A Milanese suit of Armour for Scott B.
made from 16ga. 304 Stainless Steel.

Note:
Milanese armour of Elector Palatine Friedrich I
"Friedrich der Siegreiche (1427-1476)"
Dating from the second half of the 15th century,
this is an example of a fine Italian harness.
It was made in the workshop of master armourer
Tomaso Negroni da Ello, known as Missaglia.
A copy of this armour is in the Kunsthistorischen
Museum Vienna, Austria. The armourer Walter Suckert
from Ludwigsburg made the copy. A German link

Knighting by Pfalzgraf Friedrich at Seckenheim 1462
Pfalzgraf Friedrich der Siegreiche
(Count Palatine Frederic the Victorious) conducted a
number of wars during his reign in the south of Germany
one of them being the War over the succession to the
bishopric of Mainz. During this war it came to the battle
of Seckenheim in 1462 in the peninsula formed by the rivers
Rhine and Neckar. Prior to the battle a number of nobles
were elevated to the order of knighthood in full sight of
their adversaries in a display of confidence and superiority.




This page is depicting making the suit from start to finish.

Scott at Kearney Renaissance Faire CA.


-5 Nov. 2007-
These are pictures for the suit to be made.
However, the helmet will be replaced with a armet.
-6 Nov. 2007-
The basic pattern for the pauldrons.
This pattern has much mobility because of the seven lames.
Here is the proto type to play with, I have the angle wrong.
I will modify the 4, 5, 6,7 lames with 5 deg. more.
-7 Nov. 2007-
The new pattern with all the changes. Keep in mind this is all two dimensional with no compound curves at this time.
The cardboard pattern. The new and old/bad pattern.
-8 Nov. 2007-
This is the pattern after fine tunning. I changed the angle some more on the top four lames.
-10 Nov. 2007-
OK, got the final pattern for the construction done.
The red shows all the changes on the new and final pattern.
The arm needs the most mobility, this pattern will accommodate that.
-12 Nov. 2007-
The pattern for the pauldrons on the steel.
This is the data on the steel for Reference.
-14 Nov. 2007-
The first 16ga. pieces for the pauldron.
The first lame with the open roll.
The general shape from the out side. The angle of the bending needs to be greater, that will place the slope angle greater on the out side.
-15 Nov. 2007-
This is a rough idea how the pieces look together.
The last lame has a closed Italian roll. This is still all very rough, all I have to go from are the pictures.
-18 Nov. 2007-
This is after the lames are drilled and together, now comes the fine tunning of very lame.
-26 Nov. 2007-
After testing the first pauldron I made some changes for more mobility.
The feeling of the pauldron seems now none intrusive to movements.
-28 Nov. 2007-
The final pattern on the steel for cutting.
This is the general look, there is a lot of work now to fine tune the pauldrons.
-29 Nov. 2007-
Adjusting the lames and placing the holes in the back of the pauldrons.

It will have sliding rivets in the back and three leather runs to keep it all in place for high mobile.

The next part is to contour the lames for a better over lapping and smoother transition.

The weight of one pauldron is about 4lb.
-2 Dec. 2007-
The first plauldron is done.

All the lames are semi cleaned and ready to mount.

The one finished pauldron next to the left one.

This shows the two lines which run on the side and in the back.

The inside web of leather.

I TIG welded the edges of the roll around the neck area.

The same on the back side.

The general look.
-4 Dec. 2007-
Working on the left pauldron.

Shaping the lames on the English wheel.
-9 Dec. 2007-
This is the design for the elbowcop.

The elbowcop will be build from a single piece of steel and TIG welded together.

Keep in mind the cop will be oval not round, the cardboard just stays this way.

The side towards the body will have very little steel. On the orig. it is totally open.
-10 Dec. 2007-
The pattern on the 10'x5' sheet of steel. My son thought they look like reindeer antlers.

Ready for the plasma cutter.

This sheet is just to large to work with. After the general cut.

This is after using the Beverly shears on the steel. It taken about an hour to cut this because of the shape.
-11 Dec. 2007-
The cop being shaped.
Both cop's are now ready to be TIG welded.
-12 Dec. 2007-
The cop after TIG welding and cleaning.
Note: To Mike from NY, I TIG the 304 with
304L (L=Low Carbon) rod's.
The inside of the cop's still not cleaned, but good fusion from the TIG welding.
-13 Dec. 2007-
Here is the first cop after TIGing and a rough cleaning, all I can say, what a pain.
-17 Dec. 2007-
Placing the lames on the cop and show articulation.
-18 Dec. 2007-
The pattern for the rearvambrace.
The general idea how it will fit.
-22 Dec. 2007-
The pattern for the vambrace.
The front opening will be in an angle to function with the gauntlet.
-23 Dec. 2007-
Milanese hinges, I will make them from 16ga.
I will need 12 of these for the suit, so I will make them all at once.
Here is the first one, they take a bit longer then I thought, but the rest will go faster. I went a bit larger on the pin
(.162 inches) this way it will not deform under pressure. I will TIG weld the ends so the pin will never come out.
-24 Dec. 2007-
Here is the second type of Milanese hinge which goes with this suit.
-25 Dec. 2007-
The vambrace pattern cut out.
Elbow cop and vambrace together.
-26 Dec. 2007-
Misc. views of the vambrace on the elbow cop.
The last picture shows the hinges TIG welded from both sides.
-28 Dec. 2007-
Making the turn-up on the second elbow-cop.
Bending the elbow cop in the slip-roll.
Second pic. After TIG welding, now comes the clean-up.
-1 Jan. 2008-
Making the rest of the hinges.
They just take a lot of time to make out of 16ga. SS.
-7 Jan. 2008-
Making the second vambrace, after rolling the edges.
. .
-9 Jan. 2008-
Shaped the second vambrace and mounted the hinges.
There is a inside guard on the lower part of the vambrace, this way the top part will not collapse into the inside.
-13 Jan. 2008-
Made the two lames from cop to vambrace.
Placed straps on vambrace and did some basic cleaning.
-15 Jan. 2008-
Cleaned the cop and lames.
Riveted the vambrace / lames / elbow-cop together.
-21 Jan. 2008-
The rear-vambrace.
The look and the mobility.
-22 Jan. 2008-
The second rear-vambrace.
Second look.
-25 Jan. 2008-
The pattern for the basic gauntlet.
The main pieces cut out.
-1 Feb. 2008-
The basic gauntlet idea.
-6 Feb. 2008-
The second gauntlet is now TIG welded together, now comes the cleaning.
. .
-20 Feb. 2008-
The rest of the pattern.
-24 Feb. 2008-
The basic structure, the handle is 4.25" in circumference.
-27 Feb. 2008-
The first one done.
-9 Mar. 2008-
The arms are done, the leg harness is next.
-13 Mar. 2008-
The Italian / Milan knee guard.
Close-up this pattern.
-14 Mar. 2008-
Working the first side guard.


-19 Mar. 2008-
The first knee-cob with a new pattern.

After a rough clean-up.
-26 Mar. 2008-
Articulation of the first lame on the knee-cob.
Inside view.
-31 May 2008-
The Italian greave design.
Driving and shrinking work is used, this is the raw work.
-22 June 2008-
The parts for the cuishes.
The general feel of the armour.
-27 June 2008-
The cuishes the next step.
-29 June 2008-
The cuishes are done, will add the straps during fitting.
-14 July 2008-
The first drawing of the back plate pattern.
-8 Aug 2008-
The pattern with modifications for the sabatons.
-7 Sep. 2008-
Pattern mod. for the boot.
I will build the pattern as I go, this will be the only way to make this look good.
-9 Sep. 2008-
All the parts which make the sabatons.
. .
-10 Sep. 2008-
The sabaton raw on the boot.
-12 Sep. 2008-
The front of the sabatons.
Second view of the articulation.
-14 Sep. 2008-
The sabatons after cleaning, the rest will be done during fitting.
-16 Sep. 2008-
The breastplate design.
Upper and lower plate, the plates will only connect via. leather so they can move. .
-17 Sep. 2008-
The lower part of the breastplate.
This piece will be driven with the Englishwheel. .
-22 Sep. 2008-
The upper part of the breastplate, made a second pattern which fit better.
-23 Sep. 2008-
In this set I show how to make a Italian rolls for the breastplate.
The trick is to go slow, don't kink the steel.
Keep in mind this is all raw work, the rolls are not final or cleaned.

That is what it is all about on an Italian roll, there is a gap on the roll which will catch the point of the weapon as it slides over the breastplate.
-24 Sep. 2008-
Here are both pieces for the breastplate.
The general idea how they fit, now comes the shaping to make these plates work together.
-24 Sep. 2008-
Both pieces have a closer fit.
The gap between the two plates is very small now, the contour on the top plate made this possible.
-7 Oct. 2008-
The breastplate with the five faults, only the first two are cleaned.
Just a inside view, the last lame has a rolled edge.
-9 Oct. 2008-
The pattern for the back plate on the steel.
All the parts cut out, the neck piece will be made after it is constructed.
-11 Oct. 2008-
The top part of the back plate, inside view.
Outside.
With the back faulds just balanced on the armor. Second view.
The faulds are now held in place by screws. This is a video to show articulation of the back faulds.
12 Oct. 2008
The tassets, on and of the breastplate.
19 Oct. 2008
Only the legs.
22 Oct. 2008
The breastplate is almost done, also the tasset mounting system.
-25 Oct. 2008-
The neck guard on the back plate.
The hip armor plate has to be adjusted once you get here to get the exact size.
26 Oct. 2008
The Sabatons are done now, see the mounting system.
-27 Oct. 2008-
The rondels / besagews.
This was the last pieces of the armor I had to make. .
-30 Oct. 2008-
The helmet liner.
The band in the helmet is 18ga. 304 SS and will support the leather work. .
6 Nov. 2008
Scott, in the suit.
The End

To the OnLineArmory.com

Klaus Jürgen Gehr (Armorer)

You can contact me at: klaus@onlinearmory.com
Last Modified: Nov. 5, 2007