The Armour Archive

How does one achieve the tulip shape on the vambraces? I tried to make one this weekend but it seems my attempts were too amatureish at best. Does most of the shape come from the pattern of the steel or more to do with the raising?

Here is what I did. The un-formed metal piece for both sides (vambrace cap and bottom) where trapizodial in shape. I shallowly dished the back piece (towards the elbow) of each. Then tried to shrink the rest of the metal towards the wrist. But it didn't quite work out.

Are there any tips out there for this? What type of hammer, which stake, etc...

Have you tried stretching them? I use a cross pein or a raising hammer and hammer along the inside of the vambrace near the wrist end. In a while the metal stretches out and away from the hammer, giving it a nice tulipped shape. Then grinding takes care of the irregularites. Finish by turning the edge.
Hope this helps.

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/jamesc/Vambrace/IMAG0132.JPG[/img]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/jamesc/Vambrace/IMAG0135.JPG[/img]

Two pics of the vambrace in question. It doesn't look quite right.

Pedro: what kind of stake are you using to stretch them?

Actually it looks quite nice to me. Sometimes subtle is good too.
I don't use a stake. I use the flat of my bichorn and then the rounded part when I get to the point where the stretching needs to have a more rounded shape.
Most of the work is done on the inside. If it helps you can add about 1/4" of metal to your pattern. Then when the shape is to your liking, you cut or grind till the edge is straight.

So let me get this straight. You work from the inside?!?! Are you calling the inside the side that faces your arm or the side that faces everyone?

All the work on that one has been on the side that faces everyone. If you are talking about the side towards the arm how do you get a cross pien in there without totally distorting the 'U' shape?

I've had some trouble getting the cross pien method to work cleanly. What did work for me was this- on a curved stake (shaped like your forearm) put the vambrace on it like the stake is wearing it, then pick the elbow end up a little. Pound down (from the outside) a few inches from the cuff to get the end to flare. It takes many passes, and a moderately domed hammer, maybe a raising hammer might work best for you. Pleinishing such a complex saddle shaped curve is a little tricky, so you might want to make a form for it.

The final result is amazingly strong, so you can probably get away with grinding down some of the more subtle bumps.