Spring steel coat of plates kit?

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:08 pm

I want to upgrade my body armour for possible ACL from SCA fighting and so I am trying to figure out if there is anyone who makes a spring steel coat of plates kit. I am happy to do assembly and would prefer to do it myself but I don't want to do the shaping or hole punching.

luapmandragon · Post by **luapmandragon** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:18 pm

I bought mine off of polar bear forge. Looks like he is currently out of the spring steel but is building up a pre-order que. Send him an email and see what's up.

Caius705 · Post by **Caius705** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:55 pm

His looks good and comes punched but needs shaping as I recall.

I wanted to order as set of his lam plates in 301 but he didn't have any idea when he'd be ready to order more 301.

Urban · Post by **Urban** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:56 pm

IIRC Mad Matt can do his kits in spring.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Thu May 15, 2014 2:44 pm

I can do them in spring and in spring stainless. Email sales@madmattsarmory.com for pricing.

Micah Nelson · Post by **Micah Nelson** » Thu May 15, 2014 2:56 pm

I have one of Mad Matt's spring kits. I want to say 410, but I'm not entirely sure. Pics can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater (sorry if you're not on my friends list. Photobucket is blocked at my work.)

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 15, 2014 4:16 pm

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help.

luapmandragon · Post by **luapmandragon** » Thu May 15, 2014 5:13 pm

Polar Bear's does need shaping but it was very straight forward. You can bend a lot of it by hand over a pipe since you just need large round shapes. Rubber mallet and or dead blow hammer will also help.

Not sure about Mad Matt's since I've never had any of his stuff. Everyone seems to speak highly of him and it looks top notch. Either way you should be happy with what you get since both merchants are reasonably priced and very reachable.

WinterTreeCrafts · Post by **WinterTreeCrafts** » Thu May 15, 2014 5:31 pm

If you can shape it over a pipe after its been heat-treated, then its not particularly springy spring steel?

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 15, 2014 6:05 pm

I don't want to have to do any shaping. Frankly setting a million solid rivets by hand is all the work I want to have to do.

luapmandragon · Post by **luapmandragon** » Thu May 15, 2014 6:53 pm

WinterTreeCrafts wrote:If you can shape it over a pipe after its been heat-treated, then its not particularly springy spring steel?

Lulz it's simple to do but that doesn't mean it's easy. You end up having to bend it probably 90 plus degrees past the point you want it at, to get any type of permanent curve to the plate. It's 301 SS. For the middlish part of the piece I'd bend by hand over a pipe. Then for the ends I'd I have to use a dead blow hammer or my rubber mallet. The ends are the tricky part because you really have to wallop them repeatedly to get the permanent curve.

Edit/Addition:

You've got to remember too that I was making the more traditional hoolahoop COP instead of a super tailored COP with a wasp silohouette Now I'm sure it could be done by bending the waist plate(s) more and trying to put an anti-clastic curve in but that sounds like a nightmare. Since it's 301 SS you won't be able to work it hot if you wanted to try that. Damnit, I may have to buy another one once he gets them in stock just to see if I can pull it off.

WinterTreeCrafts · Post by **WinterTreeCrafts** » Thu May 15, 2014 7:45 pm

Either that sounds like a tremendous pain in the ass and/or folks are using a much softer temper than I am (and I generally err on the softer side of the middle) unless 301 behaves pretty differently than other alloys post heat-treatment.

Given how little time it takes to shape a CoP kit before heat-treating it, I really can't imagine a horrible afternoon of grunting and cursing by shaping plates *after* they've been heat treated being worth the measly 20ish bucks you'd save in the armourer's labor. That strikes me as being up there with the pound on a leaf spring cold until its straight nonsense (granted, with a soft temper you can at least achieve your goals in shaping CoP plates, but why waste so much effort)

The fellow already said he didn't want to shape the plates. Shaping plates after they've been hardened is an entire other ballpark of "ugh".

Having not played much with spring stainless in preference for non-stainless alloys, maybe they are more forgiving of such things, if so, then I will stand corrected. But still, why make it so much harder on yourself when its so easy to do it the right way?

RandallMoffett · Post by **RandallMoffett** » Thu May 15, 2014 9:22 pm

'The fellow already said he didn't want to shape the plates. Shaping plates after they've been hardened is an entire other ballpark of "ugh". "

I am hearing the MUHAHAHAHAHAHA laugh in my head now.

RPM

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Fri May 16, 2014 7:50 am

I'm not a fellow. Just FYI.

And it is true, as I said before, I don't want to do any shaping. If I had the skill and tools for that stuff I would just do it myself. A lot of people would say its easy you just need x y and z but miss the point entirely that some
people just don't want to learn to do it. I am happy
to do assembly to save myself some
money and to do certain things custom to match my kit the way I want. However, shaping heat treated plates sounds like an exercise in frustration to say the least.

Caius705 · Post by **Caius705** » Fri May 16, 2014 8:21 am

My (very limited) experience with 301 is that it is much easier to shape in large pieces, like you'd find in a coat of plates. Small pieces, like the upper half of my bazubands I cut out and shaped last week are absurdly hard to bend or shape.

If I recall correctly, a fried of mine is experimenting with a coil of 4" wide 301 in .032" and has found that she can bend it fairly easily by hand. I think she's building a later, more fitted coat of plates.

Having said that, I totally understand not wanting to deal with shaping.

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Fri May 16, 2014 8:36 am

I just want to be able to pull the plates out of a box and put everything together.

TristanVonRottweil · Post by **TristanVonRottweil** » Fri May 16, 2014 10:34 am

One thing to know that alot of the Kits being Sold are GREAT...

I wear a Stainless Polarbear forge. BUT BUT you will need a bit more back protection Basicly a few extra plate in a few small areas unlike SCA if you dont cover them you will get hurt.

Officer_Charon · Post by **Officer_Charon** » Fri May 16, 2014 12:15 pm

I should imagine something covering the shoulderblade/upper back areas might be a necessity?

luapmandragon · Post by **luapmandragon** » Fri May 16, 2014 12:37 pm

Officer_Charon wrote:I should imagine something covering the shoulderblade/upper back areas might be a necessity?

PB's comes with some basic Wisby leaf shaped shoulder caps but you're right as far as the upper back and shoulder blade, collar bones should be good depending on your gorget. Most basic Wisby/COP kits would probably want a lil more protection there. For SCA you may be able to get away with just extra padding in the gambeson/pourpoint possibly with a leather/plastic support piece. That being said the OP was looking for possible ACL so...not sure. I know for a while Craig Nadler was doing fully assembled or self assemble kits for ACL armour. I bought a mostly finished 17-7 shoulder kit off of him that I just had to assemble. It was a fun project that made me appreciate all the work the pros do. I'd give him and Mad Matt a buzz and see what they can do for you.

Anyways, let us know what you figure out.

WinterTreeCrafts · Post by **WinterTreeCrafts** » Fri May 16, 2014 6:38 pm

Isabella E wrote:I'm not a fellow. Just FYI.

Doh! My apologies. I'm more than a little tired these days and its usually a sausage fest around here.

mrks · Post by **mrks** » Fri May 16, 2014 10:52 pm

working large plates of 301 full hard is tough that working titanium.
even with superior tooling it twists back and forth and you cant use heat to straighten it outm
lots of hammer tweaking and "trying to put an anti-clastic curve is a nightmare".
made one churburg out of it wont make another anytime soon,
mrks

leekellerking · Post by **leekellerking** » Mon May 19, 2014 6:06 pm

Isabella, I'm getting a spring steel, side opening Wisby #9 (with added armor on upper back) from Kenwrec at Wulfe Armory. $300 plus S&H from Florida.

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Mon May 19, 2014 6:36 pm

Thanks for the info.

Payn · Post by **Payn** » Mon May 19, 2014 8:11 pm

301 can be had in various "hardnesses". It, in turn, work hardens. Something that will need a lot of shaping can be done with a 1/4 hard, something shallow, Full Hard.

http://www.aksteel.com/pdf/markets_prod ... %20PDB.pdf

Aelric · Post by **Aelric** » Tue May 20, 2014 6:41 pm

Look at Age of Craft. They have some reasonably priced coats of plate.

This one is $370 and its already made.

http://ageofcraft.com/index.php?route=p ... duct_id=96

Aelric

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Tue May 20, 2014 7:41 pm

If I make it myself it will be exactly how I want it, with cool dags, brass rivets, historical buckles
and in the exact color I want. I just want the plates. I appreciate the info but I am pretty handy myself and have taken great pains to make my kit more custom than off the shelf. It gives me pride to wear a harness I have put more than money in to.

Spring steel coat of plates kit?

Spring steel coat of plates kit?

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