for a "body" and then wrapped in carpet or fibrous ...

Ideval

On the few occasions that I have dueled with two weapons, I did as Noe mentions. I used a single hand broadsword in conjunction with a light helmet, maille shirt, pauldrons, gauntlets, and a baselard. Much as Gibson did in Hamlet. One of the best offhand short swords is a shortened Starfire. If anyo...

Ideval

I don't know why you would need the sliding rivets? You might have luck articulating on leathers, however. Also, to get the shoulder cop to lay really flat against the first bicep lame, use low profile truss head rivets. You can "point" to maille, or even a gorget. ------------------ IdÃ«val The Hun...

Ideval

Yeah, but I'm not... pick up a shield and fight like a man, or a woman fighting with a shield http://www.armourarchive.org/ubb/smile.gif Two sticks? Florentine? Are these the same? I'm confused. I second the pell advice; it will save your partner's a lot of trouble, as well. I like to practice with ...

Ideval

Pathfinder, I was thinking the same thing about the visor. But, in the event that Rainald had begun some of the other pieces first, I wanted to cover my ass and not assume that the visor was the first piece. But I think you are right. And I think Rainald OWES the components another visor http://www....

Ideval

Thanks, Otto. That's the specific advice I was looking for. I have a 22" head, and a while back I commissioned a helmet to be made small for a closer, more historical fit. This weekend, yesterday actually, I made a leather liner for this helm. It was 29"!!! around when I measured. No small helm, for...

Ideval

Hi, I had my wisdom teeth all pulled and I've ironically had the most armour productive weekend yet! After finishing several other projects, I had some latigo and some nice leather sitting around. So I made one of the liners used in the "Raising a one piece conical" essay. I measured the helmet wher...

Ideval

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told by the local SCA people that pipe insulation either wasn't closed cell foam or it had some other problem.

IdÃ«val

Ideval

All of the components look awesome! You have got to be the most prolific of the "non" armourers, if you take my meaning. You produce.
I, too, would like you to craft a new visor.
Looks wonderful.

IdÃ«val

Ideval

My friend's girlfriend is having all her wisdom teeth pulled on the 16th. Does that count for anything

Ideval

Hi, I happen to own an exact pair pauldrons like that. Well, they only have three collar plates. Four would be better, and would help with over the head arm movements. As Pathfinder suggested, it is necessary to "point" the arm and pauldron separately for the most ease while fighting. The rerebrace ...

Ideval

I just made a leather suspension liner and it is super-comfortable with a leather hood and mantle over a light arming cap. You could add a touch of foam to the important points, such as keeping the faceplate away from your nose and teeth. I have fought many fights in a sugarloaf, and can attest to t...

Ideval

Wait a second. I've used snips to cut up to 16g mild, but only once. It is a terrible method if you are a minimalist like me. This means that I use handfiles to clean my edges, and the jigsaw leaves beautiful edges whereas the snips leave tooth-marks and dimple the plates; they must be hammered flat...

Ideval

If all the pieces are meant for the same armiture, then it stands to reason that the left guantlet should be made more solid while the right articulates to accomodate dexterity of the main mano.

Kind of like the reinforced manifer.

IdÃ«val

Ideval

Hi all, I've recently been getting back into archery...autumn approaching, thoughts of Elves in the woods, you know. Anyhow, if you have some means, arrowheads are a snap to make. Bear in mind that I've never made a socketed head, the most sought after of course. For a leaf blade, I simply hammered ...

Ideval

Hello, I am glad that you plan to make a mock-up patterned piece first. One additional bit of advice is to use cardboard rather than posterboard. I have used both, in that respective order, and found that the posterboard belies some of the misalignments that will become apparent as the helmet takes ...

Ideval

Wow, sounds like pre-school! I'm glad that this thread has lightened up, and I hope all parties are sated. Why you gotta bring Christ into it? That's my complaint. It's your soul that's getting hurt, not your on-line armour sales. IdÃ«val ------------------ IdÃ«val The Huntsman of I-NossÃ« LÃºmÃ«van...

Ideval

Norman, I "safened" an olympic foil and two car-antenna "foils" for some neighbor children with a liquid plastic once. It was a tool-dip for metal-handled things of all variety, and for bike hooks and such. I dipped the tips like candles and built up a "button." The plastic lasted, but these were ch...

Ideval

I'll second Joe Piela of the Lonely Mountain Forge.
Also, Illusion makes wonderful armour, but the backlogue is dreadsome. Worth the wait, unless you don't like waiting.

IdÃ«val

Ideval

I really have to interject something, although I do not pretend to know anything about the kingdom discussion. Personal armour and weaponry are a must for anyone that wishes to fight with me. The reason is not necessarily safety, because I could give a crap. The reason is that I want a good fight, a...

Ideval

I think the brigandine acquisition comment was directed towards me? I hope I'm not intruding. Anyhow, I am making it myself, and I am only cutting a few corners. I am using leather for the jacket, although many recommend canvas (I prefer leather). While I worked with ACE Hardware, I ordered bags and...

Ideval

For the pauldrons, I must say 16g. This is for two reasons: after a blow glances off the head, the next obstacle in line is the shoulder; and secondly, the 16g is easier to dish and acquires fewer dimples during production. I have little experience with armouring, but I started with 18 and then trie...

Ideval

Greetings, Woeg! Always nice to hear from a fellow student of Iberia! The Spanish kettle/morion on the far right is the model that the Wombat is using for a helm I commissioned a while back. I'm in love with the whole armour, and hope to have the brigandine done soon. The bevor is something that I'v...

Ideval

Buying more always costs less.
This is what I pay for 16g mild:
4'x10' sheet for $40
2'x4' sheet for $8-$10

What I do is buy the full sheet, but have the machine shop cut it into transportable pieces.
Get ready for fun.

IdÃ«val

Making a "spangen" Sallet

Leather Suspension Liner