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Jared McClelland
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 Posted: Wed 26 Oct, 2016 12:31 pm Post subject: Thoughts on my attempt at armour reproduction |
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I decided to attempt to make plate armour for the first time and I decided I would base it off of the experimental light armour that was being developed in America during WW1. I know it's not perfect, I was limited to materials from home depot to work with, and the only tools I had to use were a regular hammer, an angle grinder, and a pipe I propped up between two chairs to use as an anvil.
I used Bashford Dean's book Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare description of the armour and the pictures it had to model the armour after.
I made the armour out of 1.5mm mild steel (again, not accurate) and I used aluminum rivets to hold everything together (probably not accurate). The backplate is articulated with sliding rivets and the breastplate with leathers riveted on the inside (makes it surprisingly flexible).
I'd like any thoughts you have on it, criticism, suggestions, whatever.
Here are some pictures of it: http://imgur.com/a/69WqX
(The person wearing it in the photo is quite a bit larger than I am so that's why it looks so small on him)
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Mark Moore
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| Posted: Wed 26 Oct, 2016 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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I think that looks quite good for no more tools than you had, and a first try. Keep it up! Get a few more hammers, and other tools. A piece of old railroad track makes a pretty decent anvil.  ...........McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Matthew Amt
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| Posted: Thu 27 Oct, 2016 4:36 am Post subject: |
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Now, THAT's something you don't see very often, especially for a first-timer! Very cool. Geez, I never noticed the arms in the photos of the original--looks like they just swiped a pair of Almain rivet "splints" from a museum!
Next you have to find out how the edges were ridged or rolled, and experiment with that, eh? (On scraps first!)
Keep at it, and Welcome!
Matthew
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David Lewis Smith
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| Posted: Thu 27 Oct, 2016 6:02 am Post subject: |
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I think you did really well and for a first timer exilant.
When you start to work on the arms there are lots of youtube videos for armor building that will help you out. Dishing the elbows will be a exercise in keeping your language clean LOL.. Motorcycle build videos esp gas tanks will help with some of the dishing as well. So will folks hand making finders but gas tanks are far more complex.
I cannot wait to see the whole set.
Are you doing WW1 reenactment?
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Fri 28 Oct, 2016 4:47 am Post subject: Re: Thoughts on my attempt at armour reproduction |
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| Jared McClelland wrote: | I
I made the armour out of 1.5mm mild steel (again, not accurate) and I used aluminum rivets to hold everything together (probably not accurate). The backplate is articulated with sliding rivets and the breastplate with leathers riveted on the inside (makes it surprisingly flexible).
I'd like any thoughts you have on it, criticism, suggestions, whatever.
Here are some pictures of it: http://imgur.com/a/69WqX
(The person wearing it in the photo is quite a bit larger than I am so that's why it looks so small on him) |
It looks rather good and functional and being WWI period armour even the real thing would have been fairly simple in geometry, and not anything like fluted gothic armour in difficulty to make.
Although the WWI armour may have been made to be rifle proof, or at least pistol proof, for trench raids don't assume that your version would be any protection against firearms ..... I don't think you would make that mistake, but better to mention it just in case .....  
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Michael Beeching
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| Posted: Fri 28 Oct, 2016 9:54 am Post subject: |
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I've got to say that's a really cool suit of armor - both yours and the original. It unfortunately looks like all the weight gets put on the shoulders, which is something I've heard as a fault in German body armor as well. I get the impression modern body armor also tends to weigh down on the shoulders from the images I've seen...
...If anything, it just goes to show that we don't always improve upon history. However, I bet you could get a set of center straps on some of the interior lames to get a belt across your waist - that might make the weight a little more bearable and further keep the plates from flopping around.
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Mark Moore wrote: | | I think that looks quite good for no more tools than you had, and a first try. Keep it up! Get a few more hammers, and other tools. A piece of old railroad track makes a pretty decent anvil. ...........McM |
Sorry for not replying sooner, I've been a bit busy. Anyway, thanks! I've never thought about using railroad track for an anvil, I might give that a try with future projects.
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Matthew Amt wrote: | Now, THAT's something you don't see very often, especially for a first-timer! Very cool. Geez, I never noticed the arms in the photos of the original--looks like they just swiped a pair of Almain rivet "splints" from a museum!
Next you have to find out how the edges were ridged or rolled, and experiment with that, eh? (On scraps first!)
Keep at it, and Welcome!
Matthew |
Yeah, that was one of the reasons I decided to go with WW1 armour was that it isn't something you see everyday, people generally don't associate metal body armour and WW1. I actually didn't realize that I didn't roll the edges until after I already riveted everything together so I may put off rolling them for a while.
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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| David Lewis Smith wrote: | I think you did really well and for a first timer exilant.
When you start to work on the arms there are lots of youtube videos for armor building that will help you out. Dishing the elbows will be a exercise in keeping your language clean LOL.. Motorcycle build videos esp gas tanks will help with some of the dishing as well. So will folks hand making finders but gas tanks are far more complex.
I cannot wait to see the whole set.
Are you doing WW1 reenactment? |
I made templates for the arms out of paper and connected them together to make sure that size and everything was good, but when I actually cut the steel into shape and started hammering I quickly gave up on making the arms. I watched several videos but no matter what I did I could not get the spaulders to dish (I don't have any kind of dishing forms or a dishing stump).
I would love to do reenactment, medieval or WW1 (I'm also having a 15th century Italian suit of armour made for me by a professional), but in the area I live reenactment isn't really something people do.
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:17 pm Post subject: Re: Thoughts on my attempt at armour reproduction |
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| Jean Thibodeau wrote: |
It looks rather good and functional and being WWI period armour even the real thing would have been fairly simple in geometry, and not anything like fluted gothic armour in difficulty to make.
Although the WWI armour may have been made to be rifle proof, or at least pistol proof, for trench raids don't assume that your version would be any protection against firearms ..... I don't think you would make that mistake, but better to mention it just in case ..... |
Ha ha, yeah...I wasn't planning on having anyone shoot me while I wore it. According to the book the original was capable of stopping pistol rounds and shrapnel, but bullets traveled a lot slower back then. Also with the steel mine is made from, I would be surprised if it stopped shrapnel.
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David Lewis Smith
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Jared McClelland wrote: | | David Lewis Smith wrote: | I think you did really well and for a first timer exilant.
When you start to work on the arms there are lots of youtube videos for armor building that will help you out. Dishing the elbows will be a exercise in keeping your language clean LOL.. Motorcycle build videos esp gas tanks will help with some of the dishing as well. So will folks hand making finders but gas tanks are far more complex.
I cannot wait to see the whole set.
Are you doing WW1 reenactment? |
I made templates for the arms out of paper and connected them together to make sure that size and everything was good, but when I actually cut the steel into shape and started hammering I quickly gave up on making the arms. I watched several videos but no matter what I did I could not get the spaulders to dish (I don't have any kind of dishing forms or a dishing stump).
I would love to do reenactment, medieval or WW1 (I'm also having a 15th century Italian suit of armour made for me by a professional), but in the area I live reenactment isn't really something people do. |
Perhaps if you go with lighter steel it would work, also if you go to http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/index.php the folks there might beable to help.
You do not need a stump per say though it helps with a really deep dishing like elbows, a sandbag will work, or if you have the right 'dirt' your yard
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Michael Beeching wrote: | I've got to say that's a really cool suit of armor - both yours and the original. It unfortunately looks like all the weight gets put on the shoulders, which is something I've heard as a fault in German body armor as well. I get the impression modern body armor also tends to weigh down on the shoulders from the images I've seen...
...If anything, it just goes to show that we don't always improve upon history. However, I bet you could get a set of center straps on some of the interior lames to get a belt across your waist - that might make the weight a little more bearable and further keep the plates from flopping around. |
From what I saw in the book, pretty much all WW1 body armour rested on your shoulders, which is still something armour manufacturers haven't fixed. It actually does have a belt that goes across the inside and closes on the right side of the body, this keeps the plates from flapping around but with the way it's designed it doesn't take any weight off of the shoulders.
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Jared McClelland
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| Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2016 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| David Lewis Smith wrote: | Perhaps if you go with lighter steel it would work, also if you go to http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/index.php the folks there might beable to help.
You do not need a stump per say though it helps with a really deep dishing like elbows, a sandbag will work, or if you have the right 'dirt' your yard |
Thanks for the link, I'll post a topic there asking for advice. I already tried using a slightly thinner steel for the spaulders but couldn't really get it to dish, if I can get something to dish them in I might try heating up the metal.
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