Daggrim

A handsome laddiebuck. I don't know you personally, but judging from your avatar, he's only going to gownhill from here Daggrim

I did some experiments again. My original experiments with waterproofing had inconclusive results, but this time around, I'd have to give Sno Seal a ten out of ten, and Resolene a 6 out of ten. Then Fiebings spray on rain repellent a 3. I read up some on Tan Kote, and some others, but I didn't see where they were considered to be used as a water repellent coating. I also tried some plain Neet's Foot, and some olive oil, but they were not very good without a top coat of something else.. Thanks for all the replies. Doug

Okay, just to throw some balance into the mix, my advice is to run away from any 29K. I have limited experience, but I do have a beginners experience on A 29K58. I spent countless frustrating hours making piles of thread on the floor, and getting very little real work done. I used it to make medieval turnshoes. I finally sold it for less than I paid for it. I had some professional help wth it from a shoe repair guy who owned one, but he cold never quite get tit to run as well as his. Just my 2 cents worth. If you need a manual, look on the Smithsonian Museum website...no kidding. I found an entire manual, photographed from an original manual, and it was free to print out. Best of luck...you might make a million bucks with it. $350 seems a little high, but not outrageously so. Doug

Really clean site. Everything is clear and easy to understand and easy to get to. IMO, I thought the Pricing page could use a few pictures. I make headbands, too, but I don't tool, i just add hardware. Your headbands are very good looking, and priced very well. Do you sell them at outdoor events? Doug

Hey Tom, I'm not sure what a plague doctor is, but I love the look. It's a departure from the more high tech steampunk style. I really dig the more primitive look with the simpler details, like the one big buckle. The power is in the great silhouette, and then the distressed look, which gives it an air of authenticity. Kinda like the costume details in the new Robin Hood movie, which look wonderfully grimey. Doug

Ray, I've cuir buoillied lots of leather for my helmets, and it's extremely difficult to do that on anything thinner than 8 oz. The time/temperature window gets smaller as the leather gets thinner. It also narrows for thick leather that is floppy, and not very dense. I shoot for 175 degrees, and eye it like a hawk after a minute. For thinner leather, I heat it at around 160 degrees for 3 or 4 minutes, time not being critical, then I oven bake it at 190 for about a half hour. The leather gets darker, and it scorches a tiny bit wherever it's touching it's supports. It also makes the leather tougher to dye, having some very hard areas. I don't think it would work very well for a scabbard. Too much distortion. I've never tried wax because I've always gotten very good results using just water. Wax appears to make the leather even harder, but I've heard that that is deceptive, because on a hot day, the leather will soften. What about drying the wet leather by forming it around a warmed up sword blade? It'd be the perfect mandrel. Doug

I made a gauntlet as a one day project, my first, in a hurry, and it looks waay bad...bad as in sh#tty, not as in cool. I plan to redo it with what I learned, but at best it will just be functional. Yours is functional and good looking . Dag

Hivemind, That's a cool link. Always looking for a way to make a buck, and have fun. There's a Dagorhir group near me, now that I've moved to IL, so I'm planning on meeting up with them sometime this year. Dag Well...ahem...I don't mean to be too mercenary, but they ARE for sale http://leatherhelms.com

Oh, ok. I've been using Aussie Leather Balm, but not as a water protector. I've stopped using Atom Wax as a second coat, as it also water spots. I just recently started applying Resolene, but I just don't know if that's equivalent to Clearlac and Tan Kote. What do you think? Every time I try to find a solution to water spotting, I find a half dozen different answers, and I just can;t afford to go out and buy some of everything I read about. If saddle makers use it, then it sounds perfect for my helmets. I like some shine, but not a crystal bright shine. Thanks for the answer. I suppose I missed some of the simpler basics when I started making the helmets. I've sold many of them, and kinda cringe when I think of what some of them might look like by now. Doug

Wow, you "banged" that out in a day? Amazing. It's got a lot of depth to it...I mean there are a lot of things you had to do just right to get that all to fit, and to look so good. Many layers of skills there. lotsa hours at the workbench. What did you use for rivets? Looks like rapid rivets, or maybe tubular rivets. Dag

Any of you folks gonna be attending any renfaires in the midwest? I'll be at DesMoines, IA later this summer, and at one in Danville, IL, then one in Davenport , IA area, and maybe one near Indianapolis. Dag

No, I've never made a kettle helm, but you're right about thier ubiquity in medieval times. It's a good suggestion, and I'll put it in my mental files, and I may get around to developing one this winter. Dag

Hi Luke. I'm using 15mm rapid rivets, ordered from Birdsall Leather in AU. Very spendy to buy and ship, but the only source I've found on this wide planet. The largest is normally 12mm, but the 15mm allow me to use thicker leather for a sturdier product. The helmets have a nice heft with 12-13 oz leather. Tubular rivets are stronger, but if they're not just the right length, they don't compress enough, and they stand out above the leather. Copper rivets are for next year, when I have more time to experiment. Doug

Hi people. I haven't posted any pictures for a long time, so here is a sample of what I've been doing. Also, thanks to everyone who's been so generous with their time and help on this forum. The scale stamping is my first time, so the alignment of the scales if not consistent. Doug