Making Splinted Plastic Armor, C Belt

Then, tape over it with duct tape. Tape high and low so that you will
have plenty to trim off. It is easier if you have a helper but I did all
This tutorial is meant for someone with little to no armor making
this myself. IF you are planning on wearing a padded gambeson or
experience and who is probably on a budget for armor. It doesn't
something like that underneath you need to wear it while you make
require much in the way of tools. DIY is a way to apply elbow grease this pattern otherwise it will be too small!
and time in the place of the expense of buying a lot of armor. The
If you can use a big mirror for the legs it will help you double check
primary tools involved can be as simple as a hammer, a hard surface, a
your pattern. After your arm is covered in duct tape and paper towels
drill and a box cutter. Some other tools will make it a little easier but
like this:
you don't have to have them.
This armor is appropriate for a lot of regions in the 14th century and
goes really well with a simple coat of plates, which was the first armor
I ever made with the help of Master Malcom the Bold. I must attribute
much of my success in these projects to those first rudimentary skills
he taught me to get me on to the field long before I even knew what
the hell a klapvisor bascinet was! Please feel free to share these
tutorials as you see fit. You can use this kind of armor as hidden armor
for early periods as well because it's very low profile but regardless of
whether you're historically inclined or not my experience is that this
kind of armor offers great protection without sacrificing flexibility
and looks pretty good on the field too. You can substitute the plastic
for aluminum or steel if you want too.
The first thing you need to do is make a pattern. There are many ways
to do it. To make a pattern that fits most closely to your body shape
you can use this method but just taping some paper around your arm
works just fine and that is how I made my first pair. This will be my
third, but I will post some pictures of the others for reference.
This tutorial teaches you how to make your own pattern. You can look
at a lot of patterns online but it is helpful to be able to make your own
and size it to yourself.
First we will tackle the arms.
Using masking tape, tape some paper towels up and down your
forearm like in this picture.

Use a sharpie to trace around your arm, making space for your wrist
and elbow joints to move freely. A common mistake made when
making vambraces is making them too long so that your wrist and
elbow get armor bites and you will be fighting your arm harness all
the time.

On this one you can see I marked my wrist bone. You don't want your
splints to extend down to the bones of your wrist. If they do they will
rub, bite and generally limit the mobility of your hand and wrist.

Now, if you flatten it out best you can you should have a pretty good
template to base your vambrace on. I like to then trace with pattern on
to a piece of poster board and label it.

Trim it off your arm carefully with scissors. I do it right along the line
I drew marking where the vambrace will open and close. Then trim
off the excess tape and paper where you drew the borders along the
wrist and forearm.

Here is the paper template. One thing you need to do is extend the
I taped it to my arm to give it a look and make sure the coverage was
elbow portion a bit if you plan on attaching your elbow to the
good before proceeding. Masking tape or painter's tape is a big help. I
vambrace. I tie mine on, so I drew the extended bit on the posterboard.use it to simulate strap placement too.

This template is for the outer shell. For the splints you need to make
your template a little smaller if going with ones like I made here that
are large and conform to the shape of your forearm. If you are just
going to cut strips of plastic or metal for the splints you don't have to
leave as much room. Think of it like a seam allowance. I went with a
half inch here.

You can copy this for the other side just remember to flip it over
otherwise you will end up with two Lefts!

After making a template for the splints I cut out the shell and finish it.
If you are making the shell out of fabric I suggest two layers, sewn
with a finished edge but my first pair I edged with bias tape. Two
layers is sturdier though. Leather on these looks pretty awesome. The
second ones I made I did in leather, veg tanned like 4 oz and stained
and painted. The legs portion of this tutorial I will go over doing it in
leather vs canvas. Whatever fabric you use, it should be sturdy. These
will last a long time if you use a heavier fabric. If you go with two
layers of fabric, I suggest sewing all the way around except on one
straight side, flip it inside out then turn the edges of the open side
under and stitch around the top seam of the whole thing.

Next, trace out the splint pattern on plastic. Take care to make a right For my splints I like to make 3 per arm, then heat them in the oven
and a left side and label them. If you're using black abs plastic like
and shape them over my arm. Mark the splints and cut them out, set
here (1/8" from Norva Plastics on Ebay) you can use whiteout, a whiteleft and right aside in their respective piles then start cleaning up the
colored pencil or a crayon to mark on it. Once you have it traced out, edges. I like to take a big file and clamp them to my work table or put
cut it out. You can use a powered saw like a jig/scroll/band saw to do them in a vise then file the edges nice and round but you can also
this but if you don't have access to something like that you can use a scrape the edges with your box knife and snip the corners off so that
box cutter with a new blade. If you are cutting that way make multiple you won't have anything sharp sticking out.
passes to score a deep line in the plastic. Eventually you will be able
to snap it apart. If you're using kydex or barrel plastic you might have Even at 1/8" plastic is thick enough that before you go to start shaping
to use a jig saw.
these, you will need to trim them a little so that there is a gap between
them, otherwise they won't wrap around nicely. Somewhere between
1/4-1/2". If you scroll further down you can see the finished vambrace
with the split side up and the gap to see what I am talking about.

Next, shape the splints. I use 1/8" abs plastic for limb defenses but
you can use kydex or plastic barrels too. I have done this in my
propane grill, used a heat gun and done the oven method. The oven is
the easiest to get a nice even heat for shaping plastic. Use low temps,
300 degrees. Put the plastic pieces on a foil covered cookie sheet then
put them in the oven. The way I check to see if they are soft enough is
to life a corner of the foil and see if the plastic bends. If you do this in
your grill you really need to pay attention to the temperature or you'll
burn it. I have used a heat gun but I think it's the least convenient of
all these methods.

I ended up doing some more filing and trimmed some of the sharp
corners on these after I shaped them. A flat bastard file makes quick
work of this job.
Tape a towel to your arm or wear something with a thick enough
sleeve to keep from burning yourself. Wear leather gloves. Take the
plastic out one at a time and shape them on your arm. If you need to
you can heat a piece multiple times to make adjustments. A heat gun
makes it easy to tweak pieces that have been shaped most of the way.
As before, this part is easier with a helper but I have done this all
myself.

Once all the pieces are shaped you can trim them, round edges and
check for shape. You can tape them all to your arm in an
approximation of where they should be. Then mark and drill holes for
the rivets. I like mine to be snug so I make the holes close in size.
I start by riveting the center splint in place. Place the splint down on
the inside of the vambrace shell and poke a stitching awl or something
sharp through the hole in the splint. A bamboo skewer or something
will work, you just need to be able to poke a hole through the shell if
you are using fabric. If you're using leather, instead mark where the
rivet holes are going to go then punch them out. Pass the rivet through
the hole in the shell and the vambrace then stick the rivet cap on and
hammer it down on a hard surface. Repeat until the center splint is
finished.
A note on the aforementioned gap: You can still trim these before
mounting so at this point if you want to check attach them in some
non permanent way with little bolts or brads or something like that.

Repeat until all the splints are attached. A note on strapping: If you're
going to use a pair of buckles with straps, you can plan it so that the
hole in the outermost splints are also used for straps so don't attach
them yet if that is your plan.

You're going to need to attach the vambrace on your arm somehow.

You can use buckles or laces it really doesn't matter. If you are going
to use buckles, you need to measure and make straps. I made my
straps match up with the holes on the side splints for my vambraces.
To do that, I took the buckle end of the straps and riveted them to the
outside of the shell, with the same rivet I attached the splint to the
shell with. I used a longer rivet for these.
After I mounted the buckles I riveted only the center rivet of the last
splint, then used masking tape and taped the vambrace to my arm. The
tape went from over the top of the buckle and acting like a strap
closed the vambrace on my arm. I then marked the length of how long
the strap end needed to be and where it would attach to the other splint
before drilling holes for the rivets. Now, rivet the straps on, through
the shell and the vambrace.
I went through all that because I didn't want extra rivets messing up
the nice lines of the vambrace but if that isn't important to you, you
can just rivet all the splints on, then tape the vambrace on and mark
where you are going to put the holes for the straps and all that and just
drill extra holes.
If you're going to lace them closed I would suggest using some decent
grommets, OR stitch a strip of leather to both edges of the vambrace
to reinforce the edge, punch holes in the leather and then have the
lacing go through the leather for the sake of durability. I buckled mine
because at the time I did not know of the 14th century italian
manuscript examples of laced leather greaves and vambraces. They
are pretty cool!

In this picture you can see how I chose to make the holes for the
straps line up properly so that I could make it an attachment point for
the splint to the shell as well. Not necessary but it looks clean.

The last consideration is attachment of your elbow protection. There's I put two grommets in the shell of the vambrace for the tie that will
a bunch of ways to go about it. Mine are pointed on with a lace. My point the elbow to the vambrace but you can also stitch or rivet a
elbows have a leather tab riveted to them which is punched with holes leather tab on and put holes in that for the ties instead.
to tie the elbow cop and vambrace together. You can rivet or stitch a
tab on to the vambrace or put grommets in or whatever. You could
also rivet the cop and vambrace together with a leather strap. I like the
ties but it is personal preference.

At this point your arm harness is basically done. If you felt like it you
could make a matching rerebrace to protect your upper arm. if you are
concerned about padding, my preferred method is to use spray
adhesive and pad the splints themselves with felt or wool. With two
layers I don't feel much pain getting hit in the arm and I have taken
some pretty hard shots to the forearm before. There are plenty of
padding methods though. This is just what I do.
Also, I wear an arming coat of linen and point my arms to it to hold
the arm harness up. The straps on your arm harness are not meant to
keep your arms from sliding down. Pointing them to a garment is the
easiest way to keep them from sliding down all the time. Then you do
not have to strap your arm harness tightly. I also have spaulders
pointed to my arming jacket at the top of the shoulder. Here are some
pictures.

bending your leg, kneeling, etc, on both sides. Trace the back also
above the knee by an amount that won't interfere with the knee joint,
and also below your buttocks. The back will be shorter than the front.

The coat has leather squares sewn on 3 side with a pair of holes so
you can run the ties through the leather without having to put holes in
the coat. Anyhow, on to legs!
This section will be more abbreviated. The process is almost identical
to making arms. You can use the paper towel duct tape method, some
old fabric and duct tape, or a pair of old jeans, just not too loose
fitting.
Put on the old jeans or tape up for leg or whatever you're going to do.
Trace a pattern with the sharpie. You want the midline where you cut
the cuisse apart to be on the inside of your thigh for easy removal. The
cuisse should come up high on the hip, trace close to the groin but not
up too far, remember that when you raise your leg it will make
everything ride up a little. Mark above your knee but as with elbows
make it extend down far enough to attach the knee cop. Bend your leg
and mark where the cuisse will come up so it won't interfere with

Double check this, modify it if you need to. Look at it in the mirror
taped on you, this one is hard to get a sense of the back so use a mirror
to help. Take this and again transfer it to paper then label it. Make
your shell out of fabric or leather. Cut it out, sew it together etc. This
is a leather one. I used a 4oz leather. It doesn't need to be super thick
but you want it to be decent leather that isn't too thin or it will wear
out faster. 4 oz is a good weight I think because we are splinting it.
Heavier leather is overkill.

I wanted to paint a pattern on it, but I have also seen some interesting If you did something like that, now seal the leather post paint and
ones done that were tooled, or tooled and painted so do all that now whatnot. Time to pattern the splints. Same as before, use your shell
before you start attaching splints.
pattern to pattern your splints, leave some room between them.

Clean up the edges of the splints. Shape them the same way you did
the splints for your arms, mark and drill the holes the same way as
well. Check placement one last time before you start putting holes in
the shell. Rivet the splints on. Attach your knees. Now you have legs
and arms. I pad my legs the same as my arms with some felt glued in.

You're better off having them be a little too big and trim them than too
small. Cut them out, label them.

Now, everybody has their favorite method for suspending their legs. I
have always used a c belt, and now I use a similar fabric garment
called a lenardier which was researched by Ian la Spina, which I find
most comfortable.
A c belt differs from a regular belt in that it is C shaped, meaning it
has a curve to it, and makes a shallow cone when you wear it. It is
worn at the natural waist which is above your hip bones, at about the
same level as your belly button not where you wear your pants. This
one is out of the same 4 oz leather as the legs pictured. I made a
pattern by taping posterboard to myself and patterning out one half.

Mark and punch holes for the straps. Rivet them. I prefer more than
one rivet to add strength and extend the life of the strap.

It overlaps in the front. I glued felt to the inside for comfort. It has a
pair of buckles in the front. The parts on the sides that dip down are
on the side of the hips where the legs tie on. Make the belt part first.
Then put it on and use masking tape to figure out where the straps
should go but also how long the straps need to be. As always better
straps being too long than too short. Make the straps.

Put the belt on, put your leg harness on. See how they match up, Mark
holes and attach, either by ties or straps whatever your preference.

This is how the c belt should sit. My finger is in my belly button for
reference.

Another good project using these same techniques and materials is a

wisby coat of plates for body armor. You can also make some greaves
to match then glue on fabric or plastic. Here's some pics. I made the
greave pattern by looking on the internet for patterns for metal
greaves, then taped paper to my lower leg and traced out a rough
pattern before refining it. Then I cut the plastic out and shaped it, then
trimmed it where necessary. Covered in fabric/leather. Mine had some
decorative metal splints on the outside that were very light and didn't
really add any extra weight but were for looks. Without them they are
still a cool addition to your kit if you're leaning towards a 14th century
kit.
Shown next to my very first cuisse pattern that was ok but not as good
as the one I made for this tutorial.

Later, when I remade my arm and leg armor with the leather instead
of fabric shell I just took these apart and refinished them. Here is a
shot of the whole kit together. Under my surcoat is a hidden plastic
breastplate I made using an old orthopedic clamshell backbrace that I
trimmed and covered in fabric.

Later, I remade everything with black canvas and put together a

plastic corrazina. As you can see, it looks like historical armor, but it's
much more budget friendly if you're interested in putting a more
historical kit together but don't have much money. With a little elbow
grease you can make a good 14th century kit on a budget by making
this arm and leg armor with a matching coat of plates. Add a
greathelm or a simple bascinet, some simple shoulder/knee/elbow
cops and you're basically done.

The other option for hanging your legs is basically a fabric cone that
sits in the same spot as the c belt and buckles or laces closed in the
front. You could armor it with little hidden plates to protect the hips
better if you wanted which is sometimes a hard spot to cover. Here is
the prototype one I made. It is an outer shell of red canvas with an
inner shell of linen. Look here for more instructions and information.
http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?
f=16&t=173292&hilit=Leg%20suspension
It's so far my favorite solution. I started with a weight belt, added
suspenders, still hated it made a c belt, which was much better but I
like the lenardier the best.
If you have any questions I am happy to help however I can. You can
find me on facebook or shoot me an email at
amandabmichaels@gmail.com
Happy armoring!