The Armour Archive

Well, the Brocas tournament helmet project is well underway right now.

A lot of work has to be done, but the front plate begins to develop a nice curvature.

Just look on the website:

http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/brocas.html


[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/Brocas_017.jpg[/img]

VERY NICE progress pics!!!!

Those are some pretty cool (and clear) shots.

As an Archive reader whose most significant armoring work consists of riveting a couple of straps to pre-made pieces, I often have a hard time picturing exactly what goes into making armor. I understand the concepts, but they become way easier to understand with a picture right in front of you.

Thanks for posting.

Nice work on the mockup. Can't wait to see more progress pics.

I'd love a picture of the stake you are shaping that over as well.

Sean

Ok boys, here you go.

I used a variety of stakes for this complex shape (very big plate, very defficult shape...) Just did it with trial & error...

I started by bowing the plate over a gas cylinder in a more or less of half a tube-shape...

Then I tried to make a cow-tongue stake with a light curve out of a railroad track...

Started hammering cold using rawhide mallet and my selfmade hammer....
[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools07.jpg[/img]
Several objects to use for a stake... the modified railroad track in the middle.

This is the stake I ended up with for a lot of hot-shaping/raising on the Brocas helmet - and my dearest hammers for this purpose...
[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools01.jpg[/img]

This "stake" is also very usefull for planishing from the inside...
It's a train's brake block I found somewhere.
[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools02.jpg[/img]

For making the crease in the front of the helmet (or even for some fluting) I use a rounded and blunted chisel & leadblock ( leadblock form some big fishing net) Also very usefull for supporting objects while fluting etc: Sandbag made of jeanspipe.

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools03.jpg[/img]

The hammer I made by modifying a clawhammer - various ballstakes made of stainless steel ball-valves with rods welded on...
and a stake used for everything... The ballstake with the round pipe welded on is actually a chimney cleaners ball... cast iron & cost nothing...
[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools04.jpg[img]

Yes, expensive stuff...but needed for this project... Oxy set with Propane-Oxygen heater nozzle.
Works as good as Acetylene, but propane is much cheaper, and I only have to switch the acetylene for the propane tube.


[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools05.jpg[img]



And there it is again: the Frankenburner...
I started using it again when my Oxygen was gooing to fast - It's basically a roofburner with a big nozzle and with an xtra home-made adapter to blow in compressed air... gives an ok. flame to heat up plate - uses only propane...Works fine on this project.

[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools06.jpg[img]

This is how far I came today...
Not bad, nice crease - used about all my hammers & stakes on that one...

[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools08.jpg[img]

This is wat it will become (I hope)
The "Brocas Joust helmet" as displayed in the Armouries in Leeds.
[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/img_3629__480_x_640__146.jpg[img]


[/img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/brocas01s.jpg

Ok, since the last pics seemed to fail... again:

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools01.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools02.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools03.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools04.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools05.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools06.jpg[/img]


[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools07.jpg[/img]


[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/tools08.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/img_3629__480_x_640__146.jpg[/img]


[img]http://www.pixis.nl/anytime/customer/Brocas_helmet/brocas01s.jpg[/img]

Wow! What a project. Will there be a breastplate to go with it?

No. the customer likes to collect replicas of his favorite helmets...
He was capable to make the museum people give him all the pictures the had of the original. He also was able to take measurments.

With all that dat on hand I made the 3D wire-model.