The Armour Archive

Hello:

I was over at my mentor's yesterday and he finally finished that hydraulic press he has been working on for I don't know how long. It is a monster. 84 tons.

He said he can now fuller blades, do center ribs and a whole lot of other stuff in like 1/10th the time. I watched him put in a piece of red hot 1" round between the dies, hit the pedal and in one motion it was flattened and with a center rib running down the length of the section, the section was about 6" long. it just smashed it, rather quickly I would say..under a second or so.

He says that it will also allow him greater control over his patterns (now seeing what I have seen...knowing how good he is, I find that hard to believe...) than he has now.

Anyway, I was wondering if this could be used for dishing small stuff like helm halves, knees or elbows??

Vegas Vic

It sure could be if you made the right tooling for it.

Alaric

This is what I am thinking..He showed me how the dies just slide in on a 10" square plate that's like 5/8" thick..Both the upper and lower dies are arranged this way.

I don't think it would be that difficult to make dies (well at least not for him anyway) that would do what was needed for this.. I am going back over there tomorrow after work and I will ask him then.

Vegas Vic

Hello:

Just got back from Jim's...I took a quick photo of the press. I hope you all can make it out ok..my photography skills are minimal at best (if at all) but this should give the general idea as to what I was talking about.

I think it would do a very good job of pressing out armour parts, as long as they can fit into the frame that is..

Vegas Kic

Yep, that looks like a bladesmith's press. Once I get around to building it, mine will be similar in style. Presses are great for pattern weld patterning. You still need control, but the learning curve seems easier on a press than a power hammer.

Dies for armour wouldn't be that hard to make. They'd take time to do it correctly though. As a machinist, I've been approached to make dies for armour, but the estimated price is higher than just about everybody would like to pay.

Jamie

A proviso from WW2. Helms don't stretch well in a one-stage mold. Unless you're willing to have a half dozen dies you're gonna blow through the metal of the helmet or at least make it too thin to be worthwhile.

I could be wrong, but I thought one of the NJ guys did helm halves and such in a press. Cet? Is it you I am thinking of?

Maeryk

Mike F wrote:A proviso from WW2. Helms don't stretch well in a one-stage mold. Unless you're willing to have a half dozen dies you're gonna blow through the metal of the helmet or at least make it too thin to be worthwhile.

That's another problem with doing it that way. I don't really have any desire to make a die for helms though.

Jamie

Not everything needs to be done with 2 part steel dies.

Also a press is a system thats more then just its max tons. When the work is hot speed counts.

I could be wrong, but I thought one of the NJ guys did helm halves and such in a press. Cet? Is it you I am thinking of?

I mass produce tops but not with a press, mine are hammered. It's possible to do but given thickness used for SCA helmets multiple stage dies and about 100 tons would be better.

Hello again..

Just got back from Jim's. He is making dies for this press..was really interesting as to how he made a "rib" die.. I didn't really think you could do it that way but I learned something.

All he did was heat up the die steel till it was orange, placed in into the press, put a blade "master" (as he calls it) on top in the center, put the top die steel on top of that (it was also heated) and hit the press pedal. It made a really nice die set that way, then he quickly dumped the dies in oil to harden and well, that was it...

I asked him about dies for cold pressing and he said that for small things it would work but for larger stuff like helms, it would take some doing.. But I am not giving up on this for small stuff...I have too many ideas..

Vegas Vic

Thanks for posting that, i love to see user made tools and equipment.
Impressive press no doubt.