0 Voila, an acomplished lawyer.

Well not yet really. I don't even have my degree done yet and even after that i still got a lot of work to do. In the mean time its hammer time all day every day. Hammered out a pair of shinguards as the first project for 2013. I got more things in the works, but my arm needs some rest.

0 Chain& plate armor 2nd set progress report 1

Phew, we are finally getting somewhere. The second set of turkish armour is closing completion.The set is already wearable and fairly comfy. I'm yet to close the sides, but I've made  progress on that, I simply ran out of premade links - the ratio between plates and chainmail in this one is more in favour of the chainmail than the plate mail. Still its not as if I don't have enough wire to wind into new coils. Here's the new armour as worn by me. The curve of the belly plate isn't that good. Not an issue in its own right, its just that it will always be slightly tilted to the right. Since I'm not going for looks, that's ok. After all I'm recycling old bits and pieces, can't be picky.

The set in its current state and full length - once i close the sides, I won't be able to display it like this again. Its about 4-5 kilograms right now, I'd say it will be less than 10 kilograms once finished which would be slightly less than a chainmail shirt of comparable size.

 Here's a close shot at the back

 And another for the front. The neck hole is quite big right now, I will probably tighten it later on. First things first  of course.  I need to close the sides of the armour with two strips of chainmaille, then think about the shoulders and neck.  I'd say short sleeves are in order here. A coif with a bigger mantle could cover the neck area decently too.

0 Chain& plate armor reborn

Oh boy its been a while since I posted about this project.

Well then, with the weather warming up, its back on track.

Not too much to show yet since its not yet wearable. I finished the front and most of the back. The belly plate has been coated to avoid rust. Once I'm done with the back, I can try it on. A far more...streamlined build than the previous one. There is less plate and more chainmaille but its going to be easier to wear and put on . Last one involved way too many straps...

0 Battle of the Nations

Because you know, you need some place to bend all those tin cans, unless you plan on keeping them gathering dust and rust in some corner.

What IS the Battle of the Nations? Taking the name from that OTHER Battle of the Nations ,
its more or less an international medieval full contact combat tournament. Its not reenactment - more like LARP/SCA/WWF with swords and plate armor, but non the less - its pretty awesome in its own right. There are participating teams from half a dozen or more countries in several trials - 1 on 1, 5 on 5, full 21 on 21 etc.

There are teams from all over the world but the regulations and requirements are high.
 
For more info you can visit this Ukrainian site http://www.battleofthenations.com.ua/
It has english version as well.

You can also watch this short episode series on medievalists.net
http://www.medievalists.net/2011/11/11/battle-of-the-nations-tv-series/

0 Shortage of recent updates.

Sorry my bad ^^. Been a little busy recently. Still I'll probably have something good to show in the next 2-3 days, now that I have some free time. Final exams are coming and its the the current thing eating my nerves. Oh well, can't escape them right?

0 Plate armor Tip 1

Well I generally wanted to shy away from posts discussing proper plate armor, since i'm not doing any at the moment, but times goes by.

Now, today's post is again courtesy of maister Aule.

2 years ago he made a rather awesome winged helm for a buddy of mine.

It bears remarkable similarity to the steel plate armor helm from Skyrim, except there is no face plate.(Mind you thats from before Skyrim came out)

There are no pattern blueprints or full making process pics available or i'd give em. None the less there is something useful to be learned from here.
Thats two shots from the WIP on the helm.  The parts are shaped, the holes are drilled, however - they are not riveted yet. Its being held by bolts. Very useful if you have to make adjustments, which you probably will, with any custom project. Admittedly I hadn't thought about this before as with all simple and obvious things. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. So yeah - When working on plate armor with lots of riveting? Don't hammer out immediately, grab a bag of bolts first.

0 4 in 1 japanese chainmail

Been a while since I made one of these clips :)

Right

4in1 japanese chainmail armour is quite simple, you can't really make a mistake in it. It lacks the density and strength of 4in1 european chain. On the other hand its lighter, and quite easy and fast to produce.
You can use one, or two types of links depending on preferances.

Here is several variants(one of them is from the video)

0 Newest purchase - Russian infantry shield - 13th century

This one falls to the bargain you can't miss type.

Today I bought a 13th c. Russian tear drop infantry shield from a local historical reenactor, for 30 euro - that would be 45 USD or something.

Its much sturdier than ours - being made from proper wood, and not plywood. It has real leather for straps and on the edges, overall I really can't complain in any way about design, material etc. Even the bolts holding the straps are not bought, but hammered out from pig iron.

 It is however, quite smaller than my own norman kite shield, and being a big guy myself, I probably won't be using it personally. Still, a nice audition to have.

Here you can see the two compared.

0 The armour archive

http://www.armourarchive.org/index.html

The armour archive is, well as the name suggests an archive for medieval armour patterns. In it you can find the designs for quite a lot of armour pieces, ranging from helms to breastplates, gauntlets and greaves. It has a good ammount of essays on the matter, covering a lot of the basics on finding the right tools and putting them to good use. Its fairly comprehensive and can be quite helpful since you can literally download and print out the patterns you want. On the other hand I don't think it has been updated in quite a while, not that there is much need for it.

The site also has a fair amount of links to other pages on the topic, however not all of them are working - the issue of updating is here as well.

0 Lego armor - the Warhorse

Its lego time again! And yeah, first it was the rider, now its the horse!
The armor is removable like all of my previous projects. I might modify it a bit but thats all. I'm also working on improved version of my lego minifig armor - the problem there is the size of the rings...so im making custom micro rings which are even smaller. 
First pic - the horse and the rider both in lego chainmail armor.

 Top view.

 Back view

 And two 3/4 shots.

It turned out better than the lego minifig armor mostly because of the above mentioned ring size problem. It IS being adressed though. Of course it will be a while until results come out of this. Stay tuned.

0 The fresh guard of Riften

You know, Skyrim is, at least by my humble opinion responsible for 1 breakup every few days. Its one of those things you know - the ones you store non-perishable food, divorce your wife, put your kids and pets for adoption for. So anyway, instead of arguing about it, me and my girlfriend, decided to do something about it.(she was with the camera)

The Fresh Guard of Riften


Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the guard of a town called Riften
In west Tamriel born and raised
On the archery range was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all shootin some x-bows outside of the inn
When a couple of elves
Who were up to no good
Startin making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
And said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Riften'
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my armor and send me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
I put my helm on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.
First trip, yo this is bad
The cold is freezing my gonads.
Is this what the people of Riften Living like?
Hmmmmm this can't be alright.
But wait I hear there're tricky, thieves and all that
Is this the type of place that they should send this cool cat?
I don't think so
I'll see when I get there
I hope they're prepared for the hero of Riften
Well, I crossed the border and when I looked around
There was an  elf who looked like a cop standing there with his bow out
I ain't trying to get shot yet but too late
 Alas, he got my knee here
and sprang with the quickness like lightning - disappeared
I whistled for a wagon and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had arrows in the rear
If anything I can say that this wagon was rare
But I thought 'Nah forget it' - 'Yo homes to Riften'
I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Guard of Riften

0 The golden bikini of awesomeness(and win)

Been a while since I made a one these! Most fun you can have for a couple of hours indeed, especially the fitting&measuring part.

 

Needless to say there isn't nearly as much fun without making some slightly naughty photos. However I gotta keep this place following the rules so  PG13+ warning here.

http://i.imgur.com/JLUOk

 http://imgur.com/QTidH

http://imgur.com/mVnJr

Unfortunately, now I'm going to bore you with design notes. This is not my first piece of chainmail bikini, but definitely the best so far. Design wise - its simple. I attached the cups to an ordinary bra, which helped a lot with putting it on and off and keeping it comfortable. I used gold plated rings for jewellery which was also a good idea. I've made chainmail bikini from the same steel links I use for armor, and while the results are ok, its  a good several hundred grams, which is simply unsuitable. These copper links weight much less. Work time is just several hours with a price tag of supplies about 10$. If you feel like it, you can surprise your girlfriend too with one of these in just 1 afternoon.

0 The Ringlord

No, not Lord of the Rings, the Ringlord. And believe me, the name is no boast.

For the people who have the money but don't have the time to do home experiments, or those who want something exotic, there is the Ringlord.

http://theringlord.com/cart/default.asp

Its based in Canada and has...well everything. The Ringlord sells all you could possibly need for making chainmaille of all kinds and a few other things as well.One of my minor dreams involves driving up to the place with a big truck, several strong lads and grabbing everything thats not bolted down and we'd carry bolt cutters just in case.

Starting with the tools - it has all the kinds of pliers you'd need, the wire cutters and the saws for the coils, mandrels, more miscellaneous stuff like mini scales to calculate weight, welders, tumblers etc.

As far as products go it sells wire, coils and cut rings from trivial materials like copper, galvanized and stainless steel to exotic ones like brass, inconel, nickel silver, gold, niobium and titanium. The very prospect of making a titanium maille shirt is definitely tempting. The Ringlord is also responsible for the small leaf like scalemail that can be seen around the web - it makes them. Finally they also have finished maille shirts and sheets of chainmaille from most of the above mentioned materials. All in all the price range for most products is what i'd call acceptable. I've never personally purchased but I've heard a lot of positive reviews, and well let's be honest, there is no other like it. If you are on a tight budget, well you can daydream like me. But if you can afford it or its something special you want, look no further.
 
All in all - seriously just go have a look.
http://theringlord.com/cart/default.asp

0 Lego man in full armor

You love lego. There are no exceptions, unless of course you are an alien trying to take over the world or a nazi or something. So yeah the idea was simple to implement once i got to making it.  The quality of the photos is quite poor this time. I'll do a new session tomorrow. The armor itself needs some fixing too its not symmetric or a good fit yet, but the lego man was more problematic to work than the bunny.
My eyes are very tired and I just can't go on for today so yeah - fixes and new photos tomorrow.

I used rhodium rings for this one - the smallest I could find, still not small enough to look great but its ok.

0 Chain& Plate armor Second serving

Right, now that the prototype is done and I got the basics of it, its time to start the new line of trendy and fashionable armor sets. I've started two at once to show my obvious dedication to hard work....Eh, excuse me, I need to trim my nose...Funny thing how quickly it can grow eh? Well actually its because I found parts that can help me start two at once.

Now this pair will be a little different, and that difference will be mostly due to an added belly plate. Recycling is the new rule of cool and while my own fashion sense is stuck around 1100 AD that does not mean I can't improvise, so yeah - I recycled those belly plates from what used to be kneecap guards. They don't look like much, having caught some rust and a bit misshapen since they were not planished, but for the current cause - it will do.

Whats important to note here however, is that unlike the simpler square plates used for the last set, these involve some actual hammering. Now I didn't plan to write about whitesmithing(no fire) so early on the blog so I'll just give a few basics.

The tools you will need here are above all - good hammers. Here you can see a ballpeen hammer you can probably find in the nearest handyman store. Next to it, is my own dishing hammer - I had it custom made for the job. The head is much less curved than the ballpeen. The ballpeen will still do if there is no alternative.

The other thing you'd need is a dishing stump. That could be an actual wooden stump with a oval hole on it, where you can shape the metal or you can use something else - like a sandbag. Right now I don't have a dishing stump, since my old one is now firewood.

0 Future schedule

With Christmas, new year's eve and above all - my university exam session coming, I might not be able to post as often as I wish. For now here is what's in the works.

I've started two more chain&plate armors. Now that I have some experience with it, I just need to sit down and make em. They will be a bit different, I am recycling old parts again, but the general principle remains the same. Depending on how things develop, production in January will be sketchy. I still need to get someone with a car to help me resupply with metal and wire.

I've started another uuuuh, how should I call it... Battle ready armored plushie, like the Bunny knight, with a 3rd in the plans. These are quite fun to make to be honest and much easier on your hands, even it not on your eyes. With sufficient breaks and good light I need to fear putting on glasses of course.

0 Chain&plate Reasonable female armor volume 2

Ok the prototype turkish chain &plate mail is done, next ones are started already. All the basic ideas are set, I just need to get my lazy self to work.

Its not the best fit admittedly  its slightly too big for her. An arming doublet will fix that.

 OK, to sum it up. 

How to make one. First - the tools.

You need all the basic chainmaille tools  and material - pliers, cutter etc. to get the links.

You need a good drill - not the most expensive one but not the cheapest that will break in no time - you will be using it a lot. At least 2-3 spare drilling heads aint a bad idea. I broke one already.

You need either a throatless shear or a jigsaw to cut the plates. Another option which I've never explored is to get it cut by laser in some machineshop. Its available, and doable, but I've never tried it so I got no experience on the money involved and what you will get in the end. As far as I've heard the money depends on the number of cuts the laser does but I really can't say. If anyone tries this, tell me what you got.

Anyway, if its a one time gig, go for the jigsaw since its easier to get one and it will do, though you need to be careful with it - googles, gloves and basic safety folks! 

If its not a one time gig or you can get one easily - go for the throatless shear, yes I said it before, I will say it again. Those things are wonderful. The jigsaw is noisy(can't use in residential area) and you will need half a dozen discs or more since we are talking about a lot of cuts not to mention electricity  and safety gear. The shear involves more manual labour indeed - but seriously if you've picked this as a hobby you should not be afraid of manual labour. Its a bit slower too but apart from that its the obvious choice for anyone who wants to do more than 1-2 things because its a one time investment with almost 0 maintenance while jigsaw discs look cheap only until you've ran through 50 or more.

Finally you need sheet metal. There are many possible sources, for all its worth you can chop up a tin bucket. Just check that its around 1mm thick -too thin sheets won't do, too thick will be unnecessarily heavy and hard to punch holes into. I used left-overs & scraps from the workshop where they let us do our stuff, so its mixed gauges up there. Its not the best idea because of the previously mentioned piece of hardened steel that almost cost me my drill. Best option is to simply buy sheet metal from a warehouse. Thus you know what you are going to get. Of course that means a car to get it back home.

0 Chain&plate armor progress report 3

Right, mind you thats from several hours ago, I've started the sleeves now. I'll adjust the sides though, not very comfortable. Another note, avoid scrap metal as a whole. You never know if its not hardened steel under that thin coat of rust. I nearly broke my drill and they don't grow on trees.

My gf was here to take the photos, but this time she refused to put the armor on :). Instead, she opted to try and make something for herself.

0 Chain&plate - Reasonable female armor :)

Or at least better than the battle thongs, and it still looks good.

Its much easier when you can find someone to try it on. Now I  need to close the sides with another set of plates. Maybe leave adjustable straps.but I might enclose it after all.

0 Chain&plate armor progressing

Right, so that's a nearly finished frontal section, next i need to do the back, the shoulder straps and the sides. sleeves will be for the last. Ran out of sheet metal though.

Few words of advice here for those following in. Sheet metal will ****** cut you. Use gloves all the time. And you won't find it in the Tools4Us, you need a warehouse, unlike the wire.