From: gcohen@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Gregory Cohen)
Subject: Re: Al and Steel : some questions
Keywords: metal, hitting, lasting, color, uhm...
Organization: Florida State University
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 13:32:11 GMT

In article <1389@blue.cis.pitt.edu> fmg@alpha.smi.med.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes:
>
>	Greetings. My first post here so be gentle in your approach :-)
>
>	1) I am making some of my armour at a local armorer. I have also
>	   been folowing a long and heated thread on rec.org.sca about
>	   how "Aluminum does not look/is authentic"... Since there is
>	   no way back (and the reduced weight is my goal) I would like
>	   to do something to make my armor look more like period "stuff".
>
>	   a) I can paint it - but it will look nice for the first few
>	      blows (yes, my armor will see "action" :-) I could always
>	      reapply the paint but this will make it a nightmare.
>	   b) I can anodize it - yes, but how and how good is the result.
>	      I would also like to point out that we fight with duct-tape-
>	      covered-rattan (wood) not (ouch) live steel. How well does
>	      anodized Al stand up to abuse? Also, I would be interested
>	      in COLOR... (being into electronics) I have some Al heat-
>	      sinks that are black - coal black. Even if this DOES look
>	      better than shiny Al... I don't even want to think how well
>	      it absorbs the suns rays on a good summer sunny day! So,
>	      what are my options? I was thinking of anodizing my armor and
>	      then (since the surface was very rough) painting it with
>	      metal enamel... will this work?
>
>	2) I also have many steel armor parts. Here my concern is not with
>	   color as it is with rust. We practice on wet grass and even on
>	   light rain days (picture of the wizard of Oz's Tin-man comes to
>	   mind :-) Most folks I know wax their metal. I've seen it and
>	   it does work. It does, however, need reapplication every few
>	   blows as it comes off quite easily. I know, I know, even the
>	   best plating will need reapplication now and then... but not as
>	   OFTEN! So, my options are:
>
<stuff removed>
>	4) (with all that metal-related stuff above maybe I can get away
>	   with this one :-) Has anyone come across a source of plate
>	   Lexan? I think that's the spelling. It's like Plexiglass but
>	   VERY durable. (for the SCA folks about ready to scream - no,
>	   this is not related :-) I know a few folks who have made cases
>	   from said materials for their camcorders. I have a cheap, old one
>	   that I plan to snorkel with and don't feel like shelling out $5K
>	   for the "real thing(tm)". I need about 5 square feet and up to
>	   1/2 inch thick. Anyone?
<more stuff removed>

Points one and two:

	Keep up the waxing ... but a get a squire to do it for you.
	(stupid kinig-it :-) )  When in the 10th century ... 

Point 4:
	Try Faulkner Plastics in Orlando Florida ... They do good mail-order
service and they have quite reasonable prices ... Mind you 1/2" thick lexan
is not going to be reasonable under any circumstances.  Lexan is a brand name
for polycarb,  just ask for polycarb and you'll get it ... but you don't realy
pay more for the name.


-Greg Cohen
gcohen@mailer.cc.fsu.edu