|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 2, 2019 19:27:41 GMT
hi! I want to make something similar to this... To make the red leather armor plates...there are these 60"x 60" fake suede fabric for only 10 bucks each sheet!! www.amazon.com/Mybecca-Microsuede-Upholstery-Furniture-Rust/dp/B014I7P5Q4/Reviews say that this fabric is "stiff" but im sure its not stiff enough and certainly not thick enough, so i was wondering what material I could glue to the back of it. the closest thing i can think of is that there heavy weight sandpaper sheets that would work.. Of course, I wouldn't use sandpaper! but can you think of a material that is similar to that, which could work? Thank you!!
|
|
|
Post by Jordan Williams on Nov 2, 2019 20:26:03 GMT
I would hazard against synthetic leather. cuir bouilli?
|
|
|
Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 2, 2019 21:10:52 GMT
As a purely costume thing, use some plastic sheet, thin enough to be light to wear and easy to cut, and thick enough to be stiff enough. Root barrier sheeting is often a good thickness: www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0P7B8X/ If you have a local hardware store you can get to that has this kind of thing, you can check the stiffness in person. The price for the fabric on Amazon is probably per yard (but still cheap). Won't look like Japanese armour though, up close. Japanese "leather" (i.e., rawhide) armour was lacquered. Some Japanese armours had a deerskin covering, but these didn't look like your plan. See the breastplate on this: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O456753/suit-of-armour/
|
|
christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
|
Post by christain on Nov 2, 2019 21:23:08 GMT
For purely costume armor, you could always glue the fake suede onto some kind of plastic backing, like thin plastic carving boards...or to really go cheap...just cut up some 2 liter soda bottles and make flat sheets of them. I would experiment with it all first. To get that 'lacquered' look of Japanese armor, try spraying it with a clear glossy finish...or a flat 'matte' finish and see which one looks best. I love stuff like this! Go nuts, man!
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 3, 2019 16:05:25 GMT
As a purely costume thing, use some plastic sheet, thin enough to be light to wear and easy to cut, and thick enough to be stiff enough. Root barrier sheeting is often a good thickness: www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0P7B8X/ If you have a local hardware store you can get to that has this kind of thing, you can check the stiffness in person. The price for the fabric on Amazon is probably per yard (but still cheap). Won't look like Japanese armour though, up close. Japanese "leather" (i.e., rawhide) armour was lacquered. Some Japanese armours had a deerskin covering, but these didn't look like your plan. See the breastplate on this: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O456753/suit-of-armour/wow!! Thanks!!! that 30mil Tree Root Barrier sheet seems awesome and just exactly what i was looking for! I'm looking for something that technically is just a costume but still still could be considered armor(albiet rather poor armor). Kind of like butted link chainmail.. very similar to the real thing but cheaper. Do you think this barrier sheet might still offer some decent amount protection anyway? Not that I will ever really battle in it.. but really would like it to feel like real armor by weight, sturdiness, feel, etc..
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 3, 2019 16:13:18 GMT
For purely costume armor, you could always glue the fake suede onto some kind of plastic backing, like thin plastic carving boards...or to really go cheap...just cut up some 2 liter soda bottles and make flat sheets of them. I would experiment with it all first. To get that 'lacquered' look of Japanese armor, try spraying it with a clear glossy finish...or a flat 'matte' finish and see which one looks best. I love stuff like this! Go nuts, man! as always,, thanks so much for the awesome ideas! I will probably have to go the cheap route, but just have been curious of the cost of getting the real leather components. I have tried searching on the internet for thick large pieces of leather (preferably red) but couldn't find a decent supply of leather that I will actually need. For example, I have only found only 2 or 3 oddly shaped pieces of thick leather.. would you happen know of website where there would be a decent supply of large sheets of leather with the thickness of real armor? Thanks!!!!!!
|
|
christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
|
Post by christain on Nov 3, 2019 21:59:43 GMT
You might look at auto upholstery. (?) Just a suggestion.
|
|
|
Post by demonskull on Nov 3, 2019 22:42:38 GMT
For even costume armor you want at least 7oz. 9oz and above for anything semi tough. There is no going around it, thick leather will be expensive. If your looking to make a costume piece, try going to a Home Depot or a Lowes. In their outdoor areas they carry thick cardoard concrete moulds to make concrete pillars. Pick up one with the largest diameter and one or two smaller ones. Cut the large one mist not soak it with water and shape it to fit your chest. The smaller ones can be used to make arm and leg protection. You can also cut out panels to make the samurai you have pictured.
Once you get them to the shape, add buckles or cords depending on what type armor you want. Spray paint it the desired color and you are done.
|
|
|
Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 3, 2019 22:47:33 GMT
I'm looking for something that technically is just a costume but still still could be considered armor(albiet rather poor armor). Kind of like butted link chainmail.. very similar to the real thing but cheaper. Do you think this barrier sheet might still offer some decent amount protection anyway? Not that I will ever really battle in it.. but really would like it to feel like real armor by weight, sturdiness, feel, etc.. The root barrier is stiff enough so that costume armour won't be floppy, but not even close enough to make it sturdy. Also far lighter than real armour. For iron/steel armour, generally thin torso armour was about 1.5-1.6mm thick (which doesn't reliably keep out arrows/bolts from powerful bows/crossbows) and thicker torso armour was 2-3mm (which will keep out those arrows/bolts reliably). Arm and leg armour was usually thinner, to keep the weight down; about 0.8-0.9mm was common. Translating this into a thickness of plastic, 0.8mm iron is equivalent to about 5mm of polycarbonate, and 1.6mm to 10mm. You might not want to go that thick. Rawhide in lamellar armours was often 3-4mm thick, and 3mm polycarbonate works as a substitute. Note that for body armour, each lamella usually overlaps its neighbours by half, so everywhere presents a double thickness (except where up-down overlap gives quadruple thickness). 3mm polycarbonate gives excellent protection against impact weapons, and should be fairly good against cuts. Arrows will go through it, since polycarbonate is relatively soft (for better protection, use a polycarbonate-acrylic-polycarbonate sandwich). It will give a lightweight armour, much lighter and less tiring than steel. Whether it's easy to move in depends on design and fit. IMO, for costume armour, 3mm polycarbonate makes good brigandine, without overlap. The cunning armourer will cut the plates to a suitable size and place the rivets so that the rivets are spaced like a brigandine with overlap. would you happen know of website where there would be a decent supply of large sheets of leather with the thickness of real armor? You can get thick leather from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Natural-Cowhide-Tooling-Leather-Shoulder/dp/B07TBN535D/When hide was used for armour, it was either (a) rawhide (as used in Japanese, Medieval European, Islamic armours), or (b) buff coats (which are oil-tanned leather). Leather such as the above is much, much less protective than rawhide. But if thick enough, works as costume armour, and gives some protection. 3mm thick leather has advantages over polycarbonate: it's easier to cut, and easier to bend. The disadvantage: mold. Also less protective.
|
|
Scott
Member
Posts: 1,675
|
Post by Scott on Nov 3, 2019 23:49:37 GMT
Not sure if they do big plates, but you can get plastic lamellar plates in various colours. They are used for sca heavy fighting so can take being whacked but no idea how they would go against a blade.
|
|
|
Post by demonskull on Nov 4, 2019 17:11:07 GMT
Riding on Scott's coat tails, MickyD's pickle buckets or Lowes/Home Depot plastic buckets are a reasonably inexpensive source of plastic to make the plates.
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 4, 2019 18:07:01 GMT
Riding on Scott's coat tails, MickyD's pickle buckets or Lowes/Home Depot plastic buckets are a reasonably inexpensive source of plastic to make the plates. wow, ok thanks! I will keep researching.. basically I'm hoping to find some materials that can offer protection as near as possible to the real thing, but also being extremely cost effective! if this is a futile endeavor, then I will go for just making the best looking costume vs armor.. oh, and I will hit up a Home Depot soon... but this 60 mil barrier roll www.amazon.com/Mr-Garden-60mil-Tree-Root-Barrier-Water-Barrier/dp/B0714HY7GJ/claims to provides 130-135 Pound Anti piercing... I wonder how that could relate to armor effectiveness vs swords.. I guess i can buy some and test myself..
|
|
christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
|
Post by christain on Nov 7, 2019 3:36:26 GMT
Dude...I just thought of something. Use PVC pipe as the base. By PVC pipe, I mean like sewer/septic pipe. It's cheap, comes in all sizes, and can be shaped with a heat gun. Glue your faux-suede on that---and you will have an armor that is not only strongly good looking, but tough as hell. You won't regret it.
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 7, 2019 15:14:33 GMT
Dude...I just thought of something. Use PVC pipe as the base. By PVC pipe, I mean like sewer/septic pipe. It's cheap, comes in all sizes, and can be shaped with a heat gun. Glue your faux-suede on that---and you will have an armor that is not only strongly good looking, but tough as hell. You won't regret it. yes, great idea indeed! with my skil saw, i could easily cut them down the middle to make "C"s or half-pipes. not sure however, if with a heat gun would heat the pieces evenly.. although probably i could put the pieces in the oven at 200 degrees (or whatever the right temperature is) to soften them! anyway, after molding them and cooling.. it would be easy to put the fabric on it, drill the holes and stitch together with leather straps! I could battle-test the strength of the armor.. and if not that good, maybe i could add a layer of this stuff www.amazon.com/Mr-Garden-30mil-Tree-Root-Barrier-Water-Barrier/dp/B01N0P7B8X/which adds 75 lbs of anti-piercing.. (I would like to be able to truthfully claim, that the armor is as good or better than the real armor, if possible!) and i could possibly use these polycarbonate sheets www.acmeplastics.com/polycarbonate-sheets/polycarbonate-clear-sheetdirt cheap and virtually unbreakable! the hardest part will be making the helmet! thanks!
|
|
christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
|
Post by christain on Nov 7, 2019 22:46:04 GMT
Yes, the helmet will be the fun part! I've seen YouTube videos of people making the bowl of a helmet out of...well...a bowl. Like a stainless steel mixing bowl. Just hammer the bottom rounded and cut the rim off, or hammer it flat....voila'. Once you get the leather and decorations on it, no one would ever know.
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Nov 8, 2019 14:55:47 GMT
Yes, the helmet will be the fun part! I've seen YouTube videos of people making the bowl of a helmet out of...well...a bowl. Like a stainless steel mixing bowl. Just hammer the bottom rounded and cut the rim off, or hammer it flat....voila'. Once you get the leather and decorations on it, no one would ever know. ok, good to know! thank you!
|
|