Good helm padding?

[Livia Tasia]

I've noticed most of tha arming caps I've found are out of stock. Must be popular!

[Rana]

I have one of these, they're great:
http://www.linengarb.com/all/coif-hood.html

Not padded, just one layer of linen, but I won't fight without a linen coif, myself.

[Konstantin the Red]

They are also easy sewing. Just sayin'.

[MalkomeKarre]

They are also easy sewing. Just sayin'.

Know of any good patterns? Not for the arming cap so much as the sew in liner for a bascinet

[Maire O Halowrane]

If you google Helmet Liner vs Arming Cap.. you will find several sites that sell them.. you just filter out the ones that are military sites.

Here are just a few..
http://redskytrader.com/medieval-helmet ... p-801.html
http://www.knightsedge.com/c-96-helmet-padding.aspx
http://steel-mastery.com/index.php?&mod ... uct_id=131

[MalkomeKarre]

Thanks. I really didn't want to use blue camp foam that could be better put towards padding crossbow bolts. The steel mastery one looks perfect.

[MalkomeKarre]

But of course since it's coming across the atlantic, shipping is more than the asking price.

[Konstantin the Red]

And if that's a dealbreaker, time to get ingenious your own self.

All you really need to sew up for your bascinet liner is an arming-coif shape, padded up. Same two panels for the sides of the head and a broad stripe down the middle -- but no tapering at the nape of the neck. Then it's a little broader around the bottom but otherwise shaped to your head. Drill lots of stitch holes in around the bascinet's lower edge, sew the stuffynge in with nylon stitch-awl thread and see how she fits. I suggest doing the stitches in two or three independent segments so if a thread breaks, the padding can only flop so far, and fix-up is quick.

[MalkomeKarre]

I would like to go ahead and do my own, but i'm not sure if I trust my skull to something made by someone like me. And the shipping isn't really a deal breaker. Just wish there were stateside alternatives.

[Louis de Leon]

ETA: I can't find the arming cap on revivalUS. Is there another web site that has them?

http://revival.us/linenhelmetliner.aspx I think this is what he was talking about. Might be getting one myself

And it looks like they're out of stock.

Keep in mind that Revival US is Brian Price's company. Caveat emptor.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=129990

[Livia Tasia]

Ah well never mind on that. I'll figure out how to make one or have someone make one.

Would a regular bandana work in a pinch?

[Maire O Halowrane]

I would like to go ahead and do my own, but i'm not sure if I trust my skull to something made by someone like me. And the shipping isn't really a deal breaker. Just wish there were stateside alternatives.

There are.. just have to sort through all the links from the google search.. my husband actually found the pattern for one like that from Steel-mastery

[Konstantin the Red]

Ah well never mind on that. I'll figure out how to make one or have someone make one.

Would a regular bandana work in a pinch?

As a sweatcatcher, yes. In a pinch.

[Tomburr]

Go with a linen liner stuffed with some organic fibers, or even just plain cotton. It worked very well in period, and we've yet to improve on that technology.

I use alpaca hair that can be purchased for a few dollars from any Tandy's Leather store. Seriously, it changed my fighting when I got the foam crap out of my helm. I suddenly wasn't having overheating head syndrome and ripping my helm off every chance I got, and no more sweat pouring down my face and into my eyes & mouth mid-battle.

[Otto von Teich]

I'm with Konstantin, linen tow stuffed in a linen liner. So cool, so comfy, so period you'll never go back. It wicks the sweat away.

[Konstantin the Red]

And if tow is hard to find, use layers of linen fabric. Quilt it to be boofy if needed -- however much boof is necessary.

Filing that alpaca-hair stuffing idea away for future reference.

[Clinker]

The GOOD pipe insulation for padding is called ARMAFLEX, and is NOT the grey stuff you see for hot water pipes. It is used mostly to insulate Air conditioning refrigerant piping, and is a black foam that is far more resilient than blue foam type padding. You can get it at HVAC supply shops. The bigger the diameter. the easier to cut it flat, unless you WANT to use tubes. Heck, I'd check McMasters-Carr, they carry everything else.

[Gurahl]

The jigsaw floor sections for workshops and under a treadmill or elliptical machine are usually made out of 1/2 in EVA foam. For those of you that are pinching pennies or like me trying to hide purchases for armour related things inside of larger family purchases, you can find these at your local (insert your choice of mega store here). The EVA definitely absorbs more force without bottoming out than the blue stuff.

[Sigismund von Helfenstein]

Since is hasn't been suggested yet... ACH pads.

http://www.ownthenight.com/catalog/i97.html

The link is just the first one I found, may not be the best price.

They aren't period, but they are damned effective, easily installed, easily removed, easily re-arranged, easily switched between helmets. A set of these and some hook and loop (velcro) pads will keep you going virtually forever, all you need are new hook and loop pads for each helmet you get and you can swap them out in seconds. You can also change the pad arrangement to suit your particular skull.

I am a believer in period solutions myself, but when it comes to my cranium I like having a nice coating of science keeping my grey matter in place.

[Gurahl]

Okay...I originally disagreed, but I have to say that after pulling the pads out of my ACH and test fitting them that they do work rather well. The one thing though is that they are a little thick so if you have a close fitting helm it will be very snug.

[Sigismund von Helfenstein]

Okay...I originally disagreed, but I have to say that after pulling the pads out of my ACH and test fitting them that they do work rather well. The one thing though is that they are a little thick so if you have a close fitting helm it will be very snug.

True. They "break in" a little bit over time, but if your helm fits super tight you may not have room for them.

[Maire O Halowrane]

You can always just make your own fill pads and add velcro in place of the ones that come with the ACH. If you use linen cloth filled with linen or even cotton.. then attach velcro so you can just stick them in.. you have a good padded set up and good cooling system as the linen/cotton will wick the sweat away.. can just toss the pads in the wash when needed and the dryer will fluff them back up.. if they wear out.. just make new pads.

[Andrew Sterner]

FINALLY search-fu paid off. First, how do I get closed-cell padding into the helmet? I see the 2" strip method, but I bought enough padding to line the whole helmet. I was wondering how folks went about padding with artificial stuff

Adding to this, would a combination of closed-cell foam and linen be measurable to closed and open cell as far as protection goes?

I'm asking because I just bought some fancy helmet padding, and I'm thinking this plus a padded coif would be an awesome way to add to this.

[Konstantin the Red]

First, how do I get closed-cell padding into the helmet? I see the 2" strip method, but I bought enough padding to line the whole helmet. I was wondering how folks went about padding with artificial stuff...

Well, Andrew, ever taken a look inside a fellow fighter's helmet in your Shire or Barony?

About the best way is to cut some strips of closed-cell about two inches broad, and make yourself a spangen-helm frame of the strips: a band around your brow and strips crossing overhead, leaving the panel areas void: does the job but doesn't trap all the heat your head generates. Fit it to the inside of your helmet and expect linen padding of one arrangement or another to fit the works to your head.

. . . would a combination of closed-cell foam and linen be measurable to closed and open cell as far as protection goes?

Yes. It's a good pacifier for inexperienced Marshals too. Make the linen part slightly poofy so it's acting like the open-cell.

There are I have no idea how many threads on-site on this very topic. Every bit of it.

[edit] Ductape holds strips of closed-cell together nicely. Holds it in place to the interior of the helmet okay.

[Albrechtthesilent]

I just bought some fancy helmet padding

What did you buy? Believe it or not I've found how you had a helm (with foam) varies by what kind of foam is used.

The black type like you'll find offered through Windrose works best in strips, with spaces left between for the foam to expand under high impact. The more the merrier. I made mine somewhere around 3/4" - 1" wide and seperated them by roughly 1/4" or so. I just start with a rough cross front to back and side to side. From there I fill in between using larger strips first, then filling in with the shorter pieces where needed.

The colored yoga mat or sleeping pads don't work this way.

If it's the new Ice Falcon stuff, I've no experience with it and cannot advise how best to use it.

As for how to get it to stay put, I use 3M Super77 spray adhesive.
Carefully spray the surface of your foam (the surface you intend to lay against the interior of the helm; seems obvious, but it's easy to get disoriented or forget how you'd intended the piece to fit).
While the adhesive is still wet, place the piece where you want it inside the helm.
Immediately peel it back up and lay it back down again where you want it.
Doing this applies the adhesive to the surface of the helm. You've just created two sticky surface binding to one-another, instead of one binding to a not-so-permeable metal surface.

There is a balance between too much and not enough adhesive. Not enough and it won't stay in the helm long-term, it'll fall out after a few practices or less. Too much and it takes longer to get the adhesive dry enough to stick.

Albrecht

[Gethin]

ETA: I can't find the arming cap on revivalUS. Is there another web site that has them?

http://revival.us/linenhelmetliner.aspx I think this is what he was talking about. Might be getting one myself
And it looks like they're out of stock.

I purchased on of those, but I never installed it. I feel that there is not enough padding as is and never got around to adding more.

[Arrakis]

Made something similar to that last based on this .doc: http://kelly.dwarfworks.com/sca/helms/H ... andout.doc the other night and, while I haven't fought in it, it seems plenty good, even just stuffed with poly-cotton quilt batting. With a good chinstrap, that is.

[Malek]

Some stuff I have found that works well is the thicker yoga mats you can get from Wal-Mart.
About $20 for the roll, but plenty for a helm or 5. Thicker than the typical smurf-blubber and softer, too. So it will absorb impact before bottoming out.
For my wife's helm, I did the initial spangen-frame lining and then filled it out to suit her head - works quite well now and no pressure points.

[Takeyama]

Arming caps made from terry-cloth (towels) work very well for sweat retention/control

[Gurahl]

Made from or padded with?

[Konstantin the Red]

I'd try "lined with."

[Andrew Sterner]

A bit of an update...I finished padding it, only took one sheet. It's done as recommended before in the spangen style with the extra bits dividing it into 1/8th's. I hit myself in the head as hard as I could and feel very safe with it. I figure a padded arming cap with eliminate any wiggle room hat's in it and make it a comfortable fit.

Thanks to everyone for the input, next step is the arming cap...what do folks recommend for the batting(interior)? I'm going to use natural-colored linen as the shell.

[Konstantin the Red]

Why not discount-priced linen all the way through? Quilters' batting is just a thicker fabric and a little squashy, kind of flannel-like. Try the batting with bamboo fiber in its blend; it rides fairly cool.

Anything soft is fine.