Hey there. Just wanted to show off and get some criticism on a project I finally got off my bench today.
It's replica armor from the recent Spartacus TV series. More in particular, the right shoulder armor Spartacus wears while Training.
Hey there. Just wanted to show off and get some criticism on a project I finally got off my bench today.
It's replica armor from the recent Spartacus TV series. More in particular, the right shoulder armor Spartacus wears while Training.
That is simply amazing. Really, well done.
great job, almost looks like it came off the set!
Thanks guys. Does anyone have any tried suggestions for getting a more dried out and cracked texture? Like its been backing in the sun for years.
Sanding does it a bit but wants to erase the texture I already have there and a scotch pad seems to only go so far.
this may sound pretty stupid, and may in fact actually be a pretty stupid idea but, have you thought about using a food dehydrator?MarcusLaMont said:
ps. i love the work you've done so far. i plan to do this for Halloween this year so i may be contacting you next month when i start the project.
pps. keep in mind that his shoulder armor had all sorts of little pictograph type things etched into it (see attached picture)
NICE! Can't wait to see you finish the rest of this one.
I'm still working on pulling sufficient stills to do the etchings/carvings, from that angle it looks like I needed to shorten up the scales a bit. They currently come down to my elbow where as here they are about midish bicep, and I have long arms.
I'd agree, the first few especially. Looking good though.
Aging leather could be done with with something like an oven cleaner to strip all of the oils out of the upper surface of the leather. It is a bit of a hit and miss affair and it will certainly weaken the leather and reduce it's life.
rub some salt in the leather..really dries it out..and allow it to set in the sun...lightly spray it with water..then set in the sun..but dont soak it in water...should do the trick.However setting in the sun will slightly darken the leather.
Thanks for the advice on drying the leather out, I'm experimenting on some sample pieces.
As it stands right now as seen in the pictures, I just wet the surface of the leather and wrinkled the pieces. Put 40 grit sandpaper abrasive side down and hit it with a hammer, scraped it up a bit, took a knife to the edges. Then I hit it with a red mahogany stain as a base and applied a chocolate brown stain with a rag. Sealed it with a satin shellac and the dulled it with a scotch pad.Lando said:
I'm now trying to age it further with some of the suggestions mentioned above.
I feel guilty for not commenting upon this when I first saw it and have been thinking about it since so I've come back to give credit where it's due. I really like what you've done with this armour and I feel inspired and want to make something myself too. Do you have any build advice?
EPIC!!!!
I love the show and I love this. IMO this show should have got at least as much hype as game of thrones.
I've been looking into getting into leather work for a while to make stuff exactly like this.
One thing I learned while googling around is that actual leather armor was boiled to make it harder and more durable. This will also make the leather shrink.
Do have have alot of expierence with leather and how hard/expensive is it to get into?
also please don't do the pictures on it that that once promo shows. I feel like it would only mess it up.
Now to make the 6-pack!
Hehe good work.
MarcusLaMont said:
Whole time I was watching the show, every time Sparty's pauldron was on screen I kept thinking "wonder how long till I see that on RPF.
Well here it is, and you did not disappoint! Awesome job!
I greatly appreciate the continued support. Still in the process of continuing to age it a bit more.
Best advice I can give is make paper templates for everything, heavy card stock is best. It saves both time and especially money by minimizing having to correct mistakes made on the leather. And always test finishes on scrap pieces.Levi said:
I've done some armor using the boiling method (cuirboulli). Seems to be more suited for pieces like chestplates and vambraces as it results in the leather being very stiff. Pieces like this need a bit more flexibility to be practical. I used a method somewhat similar to get the scales to keep a curved shape. Rather than submersing it in boiling water, I used a sponge and got the scales moderately wet with hot water then put them in the shape I wanted and let it dry out for a day or two. Still very flexible but wants to stay in the curved shape I need.bodanger said:
As for price, the materials for this probably cost around $60 total.
Most expensive thing being the hide itself.
If you are looking to get into leather working, look to see if there is a Tandy Leather Factory near you. Prices are competitive and the staff is generally very knowledgeable. Best thing though is they have a table set up with all the different tools and you can go in and play around with them and see what things do. They also generally have free workshops on the weekends that teach you different skills and tools.
You really only need like 4-5 tools to do almost anything you need and they are under $70 for the lot depending on where you get them.
Knife of some sort (I use a 1/2" exacto)
Stitching Awl or tiny drill bits (for making holes for sewing)
Decent hole punch kit (for making holes for rivets)
Beveler/Skiver and a burnisher/edge slicker (for finishing the edges)
If you are on the fence about starting leatherwork, jump in. Once you have the basics you can pretty much make anything. For the first couple of pieces do old/aged items. Good for covering mistakes plus if you rummage through the pile of hides at your leather store you can generally find a few gnarly ones and get a halfways decent deal on them.
Cool any opinion on going to thrift stores for old crappy leather for material?
well it looks like if you etch in the little drawings like in the picture you will get the desired look.
@bodanger
Check to see if you have a Tandy Leather store in your area or an actual leather repair shop, a lot of them have scrap bins. Ebay is also a good place to pick up bulk leather.
I agree, I would try and find a leather supply house, saddle/shoe maker or an online retailer.
For most armor pieces I generally use ~8oz leather (1/8" or ~3mm thick) and you'll probably only find belts at a thrift store to be a usable thickness.
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