Materials
■Sheet metal- The best choice for sheet metal is cold rolled mild steel because it is cheap, relatively easy to work, and approximates the
material used in actual medieval helmets of this type. You can purchase small sheets of sheet metal at large home improvement stores but it is much
cheaper to buy directly from a steel supplier (check the yellow pages). You can also buy sheet metal from scrap yards or possibly get scrap pieces
from fabrication shops. I would recommend that you make the helmet from 16 gauge or 18 gauge cold rolled mild steel so the metal is easy to work with.
■Rivets- The best place to buy rivets are from suppliers online if you desire an authentic look. I purchase my rivets from R.J. Leahy.
Alternatively you can use nails trimmed down to complete your helmet. If you decide to purchase actual rivets I would recommend steel round headed
rivets, 3/16” diameter and 5/16″ long.
■Bolts- You’ll need these to temporarily fasten your helmet together during construction. Get them in the same diameter as your rivets.
Tools
There are a number of tools that you’ll need in order to complete this helmet.
■Cutting tool- This is necessary for cutting the patterns out of the sheet metal. I personally use a throatless shear that I purchased from
Harbor Freight for around $90. A jigsaw with a metal cutting blade is also a good alternative. If you’re using thin sheet metal a pair of good tin
snips could also work as well but I would advise this as a last resort.
■Drill- You’ll need a drill to drill the holes for the rivets. Nothing special is necessary here. You’ll also need a 3/16” drill bit if you’re
using standard rivets to attach the plates together.
■Hammers- You will need a ball-peen hammer to hammer the rivets that attach the helmet together. You will also need a hammer to bend down the
top of the helmet. The ball-peen hammer would suffice for this as well. If you’re using steel thicker than 18 gauge you might need a hammer for
bending the steel around the pipe. A dead blow or similar soft-faced mallet would be best for this so you don’t mar the surface of the steel.
■Curving forms- In order to shape the upper and lower plates of the helmet you will need a cylindrical object to form them around. This is
preferably a 5” diameter steel pipe.
■Files/angle grinder- These are necessary for finishing the edges of the plates after cutting them out of steel. An angle grinder with a flap
disk is preferable for this operation but a file would work as well, just more slowly.
■Anvil- Don’t worry if you don’t have access to an actual anvil. This is really only necessary to use as a backing when setting the rivets. As
such, any heavy piece of steel will work like a piece of I-beam, railroad track or a heavy sledgehammer head placed on the ground or clamped in a
vice.
■Finishing supplies- You’ll need these to finish the surface on the helmet in the final stage. You can hand sand with sandpaper progressively
working your way up to higher grits. You could alternatively use a Scotch-Brite pad with WD-40 to get a nice satin finish. My preference is to use an
angle grinder with a cup wire wheel.
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