ANST - Plastic armor

[Lawrence D. Ruiz]

HL Isabol,
Down here in Seawinds we have been making the plastic armor for the Youth
Boffer and Youth Chivalric for a while mainly because the price is right up
their alley (free).  We use two basic patterns available on the web.  The
first is the Wisby coat of plates held together with Nylon Strapping, brass
rivets, and parachute cord.  To bend the plastic to conform to the human
body (SECRET TRADE SECRET)  Put the cut plastic in the oven at 250 degrees
for 5 minutes.  Pull the plastic out and form it to the shape you want then
put it in a cold sink of water.
The second design, segmenta lorica, I like better as it is more durable than
the Wisby as all the pieces are glancing surfaces in the down direction
(unless you hit the shoulders).  This pattern is also available on the
internet.  We use Nylon strapping (1 1/2" wide and a little 1" for the
buckles on the legs), parachute cord, and brass rivets.
The next design that we have not had anyone interested in making, but is
possible is lamellar.  This would look sharp with different color parachute
cord on a black barrel.  Several variations of this pattern is available on
the web.
Someone mentioned before the white plastic barrel.  These can be used to
make bone armor.

Construction time for a suit is usually about 20 hours.  A typical teenager
uses a barrel and a half for an entire suit of armor (we don't use 4" from
the end of the barrels as the plastic is too thick there).  To clean a
barrel with acid in it, use a base, like baking soda and water.  We rinse
the barrels three times with baking soda before working on them.  Our
barrels cost us $10 each.


Hope this helps, HL Isabol, and anyone else interested in getting their
children in armor.

Ld. Lawrence the Rampant of Ram's Isle

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