The Armour Archive

I'm having trouble shaping the dishes to my satisfaction. What do you reccomend for stakes/dishes for the general curve in the belly area? I'm getting some really awful results with my lack of equipment. I basically have an anvil, some pine 1/4, and a mushroom stake. I've got other stuff, of course, but that's all I have that I think will work.

Any suggestions? I don't see a lot of real shallow dishes outside of Cad's shop.

I used a section of log with dishes carved into either end. Sand/shot bags also work. Metal dishes can be bought or made if you do hot work. A round hammer to the inside while your piece is on the anvil will bump out the big dents pretty quickly.

I've got pictures of my CH S13 breastplate on my website for reference. I think I made the only one I've seen that was dished a little TOO much (not a continuous curve from the top view, a bit more scalloped).

Keep at it!

Jacob

I'd grab a tree stump and carve out a dish. An angle grinder works well, but I've heard folks have done it with chain saws, or chissels. I'd recommend a rawhide hammer, though you could shape the face of a small hand sledge, or cross pein to make a smooth dome. It strikes me that while the shot bags should work, it's more of a freehand approach, so you'd get more control, but it might take more precise blows and a careful eye.