1st Helmet Project

[Ronald the Cunning]

Greetings and salutations,

As you can see this is my 1st posting. I have been studying and enjoying all the information provided in this fantastic forum for little over a year now. Creating armour has been a fascination of mine for a very long time. Only until recently have I had the room time and resource to make it a reality. It is about time I share what I have been up to.

My 1st project was a Great helm fashioned using Sinric’s templates modified for my head. This was to be a learning project so I chose this instead of a spaulder because more forming, creasing, dishing/raising and riveting are implemented. Plus it just looked cool. As it is only a decoration and will not be used for combat I chose 16g rather than 14 mild, because it was available and slightly easier to move. Here is the finished product.

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I had difficulty creating the creases, as they seemed to insist on being flutes; therefore, the creases are a bit of a hybrid.

I also had quite the time with curling the plates. Watching Eric Dube’s videos he just bent them over a pipe; well when I did that I got the curve I wanted but also many tangential and parallel flat spots. A boughing/planishing I went. Darn, the more I planished the more curve I got so back and forth I went. Planish – too much curve – re-straighten; darn more flat spots it was endless and frustrating. I think I worked it out!

The horizontal cross bars on the brass cross should have been wider. They are ½” which didn’t leave me enough room to use 3/16 rivets so used 1/8. I also forgot to roll the bottom edge. I decided that to try and roll after I riveted it together would probably just ruin it.

Any and all constructive critique is appreciated.

Regards
Ron.

[Konstantin the Red]

Don't worry about any bottom edge roll; only some helms boasted those.

The faceted flat spots are curable by using a fairly large diameter pipe, say 3 inches -- as a slapper between two other pipes or two baulks of pine wood assembled of 2x4 or made of 4x4 post. A soft face hammer/mallet -- one of some weight -- is helpful in smoothing out those facets into a curve.

You can also bend in air, using a bench vise to grip one edge and a couple large Vise-Grips on the opposite edge as both handles and for leverage. Pull, encouraging the metal to bend in its middle, not the clamped edge in the vise.

Now that you've de-lurked, welcome and well come, Ronald the Cunning. It looks as though you have a good eye for shaping metal. Did you happen to possess yourself of your copy of TOMAR before you set about building a helm that would at least be okay as a loaner, if not so durable as a 14ga job, nor Lists legal through being too lightly built. Also good for any youth boffer fighting, particularly in the older year-classes, as these youth would have the hat size to wear such a helm. What you have built isn't just an art object.

[Ronald the Cunning]

Don't worry about any bottom edge roll; only some helms boasted those.

Reading the forums made whether to roll or not iffy. Was hard to get a consesus, so thank you for answering that question.

The faceted flat spots are curable by using a fairly large diameter pipe, say 3 inches -- as a slapper between two other pipes or two baulks of pine wood assembled of 2x4 or made of 4x4 post. A soft face hammer/mallet -- one of some weight -- is helpful in smoothing out those facets into a curve.

You can also bend in air, using a bench vise to grip one edge and a couple large Vise-Grips on the opposite edge as both handles and for leverage. Pull, encouraging the metal to bend in its middle, not the clamped edge in the vise.

I will play around with this and see how I can get it to work. It is great to have techniques to use when things don't go as planned. I hate scrapping good metal due to inexperience. I have a tendancy to become stubborn and try like hell to force it to my will. That is until it fatigues.

Now that you've de-lurked, welcome and well come, Ronald the Cunning. It looks as though you have a good eye for shaping metal. Did you happen to possess yourself of your copy of TOMAR before you set about building a helm that would at least be okay as a loaner, if not so durable as a 14ga job, nor Lists legal through being too lightly built. Also good for any youth boffer fighting, particularly in the older year-classes, as these youth would have the hat size to wear such a helm. What you have built isn't just an art object.

Yes, TOMAR, this was the very 1st tool I bought. I have studied it from cover to cover many times and is referenced often. When curling the plates Brian suggested planishing from the inside and outside using different stakes. I of course tried all and well as mentioned before I just kept curling it. I belive most of my problem is hammer control and where or how I place the part on the stake. And I belive more patience.

Thanks for the welcome and advice. All is appreciated.
Ron.

[Scott Martin]

Welcome aboard, I wish that my first project looked that good!

Konstantin has covered most of the "high points", I find when I'm doing "flat curves" that it's easiest if I start on the edges and curve them with a hammer, and then work to the middle of the plate bending with my hands - you can't apply enough "leverage" at the plate ends without using a hammer (I recommend rubber or wood to avoid marring the surface)

The nice thing about a great helm is that you can rivet the plates together and THEN adjust the curve since the plates make "hoops" - some of your frustration may have been trying to get the shape "right" before riveting, and riveting and then final shaping may have saved a lot of time and effort, since the rivets will "pull" the plates together and then you can adjust the curve of all the plates together.

I don't do a lot of early period stuff, but the proportions on the cross look appropriate to me.

As for whether this is "combat legal" IIRC the requirement is 1/16" finished thickness - since you didn't do any comound curves (dishing) except in the very center (which is re-enforced with a ridge and overlaps from the side plates) this is probably an SCA legal helm. That said, I find Mild steel pretty "squishy" so you may find yourself doing a lot of dent removal

If you *really* want to roll the bottom edge you probably still can, but I'd also recommend against it since you would need to "trim" overlap out while rolling, which is a non-trivial exercise even for old armour fogeys like me. I suspect that Mac or Patrick could do that roll in about 10 minutes (including the trimming) but it will be a while before I aspire to the "armour god" category.

I'd suggest simple spaulders as a next project - Doug Strong (AKA Talbot) has some nice patterns here:
http://talbotsfineaccessories.com/books/metalwork.html

And is currently having a "buy two, get one free" sale, referenced here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=154248

Scott Martin

[Sean Powell]

If you are planishing over a pipe you can take some coat-hanger, run it through the holes at the lower edge to form a loop, bend the wires back on themselves and twist to form 2 eye splices. Then when you planish (or roll an edge) the steel can not flatten out. (Note: don't just twist the ends together as that will pull loose, you need 2 loops) I suppose you could wedge in a block of wood as a space to keep the steel from rolling inward as well.

Nice hat for a first project.

Sean

[Konstantin the Red]

Excellent; that you got yourself a TOMAR really shows. Brainpower first, then iron. "What is steel, next to the hand that wields it?" [/James Earl Jones]

Yeah, with a spauds project you can likely use up leftover 16 gauge, as I bet you still have some. Independent spauds are a fifteenth-century project rather than a 14th-c. job like your helm. But! -- they are hammered out just like the spaudleroid articulation TOMAR details in Chapter 32, "Defending the Arm." A useful, instructive subassembly in an arm project.

A couple of details differ: the later item is built longer by either making the lames broader or adding more on, or a combination of both. The earlier is more compact, permanently fixed to the rerebrace, and at least begins articulating on triple leathers, before starting in on articulation rivets forward. Quite late spaudlers had sliding rivets on the rear edge, and had these by the sixteenth century. Quarter- to half-inch slots. The most advanced models had pivoting articulation rivets forward, a vertical leather centerline, and sliders aft.

Yes, it's annoying as hell to scrap something with a bunch of man-hours hammered into it already. No fun. But there's still the silver lining: mistakes teach you more, and faster, than successes do. The price of the metal is nothing next to the "all right -- (%#!*$!) -- that wasn't how to do it" wisdom that you store up. Never get too married to one piece of metal; if it's gone pearshaped when you wanted a tulip, put it in the Repurpose bin and start anew, all the wiser. Never be too reluctant to scrap. Maybe you can recycle it into Japanese kote platelets. Maybe part of a brigandine. It's easier to manage if you haven't completely sculpted the bit...

[accdntprone]

A lot of this will be a repeat of what somone already said, but here goes. I have made several greathelms, both this pattern and talbots von prach pattern. 16 ga is sca legal, though I dont make sca hats in less then 14 ga myself. IMO 16 ga mild dents to easy. The down side is the pattern (especially the top) is somewhat more problematic (at least for me) in cold rolled 14 ga. Some things that have helped me....
When you think the top is dished enough, dish it some more.
Every hammer mark you put in is one you have to take out, so be careful.
Assuming you can weld / have a welder, I find it much easier to tack weld this helm togeather, then polish, then rivet.
Brass is a pain in the ass. Its hard to find, its expensive when I do find it, so mostly I just skip it. Blued or blackened steel looks pretty good as that cross.

[Ronald the Cunning]

Wow, it is great to know that what I made could be used for SCA. As mentioned it is "squishy" since it is cold rolled mild so it has a special place in my bar. It is my 1st.

Thank you all for the tool tips. I love being able to adapt tools for other uses and how to better use the ones I have collected. Since picking up TOMAR a year or so ago, I have been collecting, buying and making hammers, stakes and what-not. Have a decent shop started. There is so much useful information on this forum it is incredible. One only need to spend time and hunt.

I totally agree with Konstantin the Red, about knowing when to retire a part to the reuse another time bin. The dome on the helm is version 3.0. The 1st one was not domed enough. Yes,

When you think the top is dished enough, dish it some more.

Version 2.0, the crease was garbage. I used V2 and creased the hell out of it until I figured out how to create V.3.

I basically use the pipes for curves, tho love the tip about using coat-hangers. I have ball stakes, a bichorn and a seaming stake I have been using for boughing and planishing. Oh yes and a very old and abused 90 lb anvil my dad gave me. Totally shot but I love straightening on it.
Yes my next project is definitely an arm defense starting with spaulders. Need to start learning articulation and how plates work in conjuction with each other regarding anatomical movement. I love the threads when Wade and Robert Macpherson discuss how armor moves and articulates with the body. Eventually I will start building full harness, but for now I think I will jump around the centuries building different parts based on learning different skill sets. I honestly can't say I love one century v. another. I find it all amazing, just to think of what they created. Such ingenuity.

Again thank you all for the great feed back and tips.

Ron.

[Konstantin the Red]

Mmm... how badly scarred up is that 90# special? I've only got a somewhat chewed 72# farriers' anvil, ex-Forest Service that my dad picked up a bunch of years ago, duly identified with a stamped FS, no other markings save those of dumb[schist] abuse: chisel marks in the face, now mainly dressed out of there with an old carborundum stone that is now an old, thin eight inch carborundum stone that might now do better as two small 4" two-grit whetstones even if their working faces are no longer parallel. Better than the huge saddle in the coarse side that used to be there before it got used to fix the anvil. Which still has a circular dimple in its face from something like getting really creamed with a ball-pein, or maybe a sledge and a ball bearing. Shallower now, but not gone. Heel and edges are still good; even a little conical softening of part of one edge for small-radiused interior corners, up to r=1/8".

[accdntprone]

dont feel bad, Im still using a centar forge 55# cast iron "anvil shaped opject"......