Open Shop, 4-12, 19 and 26

It has been a few weeks, but we have been hosting Open Shop Night every Thursday.  Here Abby shows her new brigandine gorget in progress.

 Belle's friend Nora tried her hand at repousse with minimal instruction (I taught her all I know...)

Wolf added a stainless steel reinforcement to the front of his hardened leather gorget, attached lamellar scales to the back and glued in a sheepskin lining.

 

 Then we marked and cut some blue barrel plastic scales for his hidden lamellar armour.

 Belle painted a scroll with guash, an egg-based paint using period pigments.

 Nora sketched a couple of wolfhounds for me to use in future heraldry projects...

 ...and I made myself a new roping tool for embossing leather.

 Wolf cut his barrel plastic into lames this week, so tonight he could drill them.  He held each stack of lames together with blocks and clamps and then drilled the whole stack at once.  Note:  people who make progress on their armour BETWEEN open shop nights get done sooner!

 Morgan worked on some lightweight kneecops for her theatrical armouring class.  Tonight she got to dish, planish, and use both the wire wheel and the buffer!

 I'm having trouble with armour-moths.  Either that or the cords are wearing out on my lamellar armour.  I suppose it is 6 years old now.

 Nora tried her hand at an original illuminated capital, a B for Belle.

Abby and Gunna managed to avoid the camera this week but they were here, enjoyed some stewed chicken over rice, assembled a loom, made a pattern for gamboised cuisses, and cut out the linen for the cuises.

Open Shop 4-5-2012

We started with spaghetti, under the theory that nothing that starts with spaghetti could be too bad.  I got a bit creative with the sauce, including mushrooms, ground beef, onions, garlic, canned sauce, canned paste, canned diced tomato, several spices and a healthy splash of red wine.  Then I headed out to the workshop.

If I can just find the right tool...

 I can make this cheek-plate hinge!  (Off-camera I also glued aluminum c-channel to the edge of my new practice shield.) 

 Deidra is making progress with her helm.

 Wolf has glue-soaked and baked his new gorget

 

 Wyllow is making dye out of sticky weed. (Galiun aparine, catchweed bedstaw, a relative of madder)

...and that is all for this week!

Open Shop 3-29-2012

1st things first...roast duck with parsnips, leeks and onions!

 Then Belle's friend Josh tried on some armour.  He got so enthused that he went out and did pell work for the next few hours.

 Wyllow helped Franchesca design a new sleeve:

 

While somebody tried to hide in the coffee table:

 Wolf made a custom pattern to fit him, cut out the pieces and then beveled and burnished the edges of his new gorget:

 Deidra wisely wears her earplugs while peening rivets in her new Valsgarde 6 helm.

Maelgwyn and Chrisdean round the corners and smooth the edges of some aluminum vambrace splints.

...and a good time was had by all.

Gulf War!

Since last we met our heroes...Gulf War happened!  A few highlights:

The War Company performed magnificently in the Town, Ravine, Bridge, Field and Castle battles.  Many pictures are available on Facebook and in Ursus Gallery.   What I do not have is a picture of King Aaron awarding the Kingdom War Banner to the Bryn Gwlad War Company, which was the culmination of a fun-filled week.    

Other highlights include being chosen for one of the Unbelted Champions fights:

 

No, my opponent was not named Goliath...he is Danial von Hessen from Trimaris.

And fighting in the 14th century Deed of Arms:

My 14th century armour includes a sugarloaf helm with mail coif, blackened mail shirt, hardened leather curie breast and back plates, hardened leather arms and shynbalds and gamboised cuises.  The green linen surcoat is unadorned like most of the contemporary ones in the Codex Manessa or the Romance of Alexander.