All Discussions Tagged 'von' - crafthaus2024-03-28T09:39:48Zhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?groupUrl=crescent-moon-armoury&tag=von&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWhy I’m Tired of the Zombie Apocalypse (and it hasn’t even started yet)tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-06-24:2104389:Topic:4869182014-06-24T17:31:58.839ZParker Brownhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/ParkerBrown
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<p>Being a craftsperson/maker/artisan/artist is a rather unique profession. Many people today have limited experience in (truly) handmade objects and their interactions with us are often the first and only exposure to the craft world. For an armourer such as myself, that exposure is exponentially reduced by the specificity of my field. I am part of a sub-genre within a sub-genre. Explaining to people what I actually do is similar to Lord Helmet’s scene with Lonestar in…</p>
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<p>Being a craftsperson/maker/artisan/artist is a rather unique profession. Many people today have limited experience in (truly) handmade objects and their interactions with us are often the first and only exposure to the craft world. For an armourer such as myself, that exposure is exponentially reduced by the specificity of my field. I am part of a sub-genre within a sub-genre. Explaining to people what I actually do is similar to Lord Helmet’s scene with Lonestar in “Spaceballs”.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058583900?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058583900?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="626" class="align-center" height="166"/></a></p>
<p>It’s a reasonable assumption that, in the course of a conversation, people ask questions that are… less than well-informed. This is to be expected and I’ve learned to address these as attempts by the other person to identify and learn. But, by paying attention to the questions asked, I understand what needs to be addressed regarding my field. So, without further ado, here are the top questions and statements I receive as a modern armourer.</p>
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<p><b>“I Bet You’re Ready For the Zombie Apocalypse!”</b></p>
<p> It is an interesting statement of modern American culture that one of our most popular fictional tropes involves the breakdown of society due to unforeseen overwhelming force. Infrastructures that we normally trust completely in our everyday lives break down with catastrophic and society-changing results. In most of these fictional scenarios, the survivors’ existences are enabled because of a reversion to older technologies and systems of governance. </p>
<p>This fascination with traditional skills finding relevance in a post-apocalyptic world leads to a very common statement given to me by well-meaning individuals: “I bet you’re ready for the zombie apocalypse”! This comment is very revealing and I’m sure most people are unaware of the subtext behind it. My metal fabrication skills might come in handy, but not nearly as much as a trained medical practitioner or anyone capable of locating and purifying water systems. Yet, the first thing people assume are: instead of practical necessities, they need a means to commit or survive violence.</p>
<p>Armour certainly fits into that category of need, but my interests as an armoursmith don’t come from necessity or survival. It comes from the perspective of an artisan. Realistically, I’m the last person you need to come to in case of any kind of outbreak. In my opinion, the modern interest in zombie/apocalyptic scenarios has nothing to do with necessity; it’s a twisted new form of romanticism. When these stories are told, it’s never from the perspective of the everyday victim, but rather an Übermensch into which the reader/viewer can insert themselves. This is simply a common desire to become more than one’s self within the safety of fantasy.</p>
<p>So, when someone tells me I’m ready for the zombie apocalypse, in reality they’re saying they identify a little bit of that desire for betterment in my skills. They can’t identify with my accomplishments directly in present reality, so it’s safer to see it from the realm of fantasy. Regardless, I take it as a complement.</p>
<p>But please don’t come to my house in the case of a real outbreak.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586299?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586299?profile=original" width="366" class="align-center" height="259"/></a></p>
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<p><b>“Isn’t That Stuff Heavy?”</b></p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>I want you to do me a big favor. Take off your clothes. No, seriously! Take off your clothes and weigh them. If it’s wintertime, you normally wear long underwear, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, jacket and possibly a cap. The combined weight is between 5-8 lbs. A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 lbs. and that’s considered heavy! So, why are we not toppling over from the weight of our heavy clothes?</p>
<p>Most people handle armour the same way they handle a gallon of milk. They pick it up using one of the weakest muscles in our body, the bicep. The sensation of “heavy” is a relative term. If you distribute that 8.6 lb. milk about your body (pour it on your head), it’s not going to feel as heavy. Like your magical milk suit, armour works best when it’s worn. It doesn’t work if you stand around holding it.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058588427?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058588427?profile=original" width="340" class="align-center" height="247"/></a></p>
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<p>A full suit of plate armour can be heavy. In general, full European plate and maille armour from the 15<sup>th</sup> century would have weighed no more than 1/3 of the wearer’s body weight. So, a stout man weighing 200 lbs. could support armour weighing 66 lbs. Before you become aghast, realize that the modern U.S. infantryman carries 75-100 lbs. of gear…and they’re not nearly as armoured as their 15<sup>th</sup> century counterpart.</p>
<p>So, yes, armour is heavy…but a trained man-at-arms was used to wearing the armour. They were no more at risk of toppling over in a clutter of steel than we are of toppling over in a clutter of winter clothing….except for Ralph’s little brother in “A Christmas Story”.</p>
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<p><b>“I’d Just Use A Gun/ I’ll Just Shoot You.”</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586824?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="170" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586824?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="170" class="align-center"/></a></b></p>
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<p>Wow.</p>
<p>There are few statements that actually make me mad, but this is one of the biggest. I actually receive this statement more often than people might believe. It’s the evil cousin to the zombie apocalypse statement above and it’s rooted in the same psychological undertone. Both are originated from the need to develop from the Übermensch ideological sense of self. But while the zombie apocalypse comment derives from a desire to better one’s self, the “just shoot you” comment assumes an already established superiority. Unfortunately, that sense of superiority is rooted in an acquired technology rather than developed skill.</p>
<p>There are a lot of people in the world that own hammers, in fact I’d say most people have access to one in some form or fashion. Hammers are great, especially when you need to apply specific force to something. If you don’t have a hammer, you can improvise with a rock, but it’s just so well designed for what it does!</p>
<p>Owning a hammer does not make me a metalsmith. Owning a weapon (not just a firearm) does not make one a warrior or a soldier.</p>
<p>By stating that you would “just use a gun” at anyone producing a historical and technologically obsolete item like plate armour, you are completely missing the point. Most people drive automobiles for their transportation, so why would one ever learn the equestrian arts? I don’t learn historical metal arts because I think they’re going to make me safer or more dangerous. If I’m in need of real defense, I have my own firearms, practice martial arts, have an alarm system and, most importantly, pay taxes to support local law enforcement and a national military.</p>
<p>I make armour because it’s beautiful. It makes me happy to learn a historical technique and realize that I’m having a dialog with other artisans from hundreds of years ago. It acknowledges that while our beings may be mortal and finite, ideas and expression have a much longer shelf life. A statement like “I’d just use a gun” assumes superiority because of an ability to destroy. The irony is that it’s based upon a technology that required creativity in order to exist. Which is the more powerful?</p>
<p><b>“Oh, Cool! Samurai Armour!”</b></p>
<p>Okay, I’ll admit, I kind of have an axe to grind with this one (no pun intended) As many of my fellow historical martial arts practitioners can attest, if anyone mentions swords or armour to the average layperson, one culture dominates all popular conceptions of skill and craftsmanship: feudal Japan.</p>
<p>Historical Japanese arms and armour are amazing feats of technological and artistic skill. But their use in modern popular film has placed an extremely unrealistic set of standards upon the metallurgical realties of these beautiful and functional works of traditional art. Instead of admiring the real skills required to produce and use a Japanese sword, false skillsets are concocted, such as the ability to cut through darn near anything, including large moving vehicles! This is simply not possible regardless of how well any sword is made.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058584082?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058584082?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="403" class="align-center" height="202"/></a></p>
<p>At a recent event in Houston, Texas, I had multiple individuals come up to the newly finished Kunst Schott von Hellengen breastplate (the same one I’ve detailed in this blog) and declare that it is, in fact, a Japanese samurai armour. I smiled and presented them with an image of the original German piece along with a written description of the piece’s provenance. Many acknowledge their surprise and walked away with a broadened horizon, but there were at least 3 individuals that proceeded to argue. Even with documented proof that the original design was from the 15<sup>th</sup> century armour production centers in Nuremburg, German, these three argued that the Europeans learned all of their skills of plate armour production from Asia, so it must therefore be of Japanese provenance.</p>
<p>I don’t even know where to start…</p>
<p>Just like with all other cultures, Japanese armour has a myriad of types and periods reflecting their changing needs of defense. In the late 16<sup>th</sup> and early 17<sup>th</sup> centuries, a particular style of armour, labeled the “nanban” (南蛮) period, shows the importation of European armour into Japan. “Nanban” translates into “foreign barbarian”. European armour was brought in by Portugese missionaries and merchants and quickly adopted into the traditional forms of armour. This adopted Spanish conquistador helmet (<i>morion</i>) shows both European influences as well as the traditional use of Japanese cord-joined lamellar to protect the neck.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586457?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058586457?profile=original" width="236" class="align-left" height="321"/></a>The interesting phenomenon is that this cultural trade was not reciprocal. Elements of Japanese armour weren’t incorporated into European armour simply because it wasn’t designed to deal with the super weapon of the period: firearms. Japanese armour is excellent at defending against other Japanese weapons such as the <i>katana</i> and the bow and arrow, but European firearms simply had much more kinetic energy. By the 16<sup>th</sup> century, European armour had started to address the threat posed by firearms and, quite simply, the Japanese weren’t going to turn their nose at a system that worked!</p>
<p>But, films and fiction continue to persist. If any character is going to carry a sword or wear armour, it must be Japanese. As my three tormentors from Houston pointed out, only in Asia was the technological understanding of metal joined with the honor required to have superior craftsmanship.</p>
<p>Yeah…because everyone knows Germans hate fine craftsmanship.</p>
<p>There are plenty of other challenging aspects to being an armourer and they are all simply part of the experience. If anyone is interested in being an armourer, they must learn to operate in a multitude of roles. One of those roles, being an educator, is played every time someone asks a question about armour. Each time I can talk someone about my work, it’s a potential teaching moment. But more importantly, it’s the questions I’m asked that sometimes educate me. Sometimes the greatest skills acquired by a craftsperson don’t come from the application of the hand, but the application of the mind.</p> The Kunst Schott von Hellingen Breastplate Part IXtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-06-12:2104389:Topic:4858752014-06-12T05:46:02.731ZParker Brownhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/ParkerBrown
<p>With the conclusion of three conferences in two months in two states, the long awaited blog is back! To continue with the construction of the Kunst Schott von Hellingen Breastplate, we last left off with the individual plates ready for polishing, decoration and patination.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577090?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577090?profile=original" width="440"></img></a></p>
<p>The original breastplate features an engraving of Kunst Schott’s family coat of…</p>
<p>With the conclusion of three conferences in two months in two states, the long awaited blog is back! To continue with the construction of the Kunst Schott von Hellingen Breastplate, we last left off with the individual plates ready for polishing, decoration and patination.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577090?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577090?profile=original" width="440" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>The original breastplate features an engraving of Kunst Schott’s family coat of arms. However, while this engraving’s historical provenance is uncertain, the feature appealed to my client and he agreed that he wanted his coat of arms on his armour. After a little research, I picked up my can of Krylon high heat matte white spray paint and applied coverage to the upper area of the breastplate. The matte white surface is excellent drawing surface which allows for detailed planning for the design. Once a pencil sketch is made, the lines are gone over with a sharpened steel pointed tip which scratches fine lines through the paint. The rest of the process is a simple 4 hour acid etching using undiluted ferric chloride! Results are historically accurate and comparable to many similar etchings found in museums.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058580286?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058580286?profile=original" width="441" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>The next decorative step uses matching chased areas of the overlapping tassets. Chasing was a commonly used technique in armoursmithing to provide structural rigidity to individual plates without adding weight. German Gothic armour was famous for its use and the craftspeople at the Nuremburg armoury would have been quite familiar in its use. However, this armour is emblematic of the Transitional style because it contains so little of the technique in respect to the preceding Gothic and antecedent Maximillian style. But, what few chased embellishment there is serves a purpose to strengthen the two bottom lames of the tassets. The process itself is rather simple. Once the lines are drawn in the interior of the armour, a blunted chisel is used as a chasing tool to hammer into a soft block of lead. This is a much more traditional means of producing the lines, but the use of lead might not be preferred by all modern craftspeople. Standard pitch can be used instead.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577199?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058577199?profile=original" width="442" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>With the decoration finished, the finalizing construction can begin. This is a slow careful process which requires each piece being matched to one another. As the matching plates are placed, leather strips are measured and cut to line up with drilled holes in the plates. The leather strips permit the articulation of the various lames to match with the wearer’s movements.</p>
<p>It’s at these moments in a project that attention to detail is critical and this instance was no exception. While taking a break in the construction, a higher resolution image of the historical original came to my attention. The photograph showed a startling realization: I had made the shoulder lames wrong. The edges of the plates had been incorrectly rolled, permitting a thrust to the torso to travel up into the underarm. This is a moment that defines the difference between aesthetics and function. A decision had to be made.</p>
<p>To be continued…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058580386?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058580386?profile=original" width="240" class="align-center" height="233"/></a></p>
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<p></p> The Kunst Schott von Hellingen Breastplate Part VIIItag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-04-11:2104389:Topic:4657892014-04-11T21:39:55.581ZParker Brownhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/ParkerBrown
<p>This is the critical stage of the project where all temptation to play Minecraft must be resisted so that I can practice some ACTUAL craft skills. Yes, it’s neat that you can reconstruct Notre Dame cathedral in a virtual world, but it can’t be submitted to the SNAG Exhibition in Print, can it?</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563334?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563334?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a></p>
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<p>So, onwards and upwards.</p>
<p>With temptations managed,…</p>
<p>This is the critical stage of the project where all temptation to play Minecraft must be resisted so that I can practice some ACTUAL craft skills. Yes, it’s neat that you can reconstruct Notre Dame cathedral in a virtual world, but it can’t be submitted to the SNAG Exhibition in Print, can it?</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563334?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563334?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>So, onwards and upwards.</p>
<p>With temptations managed, the next step of the cuirass is to construct the tassets (see the image below for a refresher on the parts of a cuirass).</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563254?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563254?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a></p>
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<p>Essentially, the tassets follow the same methodology as the fauld. Using painters tape, each plate is patterned after the previous one until all of the overlapping pieces are accounted for. The tasset marks the end of the cuirass and should terminate just at the middle of the thigh. With a full suit of armour, the upper portion of the leg armour (cuisse) would lay just under the tassets, but for now the client only requested the cuirass.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058564421?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058564421?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>With the tassets rough formed, it’s now time to roll the upper edge of the breastplate. As one can imagine, this can be a daunting task especially considering the substantial size of this particular roll. Like most cuirasses, the roll serves multiple purposes. Rolls on armour serve to reinforce plates, giving added rigidity without increasing weight. In the case of the von Hellingen cuirass, the upper roll is </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563480?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="150" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563480?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="150" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>substantial because it not only give structural strength to the breastplate (where most hits would land in combat), but it also creates a barrier to protect the throat. Should a weapon hit the breastplate and slide, it will be diverted away from the throat and major arteries of the neck. Of course, on a full suit, the wearer would also have a gorget (neck armour), but the addition of a roll on the breastplate simply makes sense.</p>
<p>The mechanics of hammered roles is both simple and complex. For a greater understanding of how to execute a roll on armour, here is an excellent tutorial from fellow armourer, William Hunt:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ageofarmour.com/education/armour_rolled_edges1.html">http://www.ageofarmour.com/education/armour_rolled_edges1.html</a></p>
<p><br/>Essentially, a roll requires a vast amount of control with the hammer to gently coax the edge of a piece of sheet over itself to form a rounded edge. There are a variety of rolls in armour from the substantial to the delicate. For this cuirass, the rolls are somewhat flattened and almost resemble folds rather than rolls.</p>
<p>Before rolling a plate’s edge, the piece needs to be sanded to a rough finish. The upper breastplate role requires the piece be trimmed and then the upper edge is hammered over flush then it’s hammered over to a 90° angle. The result is a very strong reinforced edge that greatly increases the structural stability of the breastplate.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560675?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560675?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>The remaining rolls are made to the interiors and bottom edges of the tassets, the bottom of the fauld and along the interior edges of the pectoral plates. The process involved many hours of work, but the result brings the cuirass to its final form ready for finished sanding, polishing and decoration.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563291?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563291?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>To be continued...</p> The Kunst Schott von Hellingen Breastplate Part VIItag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-04-03:2104389:Topic:4648932014-04-03T21:40:19.910ZParker Brownhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/ParkerBrown
<p>The plackart is a challenging piece of armour. Historically, plackarts formed a larger portion of a full cuirass. But with the German Transitional style (and later subsequent Maximillian style) the plackart’s role changed. Instead of being mounted in front of the breastplate like on the Milanese armour shown on the left</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553221?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553221?profile=original" width="500"></img></a></p>
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<p>from ca. 1445, the von Hellingen…</p>
<p>The plackart is a challenging piece of armour. Historically, plackarts formed a larger portion of a full cuirass. But with the German Transitional style (and later subsequent Maximillian style) the plackart’s role changed. Instead of being mounted in front of the breastplate like on the Milanese armour shown on the left</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553221?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553221?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>from ca. 1445, the von Hellingen cuirass used a smaller plackart mounted underneath the breastplate. The flair of the plackart would provide a smooth uninterrupted line from the bulge of the breastplate into the graceful flair of the fauld (area protecting the hips). So, as with the careful shape of the breastplate, the angle of flair given to the plackart is important in creating the overall profile of the armour.</p>
<p>Unlike the breastplate, which is a synclastic form, the plackart will be made using anticlastic techniques. The process involves hammering the form into a sinusoidal (snake-like) stake to move the metal upon two divergent axes resulting</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560267?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560267?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="605" class="align-center" height="155"/></a></p>
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<p>in a kind of ‘potato chip’ shape. Once the metal is moved into the rough approximation of where it needs to be, it’s refined along the middle axis to create a sharp crease. The top and bottom sections are then refined into divergent smooth curves. The result is a smooth even flared section that has extremely good strength from a relatively small amount of metal.</p>
<p>With the plackart formed, it’s time to move onto the faulds which protect the lower abdominal and hips. This will be composed of overlapping plates which, when finished, will have strips of leather underneath that allow for the whole section to accordion into itself. This articulation allows the wearer to have full range of motion in the waist and hip area.</p>
<p>Patterning the plates is relatively simple. I start with strips of 2” wide painter’s tape and I simply layer out each plate off of the previous strip. I then trim the tape into the form needed and transfer it to a piece of card stock. By only cutting out half of each plate and then ‘butterflying’ it onto the sheet of steel, I insure each plate is exactly symmetrical.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563218?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058563218?profile=original" width="549" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>Through this process, I work my way down to the base of the tassets which should come to just right at the groin. Each plate is first lightly dished and then refined over a shallow mushroom stake. As each plate is made, I clamp it onto the previously formed piece with vise grips and then heat the plate with my torch. The plate is then tapped into its final shape, insuring that each piece fits precisely with the curvature of the previous piece.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560576?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560576?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>With the conclusion of the rough-formed fauld, the project has hit the “point of no return”. Essentially, if there were any major changes needed for the project, they would have to be made now. At this point, it’s time to do a test-fitting with the client. The piece is packed up and I take it to the client. These are moments of truth where all of my hard work and attention to detail should pay off. It’s also a moment of excitement and (hopefully) validation for the client. All of the plates are temporarily bolted together, so there’s no articulation at this point, but the objective is to insure that the client’s body actually fits into and matches the shape of the armour.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058561706?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058561706?profile=original" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>After a moment’s hesitation, the rough armour is placed on the client…and is a near perfect fit. A few notes are made to trim the underarm by 1/8” and to note where the top of the breastplate needs to rest. Now I can take a bit of a break before bringing this armour to its hopefully happy conclusion!</p>
<p>To be continued….</p>