The Armour Archive

Hey guys,

So I'm working on a bascinet with a klapp visor, and I'm at the part where I'm raising the oculars. Most of the rough forming is done, but my question is this: How do I go about sharpening the indented area right in between the eyes? Also, how do I make a crisp edge all around the occulars, where they meet the body of the visor?

Thanks in advance.

No one has advice? Am I asking a valid question?

Give it some time. Weekends aren't the best time to ask as many are at events or just spending time with the family.

I am watching for the answer too. Your project is beyond my skills, but I am interested none the less.

While I have no idea how to do what you are asking, I am pretty sure there was a discussion about this a number of months ago. I think it was discussed betwen MattMaus and MadMatt about whether welding and grinding, or just punching with a chisel was better. Do some searching and you may find it.

(I am not sure about the people involved or the length of time ago it was.)

On Monday morning you will get plenty of answers.

You guys are right. I'm getting a bit too antsy.

Hi,

I would suggest making the occulars a little deeper. Then work the outside over a square stake like one would clean op a crease. The lower 'inside' corners I planish from the inside out over my anvil corner.

Also from the picture I would dish a bit deeper at the nose area. Also I would have slightly slanted the occulars instead of having them straight across. See attachment.

Cheers,

Max

I use the sharp edges of a stake or anvil, hammer from the inside against the flat it to sharpen up the sides and then hammer from the outside over the edge to get the corners/ angles.

I would be tempted to make the slot slightly thinner (or extend the raised areas either side of it) they could be a little more pronounced IMHO.

Looks good though,

JonT

Thanks for the advice, guys.

I will definitely raise the occulars further. I hadn't notice that.

The visor looks goofier with the wide occulars, but I will probably leave them that wide just because this is for SCA combat.

When you finish, don't cut the hole out, remove as little as possible, and fold the metal back inside to reinforce it.

That's super advice, because the ocularia take a beating. Especially the left one.

Best,

John

Damn, I wish I had read that advice earlier. I already cut out the eyes. Oh well.

Anyway, here are pictures of the finished visor. The helm is almost done. I just need to finish the hinge attachment and as verveilles and an aventail. And a liner and chin strap, of course.







Questions and comments are welcome.

Turned out great!

Is the hole pattern based on anything historical?

Richard de Scolay wrote:Turned out great!

Is the hole pattern based on anything historical?

The breaths? No, I pretty much made them up. Although they may be plagiarized off of other reproduction helms I've seen.

Hi Tableau, Nice job on the Klapp there. What did you use to shape the Occulars?

Take care

Pitbull

Jon Terris wrote:I use the sharp edges of a stake or anvil, hammer from the inside against the flat it to sharpen up the sides and then hammer from the outside over the edge to get the corners/ angles.

Looks good though,

JonT

I would recomend this technique as well. Be certain that the anvil face (or generally a horn with 2 good edged) is as smooth as you would keep your hammer faces... but the answer is irrelevant as you have already gone past this point. Looks pretty good.

Sean