Armour & Weapon Smithing

[Anthrax]

I'm surprised so one has broken the ice here about this.

One of my "hobbies" or something that I have adopted is being a weapon and armour smith.
Which sadly I haven't paid much attention to due to work and life in general.

3 weeks ago I crafted these legs out of 1.5 guage stainless steel.

Keep in mind these have been battered since then. I recently used them in a tournament in which I am apart of a Medieval society that deals in History and the teachings of Medieval martial arts and reenactments and jousting.

I am also the founder of a Roman society called Eqvestris. Which deals with Roman history and military reenactments.

I haven't bothered to sort the bottom out yet, I'm waiting for new supplies from Texas.
These legs are "battle ready" in the armour smithing tongue that basically means that it is the real deal, and can be used in warfare.


For those fellow smiths or those that are wanting to adopt the art post away.

I can also help if needs be.

 

[JoeReese]

I can't see the image. It sounds interesting. Smithing is a one-day thing for me, I suppose when I have
a little land and can set up a forge. I've fiddled with grinding a little, but cannot wait to hammer something useful out of hot steel or iron.

 

[Anthrax]

I can't see the image. It sounds interesting. Smithing is a one-day thing for me, I suppose when I have
a little land and can set up a forge. I've fiddled with grinding a little, but cannot wait to hammer something useful out of hot steel or iron.

Ah, plops lolz I just noticed that now.

I will repost it.

 

[JoeReese]

It still says forbidden. Can you upload the pic to your user album here, and then post the album link in the thread?

Whereabouts are you? I am moving soon, central VA, and it appears (not certain yet) that I will finally have enough space to set up a forge. Mind you, I know precisely zilch about it, but I think I will enjoy making the mistakes to learn from.

 

[Anthrax]

It still says forbidden. Can you upload the pic to your user album here, and then post the album link in the thread?

Whereabouts are you? I am moving soon, central VA, and it appears (not certain yet) that I will finally have enough space to set up a forge. Mind you, I know precisely zilch about it, but I think I will enjoy making the mistakes to learn from.

I meant I would post it today.

Great news. Now you can build a furnace!

What type of furnace are you going opt for?

 

[JoeReese]

I don't know enough yet to be sure, but I think I'm going to start out very small and cheap, with the small oven of fire bricks and propane torch concept. I've noticed a lot of the people on the bladesmith forums and some of the authors started out that way. That will give me the opportunity to at least see if I'm going to be any good at it at all. Depending on the property and conditions, I may go for an outdoor pit with coke and old school bellows. I have some plans for the hair-dryer-through-corrugated-steel-pipe system, but I can't bear to think of the electric bill afterward. Of course, this may change as I learn more about it. I'm "planning" from the absolute layman's point of view. I do have a few different anvils available to me, and a couple of different lengths of rail. I'll see which I like best when I get there. (read: which allows me to screw up less) and since it's logging country, I suspect a tree stump table won't be hard to find.

I want to start small, simple, learn the basics and then try to perfect the basics. I don't see myself going into full size swords or anything like that, but one never knows. I'm hoping to open a sharpening business once I get settled there. I'm a bit better at that, though for that area it would be a machine for saw blades and such. Hard to do those on a stone and strop. LOL

 

[Anthrax]

Layman's rout is always the first step.

But if you really want to get good it's a thing that requires dedication. You know like all art does in any shape or form.

I have been smithing myself for about 7 years. The first things you craft will be horrible, but you see as like Lancelot's shinning armour. But as you carry on and dedicate your time, and this one of the things Smiths fail to do and that's being patient. Never rush when you crafting out a blade for a sword especially a blade. And armour. Just keep at it until it looks good.

I generally was in a lot of Smithing on request more than anything else, until I got involved in a knighting class. I crafted and forged out armour in a sort of a lazy way and I rush them now days because these are not ornaments, these are made to get banged. So it really depends what you going to cater for, battle-ready forges or ornamental forges for some posh house wife.

Now I like it in the forests in a misty day hammering away at sword blades. Watching the birds fly in the mountains and that Skyrim feeling about it helps me in a way concentrate on producing something to a standard I accept.

Regards to furnaces, classical clay molds do the best trick.

I have created a blast furnace which based on a 16 century Italian design, which I made alterations too and created a stencil out of fiberglass and poured clay into it to form a dome like structure. Then as it hardens you remove the fiberglass. This fiberglass needs to be thin and brittle because it's a bitch to break and rip off. And never start melting metal into that fresh clay with impurities and bits of glass fibers in it. Burn coal in the furnace for about a night to cleanse and purify the furnace. If you looking to go the cheap root and need a last furnace quickly this will probably be cost effective, although, it's tedious job and quite a bitch to assemble.

But I can draw the plans if you want.


In more recent times, I am on a campaign to debunk history myths of Roman weapons and their effectiveness against Medieval metallurgy. On our local forums here in which we have meetings every so often, we have those that rudely ridicule the effectiveness and lethalness of Roman gladius's and pilum against the steel of Renaissance era.

I'm going to forging pilum and I'm going to have a gladius made for a demonstration in which I will record on video some of my pupils and as well as me in practice the effectiveness of these ancient weapons.

PILUM​

​

GLADIUS​

​

In order for my campaign to get underway, I will have to forge Renaissance breastplates and helmets and Roman weapons such as those above, I will also make more Roman armour in the like of Lorica Segmentata under strict policies of authenticity pertaining to the right times and supervision by reputable Smiths in this trade for demonstration purposes.

It's a lot of work. But with who gives a fluff. lolz

 

[JoeReese]

That sounds really awesome. I would love to see some pics of your setup, and yes please...if you wouldn't mind making a set of plans.

I'm looking forward to seeing it. I'm really looking forward to taking a lump of steel and making something out of it. Never thought hard work could be such fun.

 

[Folkenstal]

Well, I am not a smith, but I am doing weapons and armory from other materials.
I have a thread here about this.
Mostly I'm doing daggers for now, since I wanted to do them a while ago.
My daggers so far: Skyrim's ebony dagger, Stalrhim dagger and a dragonbone dagger is on my workbench now.

So, there are people who do weaponry, but not exactly smithing.

see ya,
Folkenstal

 

[JoeReese]

Awesome Folkenstal. Very nice.

 

[Zimke_Zlovoljni]

Smithing is awesome hobby. I can't do it, but i do appreciate the works. My gauntlets, helmet, jack chain, armor is still not finished, can't wait to see that done: