My Leg Armour Project.

For now, this is a page is just a placeholder for some of the photos taken to document the problems I've been having.

The methods used in construction are based mostly on articles found in the Essays section of the Arnmour Archive , particularly Constructing Articulated Joint Armor - By: Gundobad (Andrew Stanbarger) and Using G-clamps To Aid The Construction of Articulated Armour - By Sasha

Ultimately I plan to make them in 5 or 7 parts, with hard (riveted) articulations. The greaves will be about 3/4 length, and the cuisses will wrap 3/4 of the way around, with a hinged 1/4 plate at the back. I haven't decided on whether to have two or four lames (narrow bands that bridge the gap between the cop and the upper and lower leg pieces) on each knee. Something like these legs from the Churburg collection, ca. 1360.

First of all, they started out as arms. That's partly why there is no central vertical flute or crease, Gundobad's instructions for measuring and drawing the templates resulted in pieces that had pretty good proportions and articulated fairly well (no sticking, no gaps between lames and cop), but they ended up way too big for arms. Then I tried it on my knee, et voila, it fit. Okay, new plan, finish them as leg armour, which I'll need anyway.

Even so, the calculations for placement of the articulation rivets are not quite right, as you will see below.

	Knee cop and two lames in fully bent position. The lower lame (on the right) is temporarily bolted in place, but the upper one is merely taped in position with the rivet hole in the cop lined up with marks on the lame. No gap between the lames and the cop.
	Knee cop and two lames in fully extended position. Again, the lower lame is bolted in place while the upper is taped in position with the rivet hole in the cop still lined up with marks on the lame. Still no gap between the lames and the cop. This is good
	Uh-oh. The radius of the bent assembly is far too large. Notice the gap between the upper edge of the top lame and my lower thigh. This is bad. It seems I have to move the rivet holes farther forward, and closer together, so that the radius is smaller.

So, I have several options.

• I started a discussion thread on the Armour Archive - and have gotten a few replies.
• Make a cardboard mockup of the existing pieces, and punch trial holes until I find something that works correctly, and transfer that to the steel.
• I could punch the new holes and fix them, but then I'll end up with these extra holes on one side. Maybe that's not so bad, if I can use the original holes for strapping.
• I can start from scratch, and give the cops to someone who might use thm with leather articulations and splinted cuisses and greaves.

More to come, including photos from earlier stages.

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