Fluting Light Gauge Metals

Vermin · Post by **Vermin** » Tue Apr 10, 2001 12:07 pm

I'm doing a suit of fluted pikeman's plate for a 6 year old.
Because it's for someone small, I used 20g stainless.
Now, I fluted from the back with a chisel, so what would be the best way to clean up the flutes.
You can see where the chisel ended and began all along the flutes....
I have a fluting stake, but I'm kinda worried about cracking the metal if I work it too much.
Any ideas?
Thanks for your time!
VvS

AB Hammer · Post by **AB Hammer** » Tue Apr 10, 2001 1:13 pm

Use a piece of bar stock instead of a chisel.
Hammer the bar into your selected spots, or
tape the stock with ducktape and use a ruberized malet
and beat on the outside.
For some realy good flutes develop a very accurate hammering hand and xray vision to
see to your curved wedge steak and hammer
wedge flutes.

Good luck
ABHAMMER

Clay · Post by **Clay** » Tue Apr 10, 2001 1:30 pm

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">For some realy good flutes develop a very accurate hammering hand and xray vision </font>

Armouring Rule #88:

If the directions call for you to develop superhuman powers, its probably time to call upon a professional armourer or give up on a project entirely.

AB Hammer · Post by **AB Hammer** » Tue Apr 10, 2001 3:43 pm

It's not that bad, just takes practice.
I gave 3 posible ways anyhow.
The bar stock will work for alot of people
and hammering from the back side will even do
heaver metal.

ABHAMMER

Gundo · Post by **Gundo** » Tue Apr 10, 2001 5:46 pm

Cleaning up the flutes from the outside shouldn't crack the steel, because you'll be raising steel into the weakened area, rather than stretching it away like you did with the chisel.
Lots and lots of gentle tapping.

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Vermin · Post by **Vermin** » Wed Apr 11, 2001 7:27 am

Yeah, Gundo, that's probably what I'll end up doing.
I , unfortunately, HAD to have it put together by this weekend....the body harness got assembled last night around 10:30pm...
After this weekend I'm going to take it apart and clean up the fluting.
But, I'll tell ya, even with the slight "lumpiness" to the flutes, the harness looks bad as sh!t...<grin>
I'll try and post pics later today.
VvS