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Armor in progress, stainless steel.
As there had been some interest expressed in progress photos of my armor projects, I decided to post this.
This is the beginnings of a full late 14th century globose breastplate harness.
Typical of the armor you might have seen at the battle of Agincourt.
All in cut out flats for now.
From the top down, we have the breastplate.
The little pieces off to the sides are the shoulder cops for the spalders.
Next are the cuisse plates for the thighs. (The wrap plates for the outside/back of the thighs are missing...Need to remember to go back and make those.)
Knee cops and the lames for the knees are next.
Then the demi greaves, which attach to the bottom lame for the knees.
Last are the greave plates for the front of the shins.
I may make these into full greaves, or I might leave then as front plates only- At which point they are called Schinbalds.
I've been acquiring small stainless steel sheets from the scrapyard here and there for the better part of a year, but its too hot right now to cut more than one or two out at a time before I have to retreat from the burning oven that is my shop.
None of these have been deburred or fully trimmed- Hence the ragged edges that can be seen on some pieces.
They need time on the grinder, and sanding to fully dress all of the edges before I start hammering them into shape.
But this represents around half of the pieces for a full harness of armor.
I still need to go buy steel for a backplate, faulds, elbows and arms, gauntlets, a helmet and some sabatons.
Most of the large bits are cut out and sitting here though.
Everything else is fairly easy.
I probably need about $40 to $50 in stainless steel scrap cuts to make everything else.
But I will probably pay Master Cet over at Rough From The Hammer to make me a bascinet top to save time and money...And because I cannot weld stainless steel thick enough for a decent helmet.
Subcontracting parts is an old and honored tradition in armouring though, going back to antiquity.
There are few modern armourers who have not done so, and its pretty much standard for things like helm tops, hinges and buckles anyway.
So I feel no guilt over buying parts that are prohibitively difficult for me to make.
I'll be making the rest of the helmet anyway, after all.
I'm in no hurry to get the rest of the steel for this.
I can't realistically begin hammering on it till the weather cools off in a couple of months, unless I want to flirt with heatstroke again.
And I am thinking I may want the elbow and knee cops in a thicker gauge of steel, because it thins when dished.
As I intend to fight in this armor, it just doesn't make sense to skimp on protecting the most vulnerable parts of my body.
Now we'll just have to see when I get time to work on this again...
-Badger-
This is the beginnings of a full late 14th century globose breastplate harness.
Typical of the armor you might have seen at the battle of Agincourt.
All in cut out flats for now.
From the top down, we have the breastplate.
The little pieces off to the sides are the shoulder cops for the spalders.
Next are the cuisse plates for the thighs. (The wrap plates for the outside/back of the thighs are missing...Need to remember to go back and make those.)
Knee cops and the lames for the knees are next.
Then the demi greaves, which attach to the bottom lame for the knees.
Last are the greave plates for the front of the shins.
I may make these into full greaves, or I might leave then as front plates only- At which point they are called Schinbalds.
I've been acquiring small stainless steel sheets from the scrapyard here and there for the better part of a year, but its too hot right now to cut more than one or two out at a time before I have to retreat from the burning oven that is my shop.
None of these have been deburred or fully trimmed- Hence the ragged edges that can be seen on some pieces.
They need time on the grinder, and sanding to fully dress all of the edges before I start hammering them into shape.
But this represents around half of the pieces for a full harness of armor.
I still need to go buy steel for a backplate, faulds, elbows and arms, gauntlets, a helmet and some sabatons.
Most of the large bits are cut out and sitting here though.
Everything else is fairly easy.
I probably need about $40 to $50 in stainless steel scrap cuts to make everything else.
But I will probably pay Master Cet over at Rough From The Hammer to make me a bascinet top to save time and money...And because I cannot weld stainless steel thick enough for a decent helmet.
Subcontracting parts is an old and honored tradition in armouring though, going back to antiquity.
There are few modern armourers who have not done so, and its pretty much standard for things like helm tops, hinges and buckles anyway.
So I feel no guilt over buying parts that are prohibitively difficult for me to make.
I'll be making the rest of the helmet anyway, after all.
I'm in no hurry to get the rest of the steel for this.
I can't realistically begin hammering on it till the weather cools off in a couple of months, unless I want to flirt with heatstroke again.
And I am thinking I may want the elbow and knee cops in a thicker gauge of steel, because it thins when dished.
As I intend to fight in this armor, it just doesn't make sense to skimp on protecting the most vulnerable parts of my body.
Now we'll just have to see when I get time to work on this again...
-Badger-
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 890 x 1200px
File Size 744.5 kB
All the pieces visible are 18 gauge.
I am debating 16 or even 14 for the knee cops, and 16 for the elbow cops.
Mostly as a matter of convenience. The thicker steel can be ground down and sanded smooth without as much planishing, and not sacrifice greater strength where its really important.
Stainless steel is harder and tougher than mild, so can be thinner for the same protective value.
-Badger-
I am debating 16 or even 14 for the knee cops, and 16 for the elbow cops.
Mostly as a matter of convenience. The thicker steel can be ground down and sanded smooth without as much planishing, and not sacrifice greater strength where its really important.
Stainless steel is harder and tougher than mild, so can be thinner for the same protective value.
-Badger-
Well, if premade padded cloth is available at reasonable price....
I upgraded to platemail myself earlier this year when I found a breastplate for 60€...
(See my gallery for photo)
I must say I am impressed by your work. That's +7 AC by my calculations.
Next thing we know, you'll come up with a full helmet design for fursuit heads
I upgraded to platemail myself earlier this year when I found a breastplate for 60€...
(See my gallery for photo)
I must say I am impressed by your work. That's +7 AC by my calculations.
Next thing we know, you'll come up with a full helmet design for fursuit heads
Years ahead of you....Though only drawn so far. :)
Designing helmets for furry critters was one of my favorite hobbies, maybe 25 or 30 years ago.
Helmets for fursuit heads in RL is on my to do list as well....I have the design sketched for my gryphon hussar, though I need to make the head first so it can be fitted properly.
As for cloth padding.
Well, I've been a costumer for most of my life, and I do rather decent tailoring.
Been planning to make my own. Though the fill for the quilting has been a matter of considerable debate.
I have a ton of cotton/bamboo batting. But theres been a lot of talk about craft felt being a better choice because it doesn't rot.
Still sorting advice and opinions over the gambeson or pourpoint I'll wind up making.
I personally favor sleeveless or short sleeved versions for comfort- But if I add voiders, I need sleeves to point them to.
So theres a lot to decide yet, and time to work it out.
-Badger-
Designing helmets for furry critters was one of my favorite hobbies, maybe 25 or 30 years ago.
Helmets for fursuit heads in RL is on my to do list as well....I have the design sketched for my gryphon hussar, though I need to make the head first so it can be fitted properly.
As for cloth padding.
Well, I've been a costumer for most of my life, and I do rather decent tailoring.
Been planning to make my own. Though the fill for the quilting has been a matter of considerable debate.
I have a ton of cotton/bamboo batting. But theres been a lot of talk about craft felt being a better choice because it doesn't rot.
Still sorting advice and opinions over the gambeson or pourpoint I'll wind up making.
I personally favor sleeveless or short sleeved versions for comfort- But if I add voiders, I need sleeves to point them to.
So theres a lot to decide yet, and time to work it out.
-Badger-
That...is a question with no easy answer.
Each piece is made by first working out a master in heavy paper or thin cardstock, then tracing the outline onto steel.
But patterning in the first place is where about half the work in making armor happens.
I start usually with patterns other armourers have made and offered for others to use.
From there, I work out the differences I need to make something fit for me.
This is mostly a trial and error process, often done in thin scrap metal to see how something fits and works when shaped.
When I am satisfied that a given piece will have the shape and size I want when it is hammered out, I go trace it onto steel and cut it out.
Much of the measuring to fit is done with a tape measure over my own body, then some math to add a bit to compensate for padding underneath.
Many pieces are actually cut slightly oversized, with the intention to cut them down to fit when they are shaped.
This is commonly done with say, breastplates.
The outside edges are left longer than needed, and trimmed down after dishing when they can be fitted on the body.
This process can be very time consuming, but ensures that the piece was not made too small in the first place.
A full harness requires something like between 17 and 30 separate measurements to fit properly.
The number of individual measurements required varies by type of suit, era of style, metal thickness and type used, etc.
The later period suits require a LOT more precise measurements than early period suits due to many more points of articulation that do not stretch.
Things like individual joint areas on the limbs need thickness of joint, length of limb, space from center of joint to center of joint, etc.
None of which are needed for early stuff. Where typically all you need are width of chest and waist, height, thickness of neck, shoe size, etc.
in other words-
No simple answer.
-Badger-
Each piece is made by first working out a master in heavy paper or thin cardstock, then tracing the outline onto steel.
But patterning in the first place is where about half the work in making armor happens.
I start usually with patterns other armourers have made and offered for others to use.
From there, I work out the differences I need to make something fit for me.
This is mostly a trial and error process, often done in thin scrap metal to see how something fits and works when shaped.
When I am satisfied that a given piece will have the shape and size I want when it is hammered out, I go trace it onto steel and cut it out.
Much of the measuring to fit is done with a tape measure over my own body, then some math to add a bit to compensate for padding underneath.
Many pieces are actually cut slightly oversized, with the intention to cut them down to fit when they are shaped.
This is commonly done with say, breastplates.
The outside edges are left longer than needed, and trimmed down after dishing when they can be fitted on the body.
This process can be very time consuming, but ensures that the piece was not made too small in the first place.
A full harness requires something like between 17 and 30 separate measurements to fit properly.
The number of individual measurements required varies by type of suit, era of style, metal thickness and type used, etc.
The later period suits require a LOT more precise measurements than early period suits due to many more points of articulation that do not stretch.
Things like individual joint areas on the limbs need thickness of joint, length of limb, space from center of joint to center of joint, etc.
None of which are needed for early stuff. Where typically all you need are width of chest and waist, height, thickness of neck, shoe size, etc.
in other words-
No simple answer.
-Badger-
Theres a reason a fitted harness or garniture made by a master armourer can run you between $5,000 and $25,000...
Its all in the style, time period, etc.
By the time you are getting into say, 17th century cuirraisser kit, the sheer amount of fitting gets amazingly complex because of all the tiny little articulation work.
Some of that really late period armor is all little bands of articulated plates that have to both move in all directions, and fit to your body closely at the same time.
Its a very complicated form of sculpture, and takes a lot of work and research to learn to do it properly.
Earlier time periods are easier- Its mostly a smaller number of larger plates with much less articulation work.
Theres several reasons the 14th century is so popular for SCA use.
Both the lore of things like the battles of Agincourt and Poitiers, and the much easier to make armor.
A full 14th century harness can be made for under $1500, depending on whether you want early 14th or late 14th.
Early is mostly something like a maille haubergeon with some plates over it, maybe a coat of plates and often simple helmets like early bascinets, kettle helms or great helms.
Late period; you're getting into globose breastplates, bascinets with pigface or globose faced visors, those huge, form fitted gorgets, etc.
I like the late 14th century stuff before it gets too complicated. But then I like to skip ahead to the War of the roses period in the 1450s, and the gothic styled harnesses and long tailed, sallet styled helms.
Like what my icon is wearing.
-Badger-
Its all in the style, time period, etc.
By the time you are getting into say, 17th century cuirraisser kit, the sheer amount of fitting gets amazingly complex because of all the tiny little articulation work.
Some of that really late period armor is all little bands of articulated plates that have to both move in all directions, and fit to your body closely at the same time.
Its a very complicated form of sculpture, and takes a lot of work and research to learn to do it properly.
Earlier time periods are easier- Its mostly a smaller number of larger plates with much less articulation work.
Theres several reasons the 14th century is so popular for SCA use.
Both the lore of things like the battles of Agincourt and Poitiers, and the much easier to make armor.
A full 14th century harness can be made for under $1500, depending on whether you want early 14th or late 14th.
Early is mostly something like a maille haubergeon with some plates over it, maybe a coat of plates and often simple helmets like early bascinets, kettle helms or great helms.
Late period; you're getting into globose breastplates, bascinets with pigface or globose faced visors, those huge, form fitted gorgets, etc.
I like the late 14th century stuff before it gets too complicated. But then I like to skip ahead to the War of the roses period in the 1450s, and the gothic styled harnesses and long tailed, sallet styled helms.
Like what my icon is wearing.
-Badger-
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