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[Jace]

So, I usually post in the blog thread when I make stuff, but now I'm gonna post it here and then just link to it.

I'm also going to just copy the post verbatim that I made on an armor forum, if there's any words that you want clarified just ask:

As this is the last day I could get in the shop before my buddy leaves for Pennsic, I busted my butt to finish the first half of my new arm harness. It ain't terribly pretty (as far as symmetrical holes, straight lines, smooth curves are concerned), but it'll get the job done and it weighs less and protects better than its predecessor. It's also all work done by me (except for the shaping on one of the rerebraces, and a couple passes of polishing on the shoulder cops) from patterning to polishing.

The new pieces are the rerebraces and spaulders. After Pennsic I plan to make a very specific style of cased vambraces (apparently seen in German effigies, my buddy has a lot more history knowledge than me) that have a solid bottom with a splinted top and to finish or make a new pair of elbows. I like what I have now, and I have a pair that just needs polishing, straps and holes for pointing, but I'd like to make a set that has a deeper point. I also plan to put a little bit of brass edging on the shoulder cops, which is why the third set of internal holes aren't attached to anything.

Spaulders are an aluminum, not sure what kind though it is thick and sturdy. Rerebraces are t-6 aluminum. Elbows are mild steel (from Rough from the Hammer). Vambraces are splinted galvanized, the leather is dyed with period techniques. The vambraces were the first pieces of armor that I made, in march of 2012.

After being struck in the forearm close to the elbow while floating the vambraces to the elbows, I decided to rivet them in to keep from sliding down and exposing that small bit of arm as it hurt like hell.

[GarandMarine]

Awesome Jace!

[mtmerrick]

Very nice, musta gotten a good bit of XP

Now to get a mage to enchant it.

[Jace]

aluminum is already basically enchanted. Super strong & super light.

[Akima]

Impressive work! Did you form the "caps" of the spaulders (learned a new word!) by hammering over some sort of anvil?

[J]

that really is quite awesome.

[Jace]

Impressive work! Did you form the "caps" of the spaulders (learned a new word!) by hammering over some sort of anvil?

The general term for rounded armor that covers/encloses the joint is a cop. Shoulder cop, knee cop, elbow cop. They also have fancier names, I don't know the one for the shoulder (I suppose just spaulder), couter for the elbow and poleyn for the knee.

I formed them by hammering the flat piece into a dishing form (probably about 1/4 of a sphere in shape) carved into a stump. I start at one corner and go around it in a circle until it is flush in the form. Then I hold the piece on the edge of the form to dish deeper. I could also have used what most armorers call a dishing donut, literally just a large ring of metal. I could also have formed it by hammering it over a "ball stake," a metal ball mounted on a stake, that technique is called raising.

After it is formed, it needs to be boughed or planished. Boughing is setting the outside against a smooth anvil and hammering the inside with overlapping blows to smooth out the bumps from the forming step, then we cheat and hit it with a 120 grit disc on an angle grinder to further smooth it out. Then we polish it. I originally wanted to take these up to a mirror finish, but the material is a little weird, and to save time I chose not to.

[GarandMarine]

Do you take commissions? I've been looking for a good source for a single arm rig for a costume for ages.

[Jace]

Yeah, we'll do commissions, but no fantasy stuff, only real armor. For the next couple weeks there's a big ol event so I'll be out of the shop, but after that we can chat.

[GarandMarine]

I like fantasy stuff, but I wouldn't waste anything more then like, paper mache on it.

[Jace]

Put in the arming points on my gambeson. Might loosen up the spaulders ever so slightly but I'll have to get to pennsic and see how it feels/ask someone a bit more experienced.

[Jace]

Guys my helmet is so close to being done and oh my goodness it is sexy as hell. I didn't do most of the work on it but that is because it is an expensive piece and I want it to look nice.

Getting in the shop sunday to make the visor for it and possibly make safety horse videos (don't ask) and depending on time might start my greaves.

[Jotunheim]

Am I entirely wrong in saying that it looks like you have trouble raising your arms in that set-up?

[Jace]

Well yes and no. I didn't make my gambeson with grand assiete sleeves so it pulls up a little when I raise my arms,  but the armor doesnt affect my movement in the shoulder region. On the elbow joint, I can only bend my arm to about a 40° angle because of both the arms in the gambeson being a little tight when bending my arms tight and also because I grew tired of my vambraces sliding down my arm after the ties came loose between the elbow and vambrace I riveted the elbow cop to the vambrace which reduces movement some but not enough for it to affect my fighting.

[GarandMarine]

Jace loves getting hammered on the weekend

[Jace]

Actually usually Wednesday nights. I work weekends

[GarandMarine]

I stand corrected.

[Case]

So, I usually post in the blog thread when I make stuff, but now I'm gonna post it here and then just link to it.
...

Awesome! 

What is this type of plate armor called (that doesn't fully cover the inside of the arms)?  The round discs at the elbow joints - are they to protect the inside of the joint from a slash? And aren't the armpits protected? What weapon do you use? A sword? Two-handed? And ...

[Jace]

This would still be considered plate armor. I mostly do 14th century stuff, which is called the transitional period because they moved from mostly chain with only body armor at the beginning of the 1300s and then had nearly full plate kits (cased arms and legs) by 1400.

The part on the elbow is actually part of the elbow, its a fan/wing and essentially it would stop someone from slashing the inside of my elbow if I'm not wearing chain. In my game, it stops the sticks from hitting the inside of my elbow. Also traditionally I'd be wearing a chain shirt under or over my armor (except the body armor) but I am lazy about that because it is heavy. That would be what protects the armpits.

In melee fights I usually fight with a 6' polearm or spear, but in one-on-ones I fight with a short sword (about 24"-26" overall length) and a center grip heater shield.

[Jace]

Oh well there was an event yesterday so here's a picture of me from it in my full kit. That isn't my final helmet we are getting the visor for it welded presently so it should be about a week before I can use it.

Here it was said that I was corkscrewing¹ my opponent which is patently untrue as the photo shows I've just managed to get him almost dead to rights and planned on stepping in and bringing down the hate but the marshall stopped it and said I was corkscrewing him (which isn't against the rules but I guess is frowned upon).


As you can see, my armor moves pretty well on my arm, once I get out there and moving I generally don't even really notice that I have any armor on my arms. I actually lost this fight because I erroneously took a shot that landed at the top of my calf on the outside (shots below the knee are forbidden, it landed to where about 20% of the impact was absorbed by the fan) on instinct from feeling the impact and he stabbed me in the face (there is a visor stopping him from hitting my actual face). It was a very clean kill and after I took death I mentioned that the first shot where I dropped was low, but that I'd take the stab regardless.

¹: corkscrewing is when you twist an opponent on their knees, which, while he was turned a little bit, I didn't feel that I was twisting him in an uncomfortable or unprecedented manner. It is apparent that our bodies are still lined up where I am in the 90 degree arc from the way his knees are facing. One can see that if he brought his left knee in line with his right we would be facing each other straight on again.