mrdabeetle

For female chest, you can use the torso section of a dress pattern, a bodice pattern, etc. You will need to choose a pattern that has seams that flow with the shape of the torso. For male armor, you would use a vest pattern and alter it where needed. I prefer to make a duct tape double of the person and make the pattern from it. Take a look here for the workflow of a replica leather chest and backplate. http://www.therpf.co...c-heavy-129624/ Also check out other people's work. Look and see where they put seams, how the parts are attatched, etc. Check out this gallery, he's a member here and does top notch work. http://azmal.deviantart.com/gallery/

This may be a bit of a stretch, but...

There is no legal issue as long as you stick to your posted deadline time. One thing that I have done to keep customers happy, is to notify them when their order is next in line and give them a more accurate estimate on completion/delivery. As you are working from a website, the text describing the transaction, estimated shipping time/cost, etc. are the contract. In some areas, this becomes legally binding as soon as the customer completes the payment process. If I do not have the item in stock, or it is a custom order, the customer must agree to pay a percentage of the total cost of the item as a non-refundable (to cover cost of production) deposit, upfront. The remainder will be required upon delivery.

Hey guys and gals, I'm going to be releasing a pattern pack soon, and I was wondering what else I should include in the pack. So far, I have an assortment of pouches, weapon holders (axe, knife, sword hanger, etc.), vambraces (forearm armor), wristbands, headbands, drinking vessels, mug straps, and a couple of hats. These will be "CopyLeft" and do not require credit to myself. Anyone can freely distribute or alter the patterns in any way. The only thing that I ask is DO NOT SELL THE PATTERNS. Let me know what kinds of patterns you would like to see in the pack. I also have a few steampunk patterns, but I'm not sure that I want to release those just yet. Patterns are here

Artist: One who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts. Artisan: A worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand. Prince Armory/Imperial Armories: All of the above.

More masks with better pics.

I don't know why this hasn't been answered, but basically the drum head is rawhide, usually deer. Soak the rawhide in water for a few hours until it is pliable, then the rawhide is stretched across the drum frame and secured. Some drums are tied, some tacked, and others clamped. Allow the rawhide to dry completely, then you may need to sand it smooth. The specific process depends on what style you are trying to reproduce.

Here are the instructions for the handles spoken about by Mijo:

Has anyone been able to edit the original .dxf files? They appear to be locked (downloaded from the authors site). I tried editing it with a freeware cad viewer, but either I don't know the software enough or the files are locked. I haven't used cad in years, so I'm downloading the new edition of Autocad to see if I can edit the files for English and possibly make an assembly instruction sheet before converting to .pdf for any who are interested.

Turn your monitor on it's side for optimal viewing experience. Masks Pouch Critiques welcome. (the leather, not the photography)

I love the toggle, don't see much of that anymore. I also like the way you created ribs in the front by using the separators. I like the natural color of the leather too. That carrier is going to age better than the wine. Thank you for sharing!

I know a guy who swears that soaking the leather in urine (Eeeew!) will harden the leather and will last a long time. I am not willing to test his theory, but I suppose the ammonia is what does the hardening. I have tried the diluted white glue method with great results. I have also tried adding alcohol to your water when wet forming works as well. Be sure to burnish or round the edges in some way before hardening. Some corners can get very sharp if you don't. A vendor at a recent festival had some masks that were uncomfortable to wear because the edges were not rounded off. Another way to harden is to spray a clear acrylic sealer inside and out. It basically turns the leather into a rubbery material that will hold it's shape well. It works on masks, but I haven't tried it on anything else.

Sorry about the late reply, I've been working on getting stuff ready for a festival and have been away (I've popped in to peek at the forums, but haven't had time to fix the dead links). I have redone my website and forgot that I stored the files there. Here's the new links: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?i7dmdvkbybkd7bu http://www.mediafire.com/view/?978hgkq95u52kp8

I'm not an "old folk", but I use medical tape on mine (the kind that looks like a clear duct tape). It has a bit of give and loose weave of the cloth backing really lets me get a secure grip without squeezing the tool so hard that my hand hurts after a few minutes of tooling. I've been thinking about getting some and make some form fitting grips for my tools, but that would mean altering the way they are organized and stored. It would really help save some hand pain though.

There are several ways to attach a brim to a hat. All are correct, but some work better than others depending on the hat, the leather, the thread/lace, etc. The top 3 are without a sweatband. The bottom 3 are without. This hat is constructed like the last example. The hat band covers the stitching.

I work from light to dark. I use alcohol to thin the dye to get a lighter shade. (add water for water based dyes/stains) You can always add more layers to get it darker. Getting dye to go lighter once it is applied is not so easy. There are hobby airbrushes in the craft section of stores that sell plastic model kits (cars airplanes boats, etc.) these are pretty cheap, but will do the job. Ideally, you should look for a double-action airbrush. A double-action means that you control the amount of air and the amount of media that is released through the nozzle. When you select your airbrush, choose one that accepts bottles with lids, don't go for the little cup to hold dye/paint, because you will spill onto your leather and get frustrated after all the hard work you put into the piece. I no longer have an airbrush, but I do two tone dying with rags made from old t-shirts. You sort of buff the dye on starting from the edge and working your way to center. This controls how much dye is applied. Start by collecting dye onto a dauber and then rubbing it onto paper. the paper absorbs some of the dye. Rub your rag onto the paper to collect a small amount of dye. Then use the rag to buff the dye onto the leather. It takes some practice to get the feel of how the process works, but it can be learned in a few minutes. Good luck to you! If this process doesn't work for you, try something else. There is more than one way to skin a cat and there are lots of cats to practice on.

Armorgeek sounds like the north end of a south bound horse. Armor patterns are like clothing patterns, so there's not a one size fits all. Adjustments need to be made for size and body shape. You are a big guy, so simply scaling the complete pattern up, won't necessarily work. When working with articulated joints, look at how Roman armor is constructed. There is a ton of information online, as there are Roman re-enactment groups all over the world. All you really need is the basic shape of the pieces and then mock them up on a body double (duct tape mannequin) or a similar proportioned friend. Tape cardboard together and mark where holes/buckles/straps etc. will need to go. You did an amazing job.

Argh! I forgot to take a picture of the second one before giving it to the buyer. I used black suede on this one instead of the brown. It makes the black stitches pop more and looks great. I'll see if I can get a picture of it this weekend.