Are 18gauge acceptable for gantlets?

For breastplates, should the plackard be 16 gauge while the breast be 18 gauge? Or should those be bumped up to 14 and 16?

Are vambraces OK at 18 gauge since gauntlets will be an extra layer anyway?

Pauldrons/spaulder: 16 gauge with 18 gauge lammels?

What about elbow and knee coups? 16 gauge with 18 gauge lemmels?

Since origional helmets varied by expense, Im sure the same would hold true to other armour parts I guess. But I know I need to consider safety with ARMA regulations in mind. I just havent seen any ARMA regs. on metal thickness for armours.

I know we arent as go-go hardcore as the SCA here and we dont need 14 gauge all around, and considering the purpose of fluting was to make thinner metal stronger, Im just not sure how acceptable 18 gauge is in the end. Ive held some armourers stuff they said was 18 that seemed really strong.

Im not talking about cheap India imports where everything is made of 18 gauge crap. I mean actual armour smiths who use metal that AFTER its all hammered still reaches minimum of 18/17 gauge.

thanks folks,
-Jason

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~ Jason Banditt Adams
Illustrator for the gaming industry
www.Rogue-Artist.com

I'm thinking this web site can interest you. It's an Scientific Investigation of the armour in the Wallace Collection in London. http://www.wallacecollection.org/i_s/conservation/analysis/investigate_armour.htm

You'll find answres there.. And if you can visit the museum!!! Free intrance!!!

To throw some personal experience in to the mix, and on more modern materials .... in 1018 or 1020 steel I use almost exclusively 16 and 18 gauge (16 gauge being .0625 inch. to let you know wich gauge system I am using) with the majority of my work in 18 guage. (For the kind of suit I think you are talking about)

I use 16 gauge for structural integrity. So the plackard on a German style gothic breast would be 16 gauge with the rest of the breast being 18 gauge, lemmels for knees 16 and so on. I find, personally, that this leaves me with a harness that can take at least a little bit of punishment and maintain the 70-80 pound target weight I am looking for in a complete harness.

Now, the type of harness I am talking about here would not be used in the SCA, profetional jousting, or any place that it was going to get delt a great deal of force on a very regular basis. Also, here, I am working strictly under the hammer, sinking, planishing, raising, etc. So there is a bit of work hardening that goes into the finished product.

Every smith works differently, often to arive at the exact same end however. So your milage may not be the same. Give it a try and find out what works for you and what you like.

Something to consider is how often do you want to, or expect to have to, repair these pieces? 18 gauge is light and easy to form but it will obviously dent more easily that say 14 gauge.

Material is also a consideration. 18 gauge "mild" steel wont perform like 18 gauge titanium. I know this is kind of an obvious example and it is an extream, but it is true to lesser degrees as well, ie "spring" steel, aluminum and so on. With other metals, however, there are other issues involved, tempering, annealing, excesive work hardening ...

I recently finished a set of 14th C. arms from Titanium and they might be the first and last pair I ever do.

So I think my thought is to experiment, ask questions too, but in the end pound on the metal and see what it does.

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