The Armour Archive

I'm trying to find a pattern for the faceplate for a crusader helm, and cannot seem to find one in the archive.

Thanks,

Perry

Welcome and well come -- may your stay here be long. Not sure I understand where the problem is. Why would you seek a premade pattern when just about anyone simply makes one up for the faceplate themselves? The matter is comparable to why no one patterns a greathelm's top cap.

If you have the pothelm's skull already -- saltshaker or rounded -- get out a book that illustrates a Crusader's helm, some manila folder to make the pattern of, a Sharpie, masking tape and scissors and start literally drawing its shape, cutting and trying. You make a pattern of your own through experimenting, and the fold in the manila folder makes an excellent centerline to go up your nose to your brow. I imagine you have some idea what you'd like it to look like and maybe some notion of how you'd arrange it to have room for your nose? They're not at all subtle metalwork.

They're sort of W shaped in plan: three bits that rise to fasten to the helm skull with the lower parts of the two sights, eye slots, in between the three things rising to be riveted to the brow, which is the top of the sights. Breaths are formed to taste. A hint for the period look is don't drill large-diameter circular holes -- large twist drills are quite modern. They seem to have made holes differently, possibly by pounding a spike through the metal and filing the resulting pimple until the hole is as big as wanted. Vertical slots were more usual by the time one had gone to such labors. Drill 3 or 4 holes, touching, like OOO, then use a small file, even a round file, to get in there and remove the fangs inside, then a small flat file to cut the slot ends to square, ending up with a rectangle: []. Small circular holes were rather more common than any biggies, in decorative patterns or mixed with other piercings. With care in dishing and bending your face plate, you can even do the drilling-out while the metal is still flat; very easy.

The thing to be careful about in putting vent holes in a face plate is when you bend it to become part of your helm: the metal can do all its bending on the dotted lines you just made drilling for breaths. But by hammering at it properly you can avoid the resulting series of facets and make an even curvature. Or else you just use a hand drill and a centerpunch and drill into a bent plate. Easiest if you do this from inside the curve, not outside. Less trouble with the bit wandering.

I'm not sure what secret thing you don't think you know, so do say more.

Take note of the pic of Halberds' Pothelm kit, in here. Getting the idea?

I wonder if we'll see Perrywrogers again... just the one post, a week ago. Hope so.

That helps, thank you.