The Armour Archive

I have finally started making progress on my T-Bob style aluminum lamellar again - I have one torso band complete and another one ready to lace up tonight. The problem I have run into is in smoothing the edges of the punshed holes so they do not fray the maxicord lacing. I have been using some cheap pumice grinding bits (cone and teardrop shaped) for drills (but used by hand), which work well enough, except that I have worn them all down after doing just two bands worth of lamellae. Anyone have suggestions on a more efficient way to smooth these edges?

Thanks!
Kalba

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Barkalba bar Shalamsin
m.k.a. Jamie Szudy
LU2.DUB.SAR

A round file.

A countersinking bit for your drill, or a hand held one with a handle. The bits with more than the single cutting edge reduce the chatter. When I have a great deal of holes to chamfer, I chuck up the bit in a drill press and hold the workpiece up to the spinning bit a couple of seconds each side.
Cheers, Erick Davidson

Buy your plates from GAA or White Mountain

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in service to the Dream
C-

edited kuz I kant spel

[This message has been edited by biriukov (edited 09-15-2003).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ushumgal:
<B>I have finally started making progress on my T-Bob style aluminum lamellar again - I have one torso band complete and another one ready to lace up tonight. The problem I have run into is in smoothing the edges of the punshed holes so they do not fray the maxicord lacing. I have been using some cheap pumice grinding bits (cone and teardrop shaped) for drills (but used by hand), which work well enough, except that I have worn them all down after doing just two bands worth of lamellae. Anyone have suggestions on a more efficient way to smooth these edges?

Thanks!
Kalba

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kalba:

Actually, you should have the edges and holes deburred before you begin to lace the lamellar--it'll speed up the lacing process considerably. One of the tools I should have included in my instructions is a rat-tail file or a deburring tool. In my re-write of the article, I'll have to include that. Thing is, it shouldn't be necessary to deburr the holes if you're using a Whitney Punch.

How many plates do you have cut for this suit so far? Have you ground the corners and edges? That's the area you'll have to look to the most.

Have you figured out how you want your klibanion to fasten? Have you considered whether to fasten it in the front, in the back, or on one side? Either option will work for you, and give you nice protection.

What other armour will go with the harness?

I recommend a Master Knut aventail that goes to the brow-line of your helmet--this is a good late Sassanid look, which will hide your face (and the glaringly non-period bar-grill) as well as provide you with visibility and breathing.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I completely forgot about using files (that what I get for armouring when I'm half asleep) so I'll have to see if I still have my small round files around here somewhere...

T-Bob: I know I have to deburr them first - I imagine it would be pretty hard to do it when the holes have laces in them! I have enough lamellae (about 400) with the corners and edges rounded for the main torso. My procedure has been to punch the holes of a batch of 50, then deburr the holes, then lace the band together. I have two done so far. I am using the Harbor Freight Whitney knock-off - it does sometimes leave a very slight ridge around the underside of the hole (raised so that I can feel it with my finger). Most, however, are smooth - can they be just left like that? I was under them impression that unless the rim of the holes was bevelled, it would frey the Maxicord.

I am planning on fastening the harness in the front (like Bogei Timur's). Right now my kit is quite a mutt, but now that I have done some research, I have actually settled on an earlier persona than I had originally planned. So eventually I will be making a Hellenistic-style Palmyrene lamellar harness (like this: http://www.usask.ca/antiquities/Collection/Semitic_Gods.html ), but I have to do a good bit of research before I can even start on that (so it probably won't be for at least a year or two, depening on how this whole applying to grad school thing goes). I am still quite uncertain about the helmet. I will probably make a fairly generic spangenhelm for now (possibly with a fairly simple face mask), and I have to do some more research on just what I want to make for my *nice* helmet - maybe Roman, maybe a cavalry-sports type, or maybe Thracian-style (though that in stainless would make me look like a silver smurf!).

Thanks for all the advice you have given me - I have finally got off my lazy hinder and it is really starting to come together!

Kalba

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Barkalba bar Shalamsin
m.k.a. Jamie Szudy
LU2.DUB.SAR

Kalba:

I figured you were deburring before lacing--most people forgo that step, though, and wonder why their harness is coming apart after six weeks of fighting. I usually wait until I get about 400-500 lamellae completely finished before I begin lacing. It feels better, and I can see progress that way.

A Hellenist-influenced cuirass (for your future armour) would look really cool. You'll want to have that one fasten on one side, and by the shoulder doublings. Consider alternating colors of lacing, or even painting some of the lamellae--it will make the suit more dramatic.

Keep it up, and we look forward to pictures.

If you want to deburr fast you can use a round jewelers bit in a drill mounted in a vise. Get one that locks on and put the bit in and just touch it to the holes on both sides. They also make abrasive bits kinda like a rock on a stick that may do the job even better. Get one about twice as big as your holes so it will taper the edges just a bit.

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Sir Alrek Kanin
or just plain 'ol Rabbit