Dishing Stump- Done!

I finished the Dishing stump on Monday of this week!


I have been working diligently on the Pattern for the Spaulders before i start cutting. Needless to say there isn't much to report. I need to figure out how the curve of my shoulder will effect the curve of the metal. I also am trying to figure out how the "lames" will need to pivot so that i can have some mobility. Fortunately anything i learn about patterns will carry over to the rest of the project and on into any sewing i do.

Dishing Stump Progress

So For the Past few days i have been Plugging away at the dishing stump. Ill catch you all up on my progress!

Dishing Stump- Day 2:


So as you can see, i have been drilling out large holes around the edge of the circle to remove as much wood as possible. Then, as with the last post, i have been chipping away at the center with the claw of the hammer.


Dishing Stump- Day 3:


Come day Three, I thought of a new way to go about this. Instead of drilling these holes with inconsistent depths, i can use the claw of the hammer to "scoop" out the wood meat. I used a smaller Sharper edged claw hammer and bashed it down with a heavier hammer face to face. The holes i had already made were a huge help because the hammer didn't get stuck as it cut through. The great thing is that the line it makes are very smooth and perfectly curved. So far, this is working out great! Although, one Huge suggestion to anyone who uses this technique, Protect your ears! Two hammers slamming together is very loud! Its a high pitched stabbing noise and after you hear it 200 times in a row, you wont be able to hear anything else.


Dishing Stump- Day 4:


Full Steam Ahead! This is working out perfectly and I'm almost done! But I missed my personal deadline of 3/13/10 for the dishing stump to be completed. That's alright though, ill have it done tonight.

I Get WOOD for metalworking

I got my dishing stump! I went down to my City recycling center and they had a whole area full of whole FREE logs! You just have to be a resident. This one caught my eye because of its anvil shape and lack of ROT. I have been trying to dry it out for the past few days with a space heater, but then the bottom (the wettest part) started to crack! So i coated all of the exposed wood with Mineral Oil to prevent any further cracking. Its dry enough now, so i started to work on the dishing bowl last night. I am using a Drill with a large bit and a claw Hammer as highlighted in Eric Slyters "How to Make a Sinking (Dishing) Stump" tutorial. Its about 6" in diameter. I am going to drill progressively deeper holes from the outside ring until i reach the center, then remove any excess wood with the claw of the hammer. I will finish it by pounding down any jagged edges and then sand it smooth wherever necessary. As you can probably see, i have been hacking away at the center with the claw of the hammer to relieve stress (after the drill ran out of power).

Deadlines

So this weekend officially makes it "Seven Months Left" to complete my Project! I Have Seven Months until NYC Comic Con 2010! I have to say that makes me a little nervous considering how far along i am NOT. Allot of simple metal projects seem to take 7 months alone to complete and I'm doing more than one in that time period! Fortunately i have been doing allot of research and i feel that i am really prepared for the task i am undertaking. I should be, Ive had almost a year to get ready! Yeesh. Honestly I have been a little overwhelmed by the crafting magnitude of this project since the beginning. And up until a few months ago i didn't even have a second to think beyond my job.

So as for a deadline. I am giving myself:
Two months for the metal work on the arms.
Two months for the metal work on the legs.
One month for the mask and leather work (Straps, Holster & belt).
One month for Riveting and finishing touches.
One month for the cloak and Tunic.

Well see.....

Tool Bananza!

So, following the advice of Eric Slyter (The Webmaster for Arador) in his Building Spaulders tutorial and "Losthelm" from The Armour Archive Webforum, i ordered a few tools from Harbor Frieghts website. My New tools are Pictured Below: