The Armour Archive

Kel Rekuta

UPS has an LTL option for shipping a pallet of stuff. Their rates *might* be better than most transport companies if you don't have a contract with them. With a contract, UPS-LTL has crushed every freight company's offer to my importing operation. I suspect UPS or Fedex Ground will be your best bet ...

Kel Rekuta

There is something like that at the Wallace Collection in the narrow hallway between the medieval and renaissance galleries. IIRC, it has been suggested it is a Victorian "construction."

Kel Rekuta

Aside from the excellent advice you have been offered already, I would urge you to develop absolute control of your measure: know exactly how far you are from a beating and be certain to stay just outside that at all times when offering open lines of approach. If you want to bait a hook, you must be...

Kel Rekuta

Sure, if you don't intend to hit another waster with it. 7075 is a lot tougher stuff and blades made from it actually ring somewhat like steel wasters. 6061 is weldable and somewhat workable hot. Depends what you intend to make and how. Various daggers and Asian butterfly knives are frequently made ...

Kel Rekuta

Sorry to let you down but that visor is designed for what most people call a barbute not an open faced bascinet. Add some side plates to fill in the jaw and cheek lines and then maybe you could make it work. Maybe.

Kel Rekuta

Interested to see how well that will hold up. I've been thinking of making one and was trying to figure out how to steam bend the Channel and possibly work with sheets of 1/8" Ply and build up the thickness. not sure how long using joinery on it would last. Odd, most of the period ones that have su...

Kel Rekuta

Les, I have some of those if you want to play with a couple dozen. They make great decorative rivets. Unfortunately they were something like $25 @lb when I got them 'cuz the $CAD wasn't flying high back then.

Kel Rekuta

Sharpen some steel tubing in the hole size desired. Chuck it up in the drill press and away you go. Or buy a regular belt punch and do the same thing. Use a low RPM setting though.

Kel Rekuta

Howdy, I would like to pick up some power shears to cut 16 g steel. The only stuff I have found is in the 450$ range. The 18 g shears are considerably less, however they will not suffice for my project. Can anyone please make a suggestion for a possible source for this tool? Cheers, Filip If you ar...

Kel Rekuta

If it wasn't all blackened, I'd have already bought it. Looks to be just my size.

Kel Rekuta

Craig,

Thanks for sharing this process with the rest of us, especially the patterns you've developed. Its very generous considering the hours of R&D that went into each element. Looking forward to your take on the left pauldron of that statue.

Kel Rekuta

I'll go to $85.

Kel Rekuta

Eric, the links are dead. Please post the photos elsewhere.
I am interested as I do kit for rebated steel. 18 stainless makes up about 2/3 of the plates.

Kel Rekuta

Just a side comment on stitching awls- I hates them. Better to use an awl and two harness needles and hand stitch with a proper saddle stitch than to work with those things. And I'm a poor hand stitcher who also dislikes hand sewing. But, if you're going to the effort of sewing by hand (the stitchi...

Kel Rekuta

And the top pic. I'm not sure what the flat thing is next to it. French edge tool and a big one at that. Cuts channels and wide edge bevels. The one to the right of the edge beveler looks to be a proper CS Osborne stab awl. Keep that one razor sharp, point and two edges, on your honing leather w/tr...

Kel Rekuta

It looks more like a snowmobile helmet with a removable mandible. I like it.

Kel Rekuta

Hydrate well before putting on harness. Top up lightly during the day. Avoid synthetic fibers in foundation garments. Practice. All necessary to avoid heat stroke regardless of how well conditioned you may think you are.

Kel Rekuta

The bookkeeping end of things is easily dealt with by a minor purchase of basic accounting software. In concept, they tend to operate like cheque books. The hardest thing is planning ahead for tool purchases, taxes, losses on returned/refused commissions. Having a separate bank account, even just a ...

Kel Rekuta

Possibly the greatest treasure trove of armour information was recently provided by Gilfred at Greene (sp?) with his Effigiesandbrasses.com website. When students come to me for armour ideas, the first question I ask is whether they've looked there. If not, the conversation is tabled until he or she...

Kel Rekuta

Chris, it's RoD. Not Rob. I don't know what to tell you. All these years of using this helmet and being hit in the face of it with balsa and solids with steel coronels and not getting any bits of lance inside it must have been my imagination. :roll: Wicked coronel. Most impressive. How do you place...

Kel Rekuta

Good point. I used to use linoleum tile for block printing. (hence experience melting linoleum with inappropriate solvents)
Vinyl tiles are normal these days.

Kel Rekuta

Well it's a brewing yeast in that it produces ethanol from lactose. :) All online kumiss recipes,that I have seen and tried, use milk with added sugar and conventional yeast of some type. I was looking to do an end run and see if I could find a yeast that will just go lactose -> ethanol :D Hmm. Man...

Kel Rekuta

Acetone and methyl ethyl ketone will strip dye from leather, to some extent. They remove nail polish and other lacquers very well. They will most certainly dissolve linoleum tiles. Sorry dude.

Kel Rekuta

Sorry it isn't brewing yeast, its used in the production of dairy products and pet food. You might be able to buy a study sample through an industrial lab supplier. You should get over to the biology department at the University and chat up one of the profs for suggestions. If you actually obtain a ...

Kel Rekuta

Long handled end nippers worked fine for me. Something like 9" or 10" at a guess. I didn't cut stainless mail though, so a mini bolt cutter might be better as they have double action joints which are definitely stronger.

Kel Rekuta

I'm pretty sure the appliqued gilt strip I've seen in person was gut. It was too long a continuous piece to be sinew , and quite smooth and of even width. Sinew is a possibility for the weaving, however, and something I hadn't considered. T. I bought a 25 yard hank of 1/4" sinew. It lap bonds quite...

Kel Rekuta

Kel, you're confusing the USFA (now US Fencing) with the USFCA. The former provides insurance. The latter certifies instructors. The income from this would be microscopic, and the USFCA is a volunteer organization anyhow. I was in on this initiative, but did not write the document in question. The ...

Kel Rekuta

Ken Mondschein wrote:...but it's not really a spadone book...

So its false advertising then?

Kel Rekuta

I'd like to find the thin supple leather filament (ie, gut) that was used in some medieval weaving and applique. Gilded would be idea, but I could probably figure out how to gild it myself. T. Tracy are you sure that would be gut? I should think sinew would be the fibre. It can be selected and spli...

Kel Rekuta

Bender wrote:This is why I sugested punching holes and grometting it. It's period.

I'd like to see an example of that or which source you found this information in. Please share.

Kel Rekuta

Ken Mondschein wrote:Nobody mentioned my spadone book

Spadone is neither a beginners weapon nor is it a longsword. Aside from a poleaxe, spadone is possibly the worst thing for a noob to start studying alone.

Kel Rekuta

They won't be doing anything as they tabled the concept until it becomes feasible. They are simply looking for revenue streams to survive as an organization. They have absolutely nothing to contribute to the HEMA community except the possibility of insurance coverage. Said coverage is available more...

Kel Rekuta

Something I have long been wondering, is it possible to make a large 'stamp' say the size of the top of the box and use a press and press it into the leather? I have a friend who owned a screwpress originally used to emboss metal ceiling "tiles" about 100+ years ago---had about a 2' sq die on it......

Kel Rekuta

Its just that people won't or can't pay for the craftwork. While I think you hit the nail on the head in the last part, I think your missing what Gaston is getting at. By changing the economics of how something is produced you can create economic efficiencies and change the cost. As I think Kilkenn...

Kel Rekuta

The Medieval Experience (tm) is what I'm trying to enhance here. You guys have given me some great ideas. How about furniture- Niall touched on chests. Are there other pieces of furniture you're having trouble finding? There are lots of people making period chests and other movables. Even more turn...

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