The Armour Archive

Hi all!

I have my new shop up and running, wanted to share some progrees pics of what I'm working on.

Both of the projects are custom pieces and still need to be assembled, but happy with them so far.....hope the customers are!

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/custombauzubands2.jpg">

A better pic of the tooling....

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/custombauzubands1.jpg">

Some gauntlets I'm working on.....

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/customgauntlets.jpg">

A detail of the tooled metacarple....

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/tooledmetacarple.jpg">

What do y'all think? I'm still trying to upload my photoedit program, so these are still pretty rough looking.....but they convey the basic idea....

I love seeing your work, i might have to try cuir bouille some time and see how it turns out.

Just finished up the Gauntlets! Wanted to share them too.

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/customgauntlets1.jpg">

<IMG src="http://houseofthewolf.com/pics/customgauntlets4.jpg">

Again, the clarity leaves a lot to be desired....gotta get a better editing program, or maybe a camera that focuses better.

Excellent, my friend!!!
Most excellent!

I will send you details here soon of my own request. Life has been rather busy of late....

Thanks y'all, for your comments. I was actually looking for some conversation on hardening/shaping techniques, as well as tooling shaped leather.

Come on leather workers! Lets cross pollinate techniques!

Uilleag, If I lived in GA I would be at your shop all the time.
Your work gets better with ever single piece.
Very nicely done.

Thanks I.Irish! I have been attempting to improve, spending a little more attention to detail seems to have really paid off. Lets discuss hardening techniques.

I have been expierimenting with Chris Dobson's techniques and I have to say that they are working out quite well. I haven't tried the Gesso or hide glue yet. Just the water hardening, shaping and heat treating. I have found that dish forming results in a slightly more ridgid finished piece than lasting. I think that is because the dishing further compresses the leather, making it more dense. Care has to be taking to insure that the leather isn't compressed too much during the shaping process, otherwise you will damage the leather and cause it to weaken or tear.

I plan on trying the gesso and hide glues later this fall, but I was wondering if any others out there had already tried it, and what thier results were.

What sort of hammer/dish do you use for forming? I just shape the wet leather by hand and then adjust as needed during the drying process, but I haven't tried much in the way of a 3d curve. I'm guessing that you use a very smooth form to prevent surface damage to the leather. My stump or my steel form are probably not smooth enough.

I use steel dishing forms that I purchased from Iron Monger. I polished them up with an angle grinder. I use a combination of rubber faced mallets for planishing and steel shaping hammers for the dishing.

If cleaning your forms is more work than you have time for, line them with garmet weight leather, this will protect your leather very well. As for your hammers, I dedicate my rubber mallets for shaping leather exclusively to keep the faces smooth, the metal hammers get polished up occassionaly to keep them from marring the leather.

Have you ever tried used diluted Elmer's or another water soluble glue in your water treating process? I would think that if it was allowed to penetrate deep enough the Elmer's would greatly increase the longevity of the armour pieces.

Irish,

That's an interesting idea! Elmer's is much less expessive than art supply gesso! I think if you use the same technique for applying it, it just might work. I will have to experiment.

Have you tried it? If so, what were your results.

I havn't tried it, I have thought about it often but I currently don't have the leather or a project to try it on.

When you soak your leather, how long do you let it soak? I found that I got the best penatration if I let it soak til all bubbles stop coming out of the piece. I know it takes longer but I think you get better absorption.

I grow impatient if I watch the leather to see when the bubbles have stopped, I usually let it soak for about 4 - 6 hours. Then again, I'm using armour bend leather. Its 16 - 18 oz compressed leather, usually used for sole leather in shoe making, but there are enough armourers using it that the Leather Factory changed the name from sole bend to armour bend....Pretty cool, huh?

I started a pair of cuir bouili shovel greeves, took pics of the leather, the cut out pieces, w/ the tool I use to cut it and then pics of the soaking process....I'll be writing up a little for each picture to describe what it is I'm doing, and why, as well as referances to period techniques and how I varied from that and why.

Should have it completed by tomorrow.....I'll post it here when it is finished.

Uilleag,
Pretty cool, but man you need to let people know where your new shop is located. How can people sit at your feet and bask in the light of your knowlege if they're in the wrong location. Your stuff is getting better every time I see it, way to go brother.

Harailt

My new shop is in Maryland, you know that. You planning a road trip? I'm thinking of hosting a workshop sometime in the late fall, maybe early spring.....gotta get some stuff together, etc. My shop is way to small for something like that, so I will be coordinating some stuff. I'll let y'all know what comes together.

Uilleag wrote:My new shop is in Maryland, you know that. You planning a road trip? I'm thinking of hosting a workshop sometime in the late fall, maybe early spring.....gotta get some stuff together, etc. My shop is way to small for something like that, so I will be coordinating some stuff. I'll let y'all know what comes together.

Nice gaunts, Uilleag!

I have an idea... why don't BOTH of you come to the next Armourer's Guild seminar in Jan/Feb of next year! Crash space available.

http://www.armourguild.org/calendar.php

Drag Geoff up while your at it.

Harailt:

Send me your address. I have some things to send down to you! I'll get them in the mail before I head up to Minnesota next Tuesday.

That sounds like a good idea, Brian. Not much happening in Jan/Feb...except gearing up for Gulf Wars! LOL

What would you say to a leather workshop/class. I can custom it to fit into a time schedule and focus on whatever you would like....let me know

Don't know what Geoff's schedule will be. I know with reduced help in his shop, he will feel pressed for time, but we can ask him.

Uilleag wrote:That sounds like a good idea, Brian. Not much happening in Jan/Feb...except gearing up for Gulf Wars! LOL

What would you say to a leather workshop/class. I can custom it to fit into a time schedule and focus on whatever you would like....let me know.

A course on leatherworking would be great. You really would not need to cart much over. I could cover the tools, material, etc, that you would need, I believe. I can try to get some stuff from my buddy down at the Leather Factory in Elgin, if you would need supplies.

I think that would go good as a contrast to the metalworking at Centaur. Two different materials! Since your stuff needs drying time... we could space things out just right, I believe.

I will get you a date as soon as I have one from Centaur. Then you can see if it will fit your schedule.

I will not be at GW next year either... had to work this year and baby on the way that weekend or abouts next year.

We can continue this discussion offline. BTW: I have heard a few people around this neck of the woods complement you on your work! Keep it up!