Vambraces!!

[Nick the DSM]

how did you make those?! ya gotta tell me!

[Donnie]

Awsome vambraces. I really like the knots!

[Baysideboy]

Great job! Question: what's the difference between a vambrace and a gauntlet?

[druid]

Good choice not to boild the dyed leather. I have never heard of ModPodge but that sounds like an interesting method of hardenining leather. Just curious and forgive me if I have missed this in another post, but what level of paintball do you play?

ModPodge is found in the arts and crafts section of WalMart. Basically, it's a water-based, dries clear glue/sealing coat. It smells just like Elmer's glue and you apply it with a brush or sponge.
I've been playing paintball since 1986. In the beginning I played recball, now called "renegade." Basically, on some one's private property. My first marker (and I still have the set up) is a PMI 68 Magnum pump with an AGD 6-Pack. In 1999/2000 I started to get into tournament play. After a few years of this, I got sickened at the level of cheating amongst the players and teams so I quit the tourney scene and went back to recball. There's a few commercial fields around me and have been playing them for years as a "walk-on." The resurgence of MilSim and large scenario games are all I play now (at the commercial fields) like the Battle of Berlin, Stalingrad and Invasion of Normandy games...CastleQuest games at another field and so forth. One thing I should probably mention is that one of my coworkers owns 80 acres of farmland and the 20-or-so that border the area is all hardwoods. It's a tract about 80 yards wide and it runs the border of the property. We created quite a field in there.

how did you make those?! ya gotta tell me!

Well, alright!! lol...
First I measured the length and circumference of my forearm and then cut thin cardboard to make a pattern/trace (the cardboard being a US Priority mail envelope...heavy paper stock really). I then taped that to my arm and used a Sharpie to make the perimeter lines of the brace. Removed that from my arm and shaped/cleaned it up with a scissors. Using that as a pattern, I traced it onto the black leather and cut them out.

Then I created the accent pieces in the same cardboard, colored them with pencil to show what they might look like when together. I liked the brown contrasting the black so I cut the accents out using the tracings as a guide.

The Triquetras were the challenging pieces. I tried to do them by hand but I couldn't get the arcs correct. What I did was go to my computer and googled a simple image and copied/saved it to my desktop and then used MS Paint to enlarge it. Printed that out on the heavy paper stock and cut it out and used it to trace onto the leather. Using a thin X-Acto blade (the chisel tip), I cut the Triquetras 1mm at a time.

Then I used Upholstery-grade leather as padding against my arm. I used the outer black pieces as my guide and made 4 "liners" - 2 for each Brace.

Now knowing that if I sewed the Triquetras to flat leather...and then bending it into the Brace, would stress the Triquetra leather and give it a "cracked" look (that I didn't want). So I took the lining leather and ran a glue line down the center from wrist to elbow...and then an intersecting line the circumference of the leather. I placed the liner on my arm and then the visible brace on top and shaped it around my arm until the glue dried (I repeated the step for the second layer of lining).

After that layer dried, I added the brown accent pieces fore and aft with a thin line of glue. After this dried I began to sew. Starting on the wrist end, you start in the center of the Brace (where your watch dial sets) and work to the outer corners. Then I went to the elbow end and did the same thing, again starting in the middle and working outward. What this does is keep the arc intact. When the ends are stitched, trim excess leather or "clean it up" with an X-Acto knife.

After this I added the Triquetras by centering them as best I could "eyeball" and add a dot of glue to each of the three petals and a few at the intersecting lines. Once the glue dried, I used a "tack" stitch on each petal tip and then sewed them in a constant line around the knot.

The next thing I did was to stitch up the sides of the Brace to hold all the layers together but I waited until last because I wanted the Triquetras' stitching to hold the center of the Brace layers together. After I stitched the sides, I used the hole punch to make the lace eyes. I also used black 4mm eyelets on the leather eyelets so prevent damage to the leather eyelet.

The last thing was the ModPodge. It paints on kind of thick but that's ok. I used a painting sponge and it goes on fairly evenly. Once dried, it gives a shiny/matte look to it but most of all it protects and seals the leather from paintball stains and impacts.

Awsome vambraces. I really like the knots!

Thank you sir.

Greaves protect the shins; vambraces protect the forearm.

And Druid, these are very nice. excellent work.

Yep and thank you sir.

Great work, even stitching, nice cutting work. Nothing like seeing a good handmade leather item. Keep us posted on your next project.

Thanks. The stitching was all "eyeballed" as far as the distance between the punctures goes...but I did make light "witness marks" for a line to follow on the leather. It was a bit difficult to sew these...all in total, it's like trying to sew through a horse saddle. All the layers together made it like 30 pound weight material...lol.

They're cool. Congrats. I'll be receiving my Multicam paintball kilt tomorrow with a few innovations including ability for a thigh holster stay tuned for that if you're interested.

That sounds intriguing! I'm wondering how they plan on making an allowance for the thigh holster...holes in the Kilt for the leg straps??

Great job! Question: what's the difference between a vambrace and a gauntlet?

Thanks.
The glove is the difference.
Gauntlets are conical collars connected to the wrist of a glove but the collars are not [necessarily] form-fit to the user's forearm. They are kind of loose towards the elbow because they were designed to keep dust out of a long sleeve of a tunic or shirt.
Vambraces only cover the forearm and are laced (or some will use snaps) to keep the Brace tight to the user's forearm.

[SFCRick]

nice work

[Nick the DSM]

cool. thanks man.

[druid]

Well, here's a small preview of the Greaves. They aren't quite finished yet, I have to line them with soft leather and then decide on the method of attachment to my shin/calf...straps with buckles or heavy duty elastic like you would find on Dye-styled knee pads. Finally, ModPodge them to protect the leather.
Knee-end:

Ankle-end:

Triquetras to match the Braces:


Overall:

[druid]

Here is the current state of the Greaves: Update. At work we were clearing out some old SRT gear for the new equipment and I took the old body armor carriers and cut the side panels off them. The reason is, it's a foam infused, athletic mesh that's very breathable, flexible and above all...durable.

I used the mesh as lining for the Greaves so it doesn't chaff my shins. I have one more line to sew on the one but I have to get more sinew before I can do that. I also added 2" elastic webbing to the top and bottom and my leg slips right it. I will add the center elastic straps as soon as I get the sinew. The 2 elastic bands has withstood my running around the back yard for abot 20 minutes doing all kinds of goofy stuff. I bet my neighbors were thinking I dipped into the "evidence room" for some 'recreational party favors'...lmao!

I plan on getting brass buckles and adding straps to where the elastic is placed. The straps/buckles will go right where the elastic straps are, and on top of them because that will keep the buckles off my skin.

[druid]

Well, I finally got to wear these in a game. I waited almost a month so the ModPodge could cure hard enough. People, these were 1000x's their weight in GOLD. They were soft and supple to wear, weren't binding or uncomfortable in any manner. I took shots to the Braces in 2 games and the finish didn't crack (as I thought it might) and the oily paint wiped right off with a damp cloth. The Greaves took a tougher beating in that there are briar/thorn hazards all over the field, as well as my kneeling behind bunkers and barriers. They got muddied and a, the finish remained intact.

Here are pics while in-play....

[Nick the DSM]

now that is awesome!! paintball looks so fun with a kilt.