The Armour Archive

So these are my frist...Recently I tried to chiicken **** my way out of doing real armour and just started doing everything with lames and doing it poorly to boot. Then I decided it's time to go back at it. This is my first time to really flare and planish....second time to bowl. So I decided to make some soup can knees. They aren't finished yet. I started one in mild first and I'm pretty happy with the way it's going. I realize it's not the most symmetrical. Also it should be more bulbous. I need to clean up the flute and I should go back and planish a little more. I got flute happy because my flute came out really bold....but then notice it cracked slightly....luckily a friend helpped me weld it and then i just cleaned it up. My stainless one is uhhhh AHHHHHHHHH it like 4 times harder. It's a nightmare. I hit it and it doesn't move. Although the plannishing was done better. My biggest problem with it is that after I dished it I worked on the flare and then the flare made it open up and so I pounded it back but then it buckled and warped near the flare ...so I pounded the flare again and it opened. This reapeated a couple of times and right now it's still warped but looking better. I hate stainless I like mild...but I'm rust paranoid.

Honestly, they look nice. Sure they could be a little deeper, but they still are good. The first ones I did I drove the cop through the blunted cold chisel I was using to get the crease in place. I still have that cop, and I should put a note on it that says "HEY, YOU WERE IMPATIENT...CALM DOWN", because that was my problem.

Stainless is alot harder and needs heavier and harder tools. Don't beat yourself up, just try some more. I think you have shown great improvement since your first post!

It does looks good for a first attempt at a poleyn, and the flare looks good, on both.

Yeah my first one is kinda rough too

i didn't dish it deep enough

I should have put it on a ball and raised out the middle a little bit more

But i was thinking more about how ai was gonna do the lip and that got ahead of myself and it's just too flat but anyway. I got pics here
http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=73507

It's .....okish. I'll give it away or just put it in loaner or something

Looking good!

When doing the flairs, try and do the creases in spaced intervals. eg: start in the bottom middle, work your way out an inch, then return and work an inch the other way, flip over repeat etc... also move your hand around consistently when working it (the hand that holds it) these things help keep the cop from twisting when doing the flairs.

After I made my first one, the 2 center points were so crooked, I thought my pattern must have been wrong, it took a few to figure out the problem

This may be irrelevant, cant tell if there twisted a bit or if its the angle... either way, they look great, much crisper and pronounced than my first ones.

I look forward to seeing more.

O'Quinn

Yes, its very important to go back to basics.

Honestly, every so often I will intentionally do a project that I feel is sort of below my skill now primarily because its important to keep your foundation skills sharp.

Another thing Im sure Ive mentined before....if you are every wondering how to move the metal....get a piece of clay.....roll it out like a flat sheet and spread or compress the metal into the desired shape. Its often a great way to mentally visualize what steps need be taken. Geesh, the other day I was working on a project and I had to take a few steps back, take a deep breath and think about what I was trying to do....where I needed to swing the hammer.

And when you look at real armor....study the hammer marks on the inside. They are a great clue as to what type of hammer was used and which way the metal was being moved.

Mine are doneish now

The 2nd one i took to the ball stake and kinda half raised the thing to get more dome in the middle more curve less bend.

Did that make any sense


HOLY CRAP

Just realized i was supposed to go to Just Magnus's tonight

I got workng and then it was 10:00 all the sudden.

Well poo.

Anyway

I didn't do a flute down the center i tried do do a light crease and the 2nd one came out OK. I hit em with the brazing tourch a lil bit and that helped.

They need to be hit with the PB 150 and then polished and strapped and such .

I'll get a pic in the moring.

Considering i'd never made them before i like em.

I'll give em to one of my shop monkeys