Tailored Mail Sleeve (à la Mac) in progress

[Tom B.]

I have been wanting a nice set of mail sleeves for several years but have been unable to find a commercially available set that fit my desires.
I finally decide to bite the bullet and make my own set.
These are based on the work Mac did using Wade's 16th century sleeves (click to see thread).

I am using 6mm round ring round rivet with 50% soild rings.
(sorry for the bad cell phone photos)

Upper sleeve in progress (note my paper model to made to make sure I understood the arm pit)


Upper sleeve complete


Forearm in progress (still needs reductions on right side)

[Tom B.]

My plan is to make something like this


Which was discussed in another thread started by Mac

[Keegan Ingrassia]

*Bookmarked* Looking forward to seeing these progress, Tom.

[Mike F]

What would be the difference between a sleeve and a voider in this context?

[Tom B.]

What would be the difference between a sleeve and a voider in this context?

Generally the term voider is used for a gutter shaped piece of mail that covers the arm pit and maybe the inside of the elbow.
It is not a fully enclosed tube.

A sleeve is just that a tube of mail for the arm.

[Mike F]

Neat, thanks!

[Tom B.]

A bit more progress today.
It is slow going, especially since this is my first real foray into mail.
I will be hard pressed to have this first sleeve finished in time for Wade's study session.
I will bring it regardless.

Pictures to be posted later.

[Kristoffer]

Will you asseble it with butted rings (brass ones perhaps) before you rivet it together or are you doing it hardcore?

[Tom B.]

Will you asseble it with butted rings (brass ones perhaps) before you rivet it together or are you doing it hardcore?

Hardcore all the way!

[Tom B.]

I made more progress this evening and will have photos to post tomorrow.
If things go as planning I should still be able to have it done in time for Wade's get together.

I was a bit disheartened earlier due finding a mistake.
It did cost a couple of hours but that was it.

[Johann ColdIron]

I made more progress this evening and will have photos to post tomorrow.
If things go as planning I should still be able to have it done in time for Wade's get together.

I was a bit disheartened earlier due finding a mistake.
It did cost a couple of hours but that was it.

Sometimes you have to go backwards to move forwards. Looking forward to seeing the progress at Wades!

[wcallen]

It is probably to late for this to help... but you can assemble the piece using the riveted rings.. .but not rivet them. (do remember where they are, maybe die them or something). Then, when you have the section done and everything is lying right, pop the rivets in. That way taking out errors is pretty quick. I have done this on stuff for G. It is most useful when doing what you are doing - small, fiddly things where things go wrong easily.

Wade

[Tom B.]

It is probably to late for this to help... but you can assemble the piece using the riveted rings.. .but not rivet them. (do remember where they are, maybe die them or something). Then, when you have the section done and everything is lying right, pop the rivets in. That way taking out errors is pretty quick. I have done this on stuff for G. It is most useful when doing what you are doing - small, fiddly things where things go wrong easily.

Wade

I am doing just this for the armpit area.
The others parts are not too bad and can be riveted immediately.
My loose rings are still blackened while the bulk of the rest has been cleaned.
This helps to see things.

[Tom B.]

I am kind of on hold with my work on this right now, while I try to resolve some ring count discrepancies.
I am pretty sure I know what I need to do to fix things, I just want to be sure before I cut things to add more rows.

[Tom B.]

Mac helped clear up the discrepancies and I now have the info I need to complete this project.
Unfortunately I will be needing to add some additional rows to widen both the upper and lower sleeves.

[Tom B.]

finally getting back to working on these

Second sleeve cutout and ready to pieces together.

[Johann ColdIron]

finally getting back to working on these

Second sleeve cutout and ready to pieces together.

Go Tom Go!

[Vermillion]

Nice !

[wcallen]

Not to add any pressure... but gonna have them done for Days of Knights? One of mine will be there, it would be fun to compare.

Wade

[Tom B.]

Not to add any pressure... but gonna have them done for Days of Knights? One of mine will be there, it would be fun to compare.

Wade

That is my goal.
I plan on putting them to use there as well.

[wcallen]

Not to add any pressure... but gonna have them done for Days of Knights? One of mine will be there, it would be fun to compare.

Wade

That is my goal.
I plan on putting them to use there as well.

Good plan. We can keep talking about what I will bring.

Any idea who will be playing? Also I haven't decided if I want to try to wander around on Friday and see everyone. I don't know what will really be going on, how the archery stuff will go and how picky they will really be. I am shooting pretty badly right now...

Wade

[Tom B.]

I am back in China after a brief 8 day trip home.
Starting tonight I will be working a bit everyday on my various mail projects.

Sleeves from this thread and here are the threads for the other projects.
6mm Riveted Standard
Breyette

[Tom B.]

The standard is now fully assembled and riveted.
One sleeve the arm pit cross grain joint is figured out and assembled, thanks to Mac's advice and notes.

[Tom B.]

The standard is now fully assembled and riveted.

I have one sleeve with the arm pit cross grain joint figured out and assembled, thanks to Mac's advice and notes. This is the trickiest part by far and I wasted quite a bit of time on this. Things should go much faster now, I hope.

I hope to finish the sleeves by Sunday and start on the Breyette.

[Tom B.]

One sleeve is completed.

Progress on the other maybe delayed a bit since I have had to cut my business trip short due to a family emergency.

After I get home, I will have to see if I can find time to work on mail and mind 5 kids while my wife is out of town for a few days.

[Tom B.]

Standard completed, lined ,edged ,buckle and hooks made & attached.

[Ckanite]

Pictures, man! We NEED pictures!

[Keegan Ingrassia]

I concur!

[Kalle Ommer]

without pictures this never happened

[Tom B.]

without pictures this never happened

Standard pics added in its own thread here.

[Tom B.]

Second sleeve fully assembled.
I have spotted a couple of mistakes in the first sleeve.
It is nothing that will keep me from using them this weekend.
Also it should be easy to fix.

I also should have a chance to photograph them along side of one of Wade's original sleeves on Thursday evening.

[Ckanite]

We'll be waiting

[Keegan Ingrassia]

Not in a creepy or ominous way, though. Well...maybe a little creepy.

[Tom B.]

Top sleeve is M-15 from Wade's collection
Bottom is my newly made sleeve

[Jason Grimes]

Excellent Tom!! Looking good.