Dreamforge
New Member
I am in the process of building a Thorin Oakenshield (from the Hobbit) as accurately as possible. Hoping to have it ready for the premiere of There and Back Again; maybe even to travel to Wellington for it...
Chipping away at it one bite at a time after the kids go to bed!
Pieces to make/assemble: Bracers, demi gauntlets, gloves, shirt, maile shirt/armor (ahhh!), long vest, overcoat, pants, boots, Dwarfish ring, Blue ring, key, chain, belt, belt buckle, oakenshield, Orchrist and scabbard.
Two years should be about enough time!
For the bracers:
1. I found a nice clear screenshot of the Bracer (to get a film-accurate pattern).
2. Printed it out to proper scale.
3. Filled in the pattern insides in black (to make it easier to trace)
4. Cut the pattern out
5. Transferred it to leather pattern paper (and scanned it for future use)
6. Press transferred the pattern onto 10 gauge leather and cut it out
7. Hand pounded the pattern into the leather using a stippled tool (without edge knifing the pattern - on similar builds that used that I found the pattern was too 'clean' compared with the nice rolled edge of the pattern in the screenshot).
Voila! One bracer!
Now to do it all again for the other one and then start on the demi gauntlets. Once I've got the two bracers and demi gauntlets done, underbracer pieces to sew them all down to and the straps ready - then dye the leather, harden it (probably boiling very briefly, then waxing) and sew it together. One bite at a time!
Wish me luck!
Chipping away at it one bite at a time after the kids go to bed!
Pieces to make/assemble: Bracers, demi gauntlets, gloves, shirt, maile shirt/armor (ahhh!), long vest, overcoat, pants, boots, Dwarfish ring, Blue ring, key, chain, belt, belt buckle, oakenshield, Orchrist and scabbard.
Two years should be about enough time!
For the bracers:
1. I found a nice clear screenshot of the Bracer (to get a film-accurate pattern).
2. Printed it out to proper scale.
3. Filled in the pattern insides in black (to make it easier to trace)
4. Cut the pattern out
5. Transferred it to leather pattern paper (and scanned it for future use)
6. Press transferred the pattern onto 10 gauge leather and cut it out
7. Hand pounded the pattern into the leather using a stippled tool (without edge knifing the pattern - on similar builds that used that I found the pattern was too 'clean' compared with the nice rolled edge of the pattern in the screenshot).
Voila! One bracer!
Now to do it all again for the other one and then start on the demi gauntlets. Once I've got the two bracers and demi gauntlets done, underbracer pieces to sew them all down to and the straps ready - then dye the leather, harden it (probably boiling very briefly, then waxing) and sew it together. One bite at a time!
Wish me luck!