The Armour Archive

Greetings,
I find myself a bit puzzled at the moment in regards to making my pattern the right size. I got a pattern for a helm a wile back and by a stroke of luck the pattern I printed out and it indeed up being the perfect size for me. A friend of mine after seeing the helm I made asked me if I would make him one too. And well seeing that I had a lot of fun making mine I agreed to do it. However, I am not sure how to adjust the pattern so it will come out to be the right size for him. It’s a simple pattern I just do not know how to reduce or enlarge patterns that require dishing yet. Basically I just need to make sure it will be 29.75â€Â

photocopier

Well that part I know, but I do not know in what line is going to dictate the size of the helm I am only assuming that it is the bottom one and do not know if I need to have any type of an allowance to compensate for the dishing.

i normally copy the pattern into Word and paste it to the full size of the image then increase/decrease the zoom the the right size, then copy the picture of it off the screen onto transparency paper, then normal paper.

If this is the pattern you used, measure your helm; subtract his measurement from yours; divide the difference in half and reduce/ enlarge the pattern from there.

hope this makes sense

Kinda sorta

Photocopier is the best way to maintain perfect proportion while increasing size.

If the size increase is substantial, try printing your pattern onto a transparency, and use an overhead projector to project it onto your cardboard taped to the projection wall... again, this maintains perfect proportion.

sorry it took so long to reply,

let me try to clarify.

if the pattern you used to make your helm is the one your showing. measure the bottom line of the pattern say- 11". this is half of the circumference.
take your measurement say-23.5".

take his measurement say- 22"
Subtract 23.5 from 22= 1.5" divide that in half to get .75"

adjust the pattern down using a copier or drawing to make the pattern .75" smaller than the original. that should give you the proper size. keep in mind that the overall dimension is .75" smaller (i.e. the height)

If his head is bigger, say yours being 22" and his 23.5, same thing but increase the pattern by .75, (again it will also increase the height)

I use this technique to make helmets, elbows and knees for my 2 boy's.

remember that a pattern is subject to the way you work it! tweak the pattern to suit your needs and interpretation

any better?.....I hope

If' you'e got a 22 inch head, and dude has a 24 inch head, make the pattern 10-12 % larger(can always add padding to adjust fit )