insanityprelude

Thank you for sharing your work mrdabetle!

Now this is exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for. I can't wait

I had a go at a similar pattern and although i didn't do it at the time if i were to make more i could do as douglais has said with cuir bouilli. Make a wooden mold up, cut the leather larger than you need it, stretch it over then tack it down (where it won't show, another reason to cut it larger) and cut it to size once dry. Hope it helps

I had a chance to muck about yesterday with immersion, getting the water to about 80-82 then putting them in until the edges darken. I do like the thickness if left in for longer but they tend to distort. If it was something larger on a form it would be fine but as they want to be flat not so much. I will probably give that a go as I've been using a pan with a removable steamer plate sort of thing that keeps them off of a direct gas I would think that keeping them suspended would be better. I'll just have to experiment with the holes.

Right I'm back. RLW I'll definitely use your method next time I do a bracer or another large project but the amount of water I'd get through to harden the scales would take ages. Radar I'll try your method on a bit of scrap with my time off but I'm unsure how consistent it would be and I thought it might be a bit too hot but I won't know unless I try so I'll experiment. Hivemind I'd thought of using wax but hadn't taken it any further due to cost and that it didn't seem that authentic. Thinking about it though given that the scales would be flat, deforming under heat wouldn't be such a problem. saying that I'm sure I've seen a small bar of beeswax lying around so I'll try it if i can find some. Yeah it seems my oven doesn't go low enough so I might end up using immersion after all. Looks like I'm off to town tomorrow to try and get an old steamer

Thanks RLW. I'll try some experimenting tomorrow to see how much water it takes for a few then go from there.. I hadn't heard of cracking after dyeing before. I was planning on oiling anyway but its great to know. Yes I think a power drill would be apt in this case.

Hi everyone. To start wit I'd like to say that I've found this forum a great source for info, tips and inspiration for my other projects. Right then, down to business. I'm having a go at making some scale armour from my offcuts (ranging from 4 to 6mm) I'll be thonging them onto a suede backing (patterns done just waiting for the suede to arrive) but before I can do that I'll have to harden them. I've soaked leather in warm water then dried it while making bracers & lame for a paldron but nothing to harden it Reading around I was thinking of oven baking them as per Marc Carlson's method (part E) as it would be easier to control exposure and it seems easier for a first attempt. My main worry is that given the amount of time they'd need to bake that they might curl as I wouldn't think pressing them into shape would let them bake them properly. It's either that or soaking them in hot water (sorting them into batches by thickness first) then pressing them between baking trays and allowing the scales to dry completely. So basically i'm after a bit of input on what you think would be the best method for hardening batches of scales, I've also got a few other questions that will ultimately require experimentation but I'd like to hear some opinions on anyway. 1) If i was to bevel the edges would they curl? 2) As you can see from the above picture i haven't got any holes punched yet. should I do that beforehand (making them larger to allow for shrinkage) or after on the now tougher leather? 3) In a similar vein a few of the edges need neatening (a few stray fibres that I'd usually burnish away). Should I do this before/after or will the heat cause them to shrivel away? Thank you for your time Ben