"It Looks Like a Scrap Yard in Here"

I am about 50% done cutting all of the pieces out the sheets of steel.

The newly cut steel has very sharp edges with little slivers of metal jutting from them called Burrs. 

I cant even begin to count the number of times i grabbed a lame palm first and got stabbed.

The next step will be do file down the edges so that they are smooth. Not only will this prevent 

them from cutting me but it will also prevent any further damage to my tools. 

(I did a number on the face of my largest teardrop mallet when i was shaping the shoulder cop)

The other issue i need to resolve lies in my cutting equipment. 

Because i did not have the 500 plus dollars it requires to purchase a B2 Beverly Shear, I am forced to cut the metal with my aviation snips. With a beverly shear there is a clear guide for the metal and much more power. 

With the snips the metal tends to get bent and misshaped, as seen in the photo above.

What i need to do now is to Planish the edges of the metal against the flat face of my Dishing stump.

Not only does this flatten out the steel, 

but it also lines up all of those nasty little burrs making them much easier to file off.

Next Stop on this Doomed Train to NYC ComicCon 2010, I will be playing with my new 6" Buffing wheel!

Shoulders- Part 1- Pattern

So, since i could not find a suitable Pauldron pattern anywhere on the interwebz, i had to make my own. Unfortunately, this process ate up allot of my time. Not only do you have to focus on how the finished product is going to look, but also how it will function. The biggest concern was making sure i can still move my shoulder. I found a pretty simple design for attaching the pieces which still leaves me with some mobility without over complicating the design. Originally i wanted to have the three pieces Pivot, so that when i moved it moved with me. Unfortunately that required very precise design and that i did not have time for. So instead the design is very simple. The three pieces will be attached by a straight piece of leather that will allow some flexibility in my shoulder.
Shown above is the finished pattern which has two "lames" and a "cop". A lamé is a solid piece of sheet metal used as a component of a larger section of plate armor. Multiple lamés are riveted together or connected by leather straps to form an articulated piece of armor that provides flexible protection. The cop is the larger piece that will be rounded and shaped to fit comfortably over the majority of my shoulder.


I traced the pattern onto my sheet metal, trying to conserve as much space as possible. I figure, any scraps i have i will try to use for the fingers of the gloves.




Then i just started to cut away the pattern with the Aviation shears. At first i was a little nervous using just the shears, as most people said that they would not work. Fortunately, it was very easy, it just took a little elbow grease. The only real trick was making use of the three different flavors.
There is a green one which is for sharp right turns.
The red one for sharp left turns.
And the yellow one for the straight aways.
Once i got that down, it was no problem.





For the next few days, i chipped away at it little by little. I don't know if it was me or the cheap shears, but as the days went by it seemed to be much harder on my hands to cut the metal. But i am NOT going to use an electric tool to do this and i certainly cannot afford a Beverly shear. So for now, ill just call it a work out.



Finally, all of the pieces are cut out and they look great! What i like about the shears is that i can take my time and be very precise with each cut. I don't need to move at the pace of a rotating blade. The next step will be to trim all of the little steel slivers around the edges and then start DISHING!

Goodbye Aluminum! Hello again.... Steel!

Yup! I'm Switching BACK to steel! And I'm doing so with vigor and knowledge on my side. Last week i found the web forum on The Armour Archive and i posted my predicament for all to reply. Within no time at all, i received many replies insisting that i not use Aluminum considering my experience level. Not only did i learn that aluminum is very temperamental when you shape it but it is also not much cheaper than steel! Upon hearing this, i ordered a brand new set of Aviation shears:
And contacted my local Machine shop in White Plains to pickup some 18 gauge Mild steel Scraps:



That's over 24 Square feet of Steel for 25 Bucks! You cant beat that!
The Whole Armour Archive Forum Thread can be seen at This Link

Well Hello.... Aluminum

Hello. Let me first start by saying that this is a Progress Blog, not a News Blog. I will have absolutely nothing to write unless there has been some sort of progress. With that being said, on with the show.

So after much research and feelings of hopelessness, i have decided to switch my medium from steel to aluminum. Not only is it cheaper to buy but it will also be cheaper to cut. I can use a good pair of Aviation Tin Snips instead of having to buy a Beverly Shear. On top of all of that, It will be much easier to work with. I will not have to buy as many striking tools to shape the metal. All in all this is a much better and CHEAPER option! Now i just need to find a place locally that i can pickup some medium gauge Aluminum sheets. I will keep you posted on any Progress! :)