Greenwich Buckhurst armour

[Chris Gilman]

Yes, thanks, I should edit the entry;
2 hour etches seem to be working well. I have tried multiple things to extend the length of etch to replace the number of etches, but I have not found anything that improves the length of the etch.

[Indianer]

If you wish to edit just refer to this post, don´t spiral into labor because of my nagging ;P After the service you´ve rendered to this community I am really happy to see that shining outcome for yourself. Kudos.

[Sean M]

Thanks for the update Chris!

This is a test post because I get a database error when I try to post in the arbalest thread.

General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]

Incorrect string value: '\xF0\x9F\x98\x9E\xC2\xA0...' for column 'post_text' at row 1 [1366]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.

Edit: solved- one program where I stored my draft post had turned a

Code: Select all

8)

smilie into a Unicode smilie and the forum software choked on it.

[Chris Gilman]

It has been a while since I have updated this project. Partly due to my Global Effects web site being upgraded, and loosing the links to my file sharing folders. I have fixed the broken links on this thread, and thought I would show folks where the project is currently.
The etching process has changed a little, with the addition of using Duralux Marine paint for the dots. Being formulated for salt water corrosion protection, this works better than the nail polish for the tiny dots. The etch times are still 90 minutes each, with 3-4 etches being used. I still have not figured out why sometimes the etch is very aggressive, and other times not so much.
Gilding is still brush plating, and I now use a smaller tip (pen plating tip) to refresh the gold if it gets "burnt" during the heat bluing process.
I am don with the base armour, which is the full suit with the armet, and it's two visors. As well as the plackard. I am currently decorating the tilting pieces and should have those complete in the next week or so. The remaining pieces are the Burgonet, falling buff and locking gauntlet.
Here are some images of the latest pieces:















Plackard:


Inside of the placard:




Tilting pieces in progress:


This project has taken so long, I have gained too much weight to properly fit in it, so diet, diet, diet....

[Chris Gilman]

Here are a couple of links to helmet videos:
Tilting visor:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJexDJ9nScw ... hare_sheet

Field Visor and reinforce:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJOsQr_HrYd ... _copy_link

[Johann ColdIron]

The detail work is wonderful Chris. I really appreciate your documentation of it.

Hard to imagine actually fighting in it! Of course Sackville would have had a fleet of attendants to keep in it working order.

I hear ya on keeping trim to fit in a cuirass. It is one of my motivating factors for sure...

[Scott Martin]

Just when I get the sense that I am starting to know what I'm doing, Chris (or Mac, or Ugo or...) posts something like this and I realize how far I have to go...

Guess I should get off my kiester and update the gauntlet thread, since those are in the realm of "possible for mere mortals". I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this finished, and appreciate the detailed build instructions, although I would probably need to take a year or three off just to get to the point where this was something feasible for me to attempt.

Thanks for pushing the boundaries guys - I'm looking forward to more beautiful shiny shapes.

Scott

[Chris Gilman]

UPDATE: on Etching Paste

So, murphy's law,
I'm etching the last pieces, (Burgonet & Locking gauntlet) and it turns out, you do not need acetic acid (Vinegar) in the salt / copper sulfate etching paste mixture. Distilled water is is all you need.

There was a thread on a Facebook group, (I have looked for the thread, but it seems to have been deleted) where someone asked about etching, and a fellow posted that you don't want to use acetic acid, only distilled water. He sounded as if he had actual chemistry knowledge, something I lack, and I thought, you know, I never tested that.
I posted a response, that the recipes I had read, all seemed to indicate vinegar as a component, but that I never tested the mixture with just water.
Well, I have, and the distilled water paste etches just as effectively. It is also less harsh to the dots applied with the Duralux marine paint.

I know I have been all over the map with recipes and etching times, but here is what I'm using with consistent results:

Tested recipe:
240 grams Salt ("flour" salt- very fine)
240 grams Copper sulfate
60 grams bone charcoal
35 grams activated charcoal (fine powder)
Distilled water to wet paste out to a thick paste.
Let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and remix.
Apply to area to be etched approximately 5 to 8mm or 3/16" to 1/4" thick
let sit for 90 minutes, repeat for desired etch depth. To get an etch depth similar to the Greenwich armour, I am using 3 - 4 applications.

I am now curious if I can cut down, or eliminate the charcoal.

[Chris Gilman]

Dr. Capwell was nice enough to measure the caps on the real armour and they averaged out at 11mm & 8mm
I found some mass produced brass domes that seem to work very well. They unfortunately are only available in 8mm & 10mm
Since they are already punched, these are a little tougher to solder than the ones Mac made, but I think with some more tests, I can modify Mac's method to find a satisfactory solution.



While the 10mm look pretty good, I have some shallow 12mm domes on their way and I think I can dome these further with my dapping set to make them deeper and closer to 11mm.

Also,
Here is the solution I devised to add the brass caps to the steel rivets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO7ZLKq ... ST&index=3

[Johann ColdIron]

Never thought of sourcing the domes! That takes some of the tedium out of making those. They are fiddly. I made some when I first put together my gorget. For my cuirass components I'd need just under 100.

What I really wish is that we could organize group buy a bunch of complete capped rivets at a reasonable price. I'd be in for 1000.

[Indianer]

Hi Chris, thank you for updating this! It's great to know that paste so thoroughly tested

[Sean M]

There is a recipe for etching steel in the (early 14th century English) Secretum Philosophorum. It mixes one part willow charcoal, one part baked salt, tempered with vinegar, and paints the steel thickly with white lead tempered in linseed oil to resist the etchant. Leave for one month, wetting the corrosive whenever it dries out, then clean the corrosive and the white lead off the knife.

Latin text and English translation in clarke-secretum-philosophorum.