Shaping hourglass gauntlet knuckles.
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:28 pm
Ok was asked how to do this. This is not the method I use anymore. I've made very customized stakes for this which I'm not going to post pics of. The method I describe does work just fine though.
You're going to need some hammers. I use a masonry hammer modified by having the last inch of the pointy end cut off and rounded, The square end is rounded on the top and bottom only. Also use a 2 pound cross peen with a flat face. Any flat faced hammer will work. An autobody planishing hammer that has had the corners rounded off. A 3# cross peen. And a 2.5# ball peen hammer.
I use a stake that is two pieces of 1" square stock welded together side by side and has a groove left open where they join for the flute and the ends are shaped the same as the shape of the knuckles. These are welded to another piece of square stock which goes into my stake bench.
You'll need a chisel I use a 4" masonry chisel with the corners rounded off a bit. Pretty much any chisel will work.
You'll need a dishing stump.
There is a great pattern in the pattern archive for hourglass gauntlets posted by Chuck Davis (CAD). If you don't have a pattern that one's good. I won't post my pattern.
Start by dishing the knuckle area of the metacarpal plate with the ball peen hammer. Do this in a depression in your stump a little bigger then your hammer. If you don't know how to dish read the archive FAC. You want this dished deeply. Nearly a 90 degree angle. Dish only the knuckle part.
Draw your metacarpal creases and knuckle locations on your metacarpal plate.
On the stake mentioned above. Hold the metacarpal so that the inbetween knuckles is in the dip in the center of the stake. Smack it with the pointy end of the masonry hammer. A pointy cross peen will also work for this. You're going to end up making a V in the dished area. Don't worry about the reverse flutes on the back of the hand yet. It's going to be rough and ugly.
Smack in the other two grooves between the knuckles. Check that they're all where you wan them.
Put the plate on the stake so that two knuckles are on it. Smack the top of the knuckles with the flat of the 2# cross peen. You'll see an arch appear which is the line at the top of the knuckles. Do this on all the knuckles.
Use the cross peen to tune up the shape of the front of the knuckles not fine tuning just getting the shape roughly there.
Switch to the planishing hammer and get rid of as much of the lumps as possible.
Grab your chisel and hammer the reverse flutes (for lack of a better word) into the metacarpal. Use the 3# cross peen for this.
Curve the knuckles slightly to match the shape of a fist. Curve the rest of the metacarpal to match the shape of a hand.
Sand with whatever you've got available. I use flap disks in an angle grinder.
That's about it.
Let me know if you've got questions.
Halberds sells awesome stakes and stuff for making hourglass gaunts. Hal if you read this post a pic and prices for people.
You're going to need some hammers. I use a masonry hammer modified by having the last inch of the pointy end cut off and rounded, The square end is rounded on the top and bottom only. Also use a 2 pound cross peen with a flat face. Any flat faced hammer will work. An autobody planishing hammer that has had the corners rounded off. A 3# cross peen. And a 2.5# ball peen hammer.
I use a stake that is two pieces of 1" square stock welded together side by side and has a groove left open where they join for the flute and the ends are shaped the same as the shape of the knuckles. These are welded to another piece of square stock which goes into my stake bench.
You'll need a chisel I use a 4" masonry chisel with the corners rounded off a bit. Pretty much any chisel will work.
You'll need a dishing stump.
There is a great pattern in the pattern archive for hourglass gauntlets posted by Chuck Davis (CAD). If you don't have a pattern that one's good. I won't post my pattern.
Start by dishing the knuckle area of the metacarpal plate with the ball peen hammer. Do this in a depression in your stump a little bigger then your hammer. If you don't know how to dish read the archive FAC. You want this dished deeply. Nearly a 90 degree angle. Dish only the knuckle part.
Draw your metacarpal creases and knuckle locations on your metacarpal plate.
On the stake mentioned above. Hold the metacarpal so that the inbetween knuckles is in the dip in the center of the stake. Smack it with the pointy end of the masonry hammer. A pointy cross peen will also work for this. You're going to end up making a V in the dished area. Don't worry about the reverse flutes on the back of the hand yet. It's going to be rough and ugly.
Smack in the other two grooves between the knuckles. Check that they're all where you wan them.
Put the plate on the stake so that two knuckles are on it. Smack the top of the knuckles with the flat of the 2# cross peen. You'll see an arch appear which is the line at the top of the knuckles. Do this on all the knuckles.
Use the cross peen to tune up the shape of the front of the knuckles not fine tuning just getting the shape roughly there.
Switch to the planishing hammer and get rid of as much of the lumps as possible.
Grab your chisel and hammer the reverse flutes (for lack of a better word) into the metacarpal. Use the 3# cross peen for this.
Curve the knuckles slightly to match the shape of a fist. Curve the rest of the metacarpal to match the shape of a hand.
Sand with whatever you've got available. I use flap disks in an angle grinder.
That's about it.
Let me know if you've got questions.
Halberds sells awesome stakes and stuff for making hourglass gaunts. Hal if you read this post a pic and prices for people.