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I picked up a dished 2-piece BP and 3-piece back in 18 gauge SS from Cet (thanks Dave) because I'm short on project time and I really don't feel like dishing an XL SS chest by hand right now. This my first go at a rigid BP. The parts are measured for a friend, 6'3" 250 lbs. about 45" chest. I plan on using three sliding rivets on the front and the back. The arms and neck will be rolled and the bottom has a little extra metal for the reverse crease that will support front and back faulds.

Anyway, I just spent an entire evening trying to match the pieces while teaching my self-how to assemble a breastplate and back, with no luck. I tried bolting the pieces together with a nut and bolt and hide hammering from the inside against a flat. Then I tried to wrangle the pieces by hand. The main issue is that I can't get the sides (a la kidneys) to line up. I did better with the back. Right now I'm so pissed I'm cross-eyed. I'm absolutely sure many of your guys and seen this a billion times and know exactly how to handle this. Could someone spare a little time and maybe make a sketch or tutorial to help out. Thanks guys.

Waveicle/Steve

Here's the back with sim. issue.

Thx

W/S

I never made anything like that before; however I can tell you what works for me when pieces will not fit and spring out the wrong way.

YMMV

I use welders short, regular and long reach Vice Grip clamps.
I clamp it all together where I want it.. then blast it with my flame thrower.
Nice and hot hot hot, oh baby hot hot... a dull red works for me.

I stack up a bunch of fire bricks to help contain the heat.
Just rearrange them to contain the shape and size you are working on.

Now after a time it cools down and the metal stays in the shape they were clamped.
As an added bonus it give it a nice dark color.

Be sure to oil it after it cools... without touching it.
Finger prints are a curse.
White cotton gloves work for me.

Hope this is of some help.

Pissed off armours are not happy hammerers. Yes?

Hal

Hi Steve,

Just responded to your e-mail but the pictures help. The upper backplate needs to be rotated forward a bit so that the edge is more in line with the two lower plates. You can do it cold but I do the same as Hall: clapm it and blast it with soem heat

Then I tried to wrangle the pieces by hand. The main issue is that I can't get the sides (a la kidneys) to line up.

Well this is where the art comes into play. You may need to stretch some plates and compress others.

I recommend getting yourself a Mapp gas torch so you can align parts....once aligned, consider permabolting them (tack weld) so you can stretch, dish, match the plates at the same time.

Also remember that is something is cupped it will fit more flush against somethign under it. So you can sort of crimp over areas that need to be flush and then lightly relax the crimp to match the overall surface of the plate itself...or you may realize the need to deepen the plate.

Its very hard to explain this but your creativity is your best ally here. But heat often helps stretch things.