[Ansteorra] Armor....what a pain -- long

[davidjhughes.tx at netzero.net]

HL Chiara Franchesca wrote:

> Ah! Ok, now I understand what you need. :)
>
> What you need is to hook up with someone there in Bryn-Gwlad that has an
> armouring night. Your fighter practice is Tuesday night if things are still
> the way there were when I was there years ago.
>
> If your wares are stainless, not sure what to tell you. Fritz, my laurel,
> and Roc helped me put all of mine together and it took me about a month of
> an hour here and an hour there between comminuting from one city to the
> other for a contract. My laurel lives an hour and a half from me so I am
> luckier than most to be within driving distance of a blacksmith. :)
>
> Find someone with a Whitney punch to do the holes for you.
> You will need Latigo leather to make your straps. Find someone that has
> purchased a side and purchase a chunk off them. I got a great deal on mine
> and got a side for 75.00. They run sales at Tandy every once in a while so
> you may luck out.
> You will need to get a Strap Cutter or a Draw Gauge to make your straps. You
> want to measure your buckles and make them about 1/8 of an inch less on each
> side of the strap.
> You will need to get a Skiver to thin your strips in the center where they
> bend around buckle and at the tips where the rivets will go.
> You will need to get a Edge Beveller to take the corners off the edges.
> Bees wax and a burnisher to finish those edges smooth.

As an alternative, stop by a rider's tack shop (place that sells stuff for horse riding) and buy premade Latigo straps.
Use at least 1/2" wide, I tend to use 1", but I'm a big guy.

> Number 9 copper rivets and burrs, they may come in brass and other metals.
> Get LOTS of these. The size may vary from armourer to armourer, get whatever
> your boys recommend.
> Now the next tool has a name I am sure but I do not know what it is.

Rivet setter   http://www.mcmaster.com/        page 3108  #9 Rivets on page 3107

David Gallowglass

> Basically it fits over the rivet with the burr in place and you hammer that
> to tighten it all up.
> Pull offs or Nippers to cut the left over rivet and a ball pin hammer to
> flatten the what is left. You want to have the smooth head on the inside of
> the armour. If you go with a round head rivet you will need a platform of
> some sort to keep it in place while you work. Center Bar Roller Buckles, I
> prefer brass but they come in different metals. You will want the size that
> is best for you to be able to handle when you need to get your armour on
> fast. Mine are too small for my need for speed. Takes me longer to get into
> my armour than to get in to my corset and Elizabethan.
> Have you already stuffed your helm with padding? If not you can get camp
> foam to do that, use the blue stuff. Or if you got a buddy that works with
> air-conditioning get those strips of self adhesive foam to pad your helm
> with. It is great stuff. There is even double stick duct tape now too.
>
> Most of the tools you can borrow at your armouring night place or if your FP
> is like ours you all meet about an hour or two before the fighting begins to
> do armouring work. The guys with the tools are there and are more than
> helpful to get you going.
>
> I think that is everything. If not I am sure someone will chime in and add
> to the list. :)
>
> If this is a problem, come to the Steppes, we will help you. Just drop me an
> email before you come up so that I can bring my leather.
>
> HL Chiara
> Captain of the Steppes Baronial Guard