Ed's other kit, 15th century

[Sir Wolf]

coolness. can't wait to see it.

do you see what I mean about it's missing the roundness or dishing in places?  I thought by adding  the length a tad we could help but I was wrong.  Glad you could make it better. Ed and I live kida far apart so it was hard to get and fix after he noticed the problem.

also, sweet to the fluting on the tassets.  I just recently got a fluting tool from the archive.  Can you do something for me?  Dip the fauld and tassets in vinegar or something? I believe they are galv steel and I didn't have any non galv at the time.  I think this would make it look better as well

[Sir Edward]

Excellent news! Thank you so much for working on my armor. Yes, by all means go ahead and rework the tassets too. Would it be possible to add an additional fauld lame in the back to match the one we added in the front? Or would that not work too well?

Oh yes, the surface finish looks quite different on the parts we added, as Chuck mentioned. If we can improve that, I'd love to do that too.

This is great!

[Allan Senefelder]

I can polish them up but unless I miss my mark, they're galvininzed so they will retain a slightly different color to them even when polished.

[Sir Edward]

OK, that's fine

[Sir Brian]

Oh yes, the surface finish looks quite different on the parts we added, as Chuck mentioned. If we can improve that, I'd love to do that too.

Perhaps the different coloring would add to the "broken in" and "well used" charm to your harness?
...You know, sort of give it that comfortable pair of slippers feel to it! 

[Allan Senefelder]

Ed, finished up the breast plate last night, I think you'll like it. The fauld lames now both fully collapse as opposed to only the one that you and Chuck put on, which was part of the problem. With that first lame not collapsing at all it was in effect and extra 2.5" of brest plate length and thus prevented a full waist bend. Moved the waist line up an inch as we discussed, dressed up the placard around the rivet points with some file work, beveled the edges of the placard and lames where appropriate for a more historic look and there is now tons of movement between the placard and top half of the breast plate ( used you and Chucks slot modification in the center and leathers on either side ).

[Sir Edward]

Awesome! Thank you so much for working on this! It sounds like a huge improvement, and exactly what I needed. Have you looked into the helmet spring-pins yet?

When you're ready to send it all back, hit me up with an email and I'll get you some money right quick.

[Sir Edward]

The tassets and helm are back. The spring pins are awesome.

I'm now working on getting my voiders attached, now that I have some enthusiasm again! Check this out:



It's taken all afternoon to get this one installed. Not sure if I'll do the second one tonight or not.

These voiders hang pretty long, making it all the way down to the leg points. I'm tempted to cut a few inches off.

[Sir Wolf]

will you be mad at me if I told you you have them on wrong?  The long piece is to cover the inner arm down to the cuff incase you have gutter vambracers. sorry dude. I know that was a lot of work.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-tp/230145588/Chainmail_Armour.html
http://historicenterprises.biz/voiders-riveted-maille-pair-p-689.html?cPath=101_141

since you have full vambracers I would still cut them down a little after you switch them around(sorta like the histori enterprises picture).  that way they lay under the vambraces and not flop over them like I have seen on some.  I apploud you!! I have had my voiders of almost a year and I have yet to put them on

[Sir Edward]

Lol, I thought about that, but they'd hardly cover the armpit area if I did it the other way around, and it would make a mail tube with a larger diameter than my arm.  It just didn't seem right.

Holding the other one up against my arm the way you're suggesting, it wraps nearly twice around my forearm, but the length is right.

I'll look it over some more before deciding how to proceed.

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, looking at the pic from HE (where I bought them, BTW), mine would come all the way to the wrist and cover less of the armpit or side of the body. Odd.

[Sir Edward]

As it turns out, they say they make them big so you can trim them as necessary. Hah! I should actually research these things before investing hours of work.

Oh well, live and learn.

Amazing though how much faster these things come apart. I had the voider back off in about 2 minutes. I can re-use the top edge eyelets, but the vertical edges have to be brought in, so I'm back to installing eyelets. It looks like when I hold the mail up to my arm, it reaches my wrist, but when clamped down it probably won't. It's not as long as the sleeve on the doublet. I'll have to deal with the excess diameter though, and taper it. I'm tempted to just lace it shut over the forearm instead of attaching it straight to the doublet's sleeve at that end.

But we'll see what it looks like when I get the shoulder attached.

[Sir Edward]

OK, I've been reworking it a bit. Unfortunately I'm stuck with an ugly line of eyelets that aren't in use anymore. Thankfully this will be covered with armor.

I have it pointed on to the bicep, and beyond that it's just safety pins at the moment. I'll have to resume later.

   

[Sir Wolf]

man i'm sorry hehehe. but it does look good though!!! huzzah to you for getting it done!!

[Sir Edward]

Don't apologize dude, you saved me from having to fix TWO of them.