Basic Armor Maintenance
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Hi guys, I frequently get asked how I keep my armor in good condition. My feeling on the matter is that the key to this is basic preventative maintenance and immediate treatment of armor after use or when spots pop up. The longer you leave problems unaddressed, the more difficult those problem become to take care of.
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I'm a relatively new reenactor and have recently placed an order on my first set of plate. I really appreciate videos like this that help the new guys out. Thank you so much for your time.
I'd love to see a video on historic armour maintenance.
Fantastic I was waiting for something like this :D Will you do one about mail too?
+Metatron I was just about to ask that! I have a hauberk, and I know one day it is going to get rust on it. I'm not entirely sure how to clean it efficiently. All I figure is that I would scrub scrub scrub as if it was a solid plate.
+Hunter Findon I don't have any original text references but I read somewhere that the squires would put the knight's mail in a leather sack with some oil and then seal it and toss the sack back and forth between them. That way the rings themselves will do the grinding against each other and remove surface rust. So it's physical exercise, chores and some fun all in one.
Henrik Gyllkrans That's pretty ingenious. Now if only I can talk my brother into playing catch with a sealed leather sack of mail...
+Metatron The video he uploaded BEFORE THIS ONE was about MAIL maintenance. Are you subscribed? Ian also posted his uploads notifying on his Facebook & now website.
+klyana130 The mail maintenance video came out last week at the requests of people in this video (ua-cam.com/video/y2Y75iDuUZA/v-deo.html).
I do not know anything about armour, but when I was in the 101st we went to Panama. CLP Breakfree did not work, RIG did not work, WD-40, sprayed on 2 or 3 times a day worked against rust. Orange coating would start on rifles in about 3-4 hours. It was the "dry" season, so it rained about 5 times a day, and under the canopy (in the jungle) the humidity was about 100% all the time. This was just my experience. Great video & love your channel, Dante.
Fluid Film is much superior to CLP. It does not evaporate like petroleum-based products. It will wash off eventually under heavy rain though.
This is fascinating. Armour needs maintainence and it was expensive in its time. Usually a squire would this on a daily basis. Fine sand could clean both plate and mail. Plate would then be buffed and dried with a soft cloth. Oil is never applied to a dirty surface.
There are tons of "medieval stuff" channels out there, but as i guess less then 10 i found so far that actually contains real useful stuff, but Your (and Metatron) is one of them now i more frekvently will return to.
As a relatively new and aspirant man at arms living in a tropical and very humid climate I find lanolin is my best friend. Buy a spray can and give the armour a good coating after use. Polish dry before use and after polishing and it'll keep a good waxy covering that is water resistant, but I like to spray it again afterwards(I practically douse it in the stuff, because a can of lanolin is like $15 from my local hardware and it can't harm the leatherwork), it will stay greasy/waxy on the surface for a long time. I used this on my kreigsmeser and it has worked better than any other product I'd previously tried(With the lanolin it is a matter of cleaning off dust rather than rust which is a state of affairs I quite like). When polishing I I use a moto-cycle polish and rag(generally an old cotton work shirt or pants), if its bad I'll reach for the steel wool.
Have you ever tried "obenauf's leather protector". It increases the life span of leather exponentially. It's a favorite among wildland fire fighters, for their boots especially. It doesn't only protect, though. It re-moisturizes the leather. It's a pretty cool product.
My friend gave me crusader armor for my 15th birthday this is helpful
This is the video I have been looking for!
Thank you so much for all your helpful and informative videos.
I have been using the same method of cleaning/maintenance for all of my steel bits and it works very well. Admittedly, it does take some getting used to in terms of time efficiency and getting that oil into every nook and cranny.
As far as solvents and lubricants, what would they have used back in the day? Vegetable oils? Animal fats? Beeswax?
+John Harvey I will try to do a video on this in the future, but simple natural oils, beeswax, abrasives like salt or sand etc can be used to similar effect.
+John Harvey Club I go to uses linen oil
+Again, again, again Stale urine was used for bleaching, but I don't know about corrosion removal/resistance.
I use a beeswax polish for both the metal and leather. there is a veideo on my channel on how to make this polish yourself.
+Knyght Errant How does CLP work for swords?
You should film your experience at these events you go to. Like, place a go-pro on top of your helm or somethin'! :D
+Hunter Findon I share the photos on my facebook site, but a lot of these events have strict historical regulations that would preclude something like wearing a camera outside of designated times or when in the 'historical camps.'
+Knyght Errant That's a darn shame. I'll take a look at the pictures though! Thanks!
great timing, I have been putting together some videos on how to fix a really rusted sword! Though the sword I am fixing is VERY BADLY RUSTED so I am using power tools 😉
Thanks for the video!
I'm very curious to have your opinion on floor waxes, blacksmith's goop (bee's wax with linseed oil and turpentine), vegetable oil and mineral oil.
Last month I started to make videos teaching about armor maintenance and your video helps illustrate one of the methods. Since I still don't have one single best method, I showed different methods and talked about what rust is and what kind of thing should be done. And having your opinion on the different methods would help a bunch!
Thanks!
Thank you for such an articulate and well explained video as always! I had recently thought you quit making videos, but saw this new burst of information and i'm glad you're still with us!
i found that balistol works wonder at this, cleans and protects steel, leather and woods, and it is non-toxic, which is nice. the drawback is that it reacts with coper, and corrodes it slightly (bronze, too). also, as far as abrasive goes, ashes work very well for the lighter work, gives a nice finish
Fluid Film is safe for copper as far as I know.
I would also recommend to give a go to "Coyote - Konkor" if available in your countries. It conserves the surface of armour effectively leaving visible film on it. It might tend to catch some dust if there is too much oil but if dosed properly it keeps your armour parts safe from corrosion when stored.
rusty armor looks awesome!
Would you consider at some point covering how armor and weapons might be maintained historically?
Thanks for the great vids.
I prefer Ballistol. You should habe a look on this product. It's natural, skin friendly, long staying on the armor, saves for rust without hartening. Yeah you can even drink this without health problems.
I think Ballistol smells terrible. I've switched to Fluid Flim, which is non-toxic also.
I prefer CorrosionX to CLP. I used CLP in the Marine Corps, and it's a fine product, but after getting out, a friend turned me onto CorrosionX. I find that it does a better job of cleaning my guns (and presumably other things as well), which tend to get quite filthy between cleanings, as I have not adhered to the Marine Corps' standards of weapons maintenance since getting out. I think it's somewhat similar to cLP, it has the same smell, but I've used to to clean some monumentally filthy guns a lot quicker than I could with CLP.
I'll give you a hint. There's a product called Ballistol. It's made in germany and in use over a hundred years. It's totally kind to one's skin and environment friendly. It protects, maintains and lubricates together. You can use it for nearly everything. For cars, for leather, in the garden, products in contact with animals, household and weapons. It's 100% recycling. No matter if you use it for chrome, aluminium, rubber goods or synthetical materials. It cleans, preserves. Yeah I even use it for my car to prevent the locks freezing. (Its an old car, I know) Yeah you can even drink Balistol without health problems. And the best it won't gum up. If you don't use it, the oil can be storaged and used again after 20 years with the same vharacteristics. So give it a try. You won't regret it. It's not even expensive.
Fluid Film is non-toxic like Ballistol, but is a better corrosion inhibitor. It can be used on leather too.
I don't even own a harness yet and I've had nightmares about plate rusting over.
Perhaps I will rest easy now, thank you.
Prithee, gette me mine squiar! I greue wærie of thyse loueli acte!
Great video though! Thanks for the pointers!!!
In the kitchen, I have found that the Scotch-Brite Delicate Care scrub sponges (pink color) won't scratch stainless cookware. The green Scotch-Brite sponges do scratch stainless cookware. (I have no idea what the hardness on the Rockwell scale of my pots and pans are.)
Si , con aceite mineral y talco para proteger el acero tanto la armadura y las espada de la humedad y la corrosión, ya que el armero que me hizo mi armadura y espadas me recomendó aceite mineral y talco y me ha conservado lo mio bien
What do you use for chainmail? Like especially the fabric lined aventails? Also how do you store your armor? Do you have a stand or some special boxes?
I love these videos and I always find them fascinating! Keep up the great work!
+TheWiseGuyzz Most of it normally sits in a plastic tub with the lid off in an air-conditioned room with some dessicant in it. Some pieces sit on display (like the helmet and gauntlets you see behind me, they're always there).
So for people who train weekly in armour, they should do this every week ? Not just clean it well once a month, and further then that just oil it up ? Also, i found it really helpfull to put my gloves and helmet in linen bags when I'm sleeping in a tent, it seems to me that really helps vs the condensation problem.Thanks for the video, i'm going to send some people here ^^
+EZroadkill You could probably get away with some spot touch-ups and a quick wipe-down followed by a re-application of oil. If you notice surface rust though, it's really best to take care of it right then. If you use it, and there's no rust, I'd still wipe it down with an oily rag.
EVERY GOD DAMN TIME
Fluid Film works a lot better than CLP as a corrosion inhibitor, plus it's non-toxic and can be used safely in an enclosed area.
I've never had a spot of rust after CLP application in storage or on display (on armor or my firearms). I also like that I can use CLP as a cleaner so I don't have to use multiple products. It's nice to only have to take 1 product with me in the field. CLP can be harmful if ingested. Fluid film is a great product too. People should use what they like best.
Thanks for your reply. I agree that CLP (and many other products) are perfectly fine if you don't live in a humid environment, don't live near the ocean, and you do regular maintenance. Where I live though, fighting rust is a constant battle, and Fluid Film is the best non-toxic product that I have found. It works great in locks too and is reasonably priced. I use MPro 7 for other lubrication. I haven't tried Frog Lube.
By the way, definitely never, ever use olive oil. I damaged a lot of equipment with that experiment. :-o It turns gummy and corrosive after a few years as it oxidizes.
Did you ever make a video for care for the leather straps and replacing them?
Hey Ian, I have a couple of questions about metals. Not sure how well you can answer.
In several of your videos you've referenced the Tower of London Inventory phd and I've been reading it myself. One thing I noticed is that both iron and steel items make regular appearances. I was under the impression that steel was superior to iron and that by the 1300s they'd pretty much mastered steel production and it was used for all armour purposes but evidently that is not the case. Could you tell me what (if any) advantages there might be to using iron over steel?
I'm also finding it difficult to find information on metal production during medieval period. Plenty about ancient bronze and iron methods but not much in the time period your channel focuses on. Any good sources on that you know of?
Thanks for any answers you can offer. Found your channel two days ago and I've just finished watching every one of your videos. I've learned a lot. Your content is excellent.
+Lukas Walmsley The definitive book on metallurgy during the Middle Ages is the book "The Knight and the Blast Furnace" by Alan Williams. It's out of print but I think it can be found on Google Books and possibly other places electronically (an out of print hard copy goes for way too much money).
Anyway, while steel was well known by the 1300s, and by the end of the century the ability to manufacture large enough plates to support full plate harnesses was in full swing, their knowledge of metallurgy wasn't as refined as ours. For example, even though by the 14th century, the more advanced armor manufacturing centers began to understand that you could harden steel, they didn't seem to understand the metallurgy behind it or at least didn't have processes refined enough to really control carbon content in steels. We know this because there is evidence of attempted hardenings on various pieces of armor that were made from pure iron (which cannot be hardened). With a carbon content less than 0.3% you can't harden steel via heat treat / quenching, much less pure iron which is by definition 0.0% carbon, but they tried anyway. We also see armors with the opposite problem, where they hardened them so much or had such high carbon content that they would crack from being brittle if they were ever struck. So either they didn't really understand what material they had all the time, or they didn't understand the metallurgical requirements for hardening.
By the mid to late 15th century, the numbers of hardened armors goes way up compared to the 14th century samples so they got much better at it over the course of time. Even then, we have examples of armors in the 15th century that are still made from iron (the Churburg S18 armet comes to mind). I don't necessarily think they were choosing iron *over* steel, but either had what they had available at the time or didn't always know what they had. Someone might argue that the softness of iron might be desirable as armor because it deforms instead of breaks, but good heat-treated steel became common on high end armors for a reason :)
Id really appreciate a video on maintaining mail, unless you suggest a similar method? I feel like it might be a bit futile to scrub each link?
Have you ever tried using Renaissance Wax for preventing rust? I've found that it lasts a lot longer than just oil does.
+Vesrox Good oil lasts indefinitely. I have a tin of ren wax from years ago, still unopened because I've never needed it.
Good oil absolutely does not last indefinitely. It evaporates, and if you live in a humid environment, your steel will rust. I know this from firsthand experience. Heavy grease such as wheel bearing grease will last an extremely long time, but it's nasty to deal with. That's why I suggest Fluid Film.
I basically use WD40, I never noticed it evaporating too quickly but that's pobably because I'm too liberal with the ammount. It does tend to collect dust and make a paste of it if it collects too much (especially if you exhibit some of the armor parts in a shelf like me instead of storing them), but I much rather that than rust, I can just swipe the dirt off with a cloth (it's more of a trouble with firearms since they have moving parts and tiny spaces and you really don't want that). The most abrasive I usually have to use with this method is a toothbrush, by not letting collect much rust in the first place that is. I don't know, perhaps I'm just too paranoid about rust, but I prefer too much DW40 than too little, I can always clean the excess and any dust it migth collect with just a cloth.
WD40 will leave a dull gray-green finish after about a year.
+Michael Ramey What other simmilar product would you recomend that doesn't do that? Mind I live in Argentina, so there may be different products available, but still, to have a reference.
ballistol works wonder, but keep it away from coper based materials. other than that it's awesome on steel and leather, and it's nice for woods too
WD40 (or basically any petroleum-based oil) is fine for short-term, frequent applications. But if you need to protect something long-term, I suggest Fluid Film, which does not evaporate.
I use renaissance wax on most of my blades.
Can you give an estimate of how much time daily maintenance would take if you were marching through the European countryside, and how much having painted or otherwise treated the armor might reduce that?
+Nathan Brown I imagine it's a before bed time thing for your servants to do. Also knights ride horses.
Al C Armor isn't just used by knights. Professional infantry also used full plate in the late medieval period.
How was this type of armor cleaned historically?
+ARR0WMANC3R I will try to do a video on this in the future to give it the time it's due, but simple natural oils, beeswax, abrasives like salt or sand etc can be used to similar effect.
Love your videos!
But I got a question...
How do you maintenance your maille? How do you remove rust on your maille?
Are you by any chance well knowledged with medieval weapons, if so is it possible to do a video on how crossbows were fired during the medieval period
good and informative. The other guy is just advocating light vinegar and water
Ah thank you for linking the clp and scotchbrite in the description that's extremely helpful i recently bought a Templar helmet and want to learn how to maintain it, how often would you say should it be cleaned? Every time it's worn or every week or month what's the time frame?
CLP will leave a protective film on your steel indefinitely, so if it's not being used you can just leave it alone. I only re-oil my armor if I've been handling it a lot (or the public was handling it a lot at a show). I've gone over a year on pieces that have just sat on a shelf without much handling, and they're fine in an air conditioned space without much humidity. If there's any rust after an event, I'll use the scrubby with some CLP and then wipe it down with a clean rag that has CLP on it. If the armor is just a little dirty or has finger prints all over it but no actual rust, then I don't use the scrubby at all, just wipe it down with your CLP rag and it should be fine.
@@KnyghtErrant ok thank you so much for the help, I appreciate it I'll be sure to come to you for any future armor info
CLP and a skivvy shirt... you were in the Marines, huh?
I was once recommended Rem Oil for cleaning my carbon steel knives. How would you compare CLP to Rem Oil, is it worth the upgrade?
To the best of my knowledge, remington oil is not a solvent, so it will not dissolve rust, just protect your finish from future rust,. If abrasion alone isn't getting corrosion off you will need a separate solvent for corrosion removal. CLP is a mild solvent in addition to preventative, it's an all-in-one product.
Interesting, thanks!
How do you clean brigandine armour? The fabric or leather covers the outer side of the plates
This took the shine off of my Steele how do I get that shin back
you would need to progress through finer and finer grits until you achieve the level of shine you're after
I mostly just olie my armor into oblivian and store it in olie coverd plastic bags. As long as you keep the bags olied up and closed of it doesn't rust at all. Don't put it back in the bags dirty though, always clean your sh*t first.
Stupid question here. I know swords require simmilar kind of maintenance to this, but I always wondered about maces and axes. The axes do have an edge to retain, so I suppose they did require oiling and taking rust away, but maces whether rusted or not will still hit you with blunt force. So, were axes and maces just as maintenance heavy as swords and armours?
+melchaios I would argue that maintenance of blunt weapons is of equal importance, since corrosion of metal is a destructive process that compromises the structural integrity of the weapon itself, to the point where the weapon may actually break, snap or in some way become unusable. But yes, maintaining a sharp edge would probably require more work than just keeping a mace, hammer or other blunt weapon from falling apart. Just my two cents.
My harness has a blackened effect.
Is there a best way to clean armour like this without taking all of the finish off?
After I scrub it down, the surface gets a bit dull with visible marks. How do I make it shiny again?
This might be really stupid but is protecting brigandines any different?
usually the inside of the brigandine is sprayed like this piece in the video, the outside plates are covered with cloth so don't need maintenance
Brigandine plates historically were tinned so no need to worry. Modern makers sometimes use paint or just galvanised steel, but quality ones are still tinned. They'd be a bitch to polish. A bit of upholstery cleaner does well if the outside is wool. If the outside is leather or velvet, it'll be ripped to shreds long before it has time to get dirty.
I am not well versed in recreated armor sets like this, my question is however why not make such a reproduction set of armor out of stainless? unlike in swords and stuff of that nature the inherent to stainless [like unnecessary hardness] becomes less apparent, and when dull the Chromium added to the steel to make it stainless is not so apparent.....also if stainless is not the case why not more resilient modern steels, the higher alloys and such, the only disadvantage is those metals are not easy to work by hand due to their structure.
i am in no way an expert, but I think stainless steel doesn't like tempering very much. and without tempering you'd need a thicker armor to prevent it from bending all the time.
This is an old video but towards the end you brought up something I've been wondering. So while all historical metals will rust if not maintained, wasn't there a precedent for some warriors to paint their armor black to prevent rust? Does that actually work?
Yes, there's evidence for painting armor. The exact frequency is up for debate, and there are definitely times where the typical fashion dictated unpainted, brightly polished armor instead. Some surviving pieces still retain original paint (often a linseed oil based paint). And yes, paint definitely helps prevent corrosion.
How long will it stay on the armor? Indefinitely? until scraped off in battle by hits? Or do we need to reapply it every few weeks?
Now I got a set of pauldrons that are large and articulated using rivets. Im trying to work my way inside of the articulation but i cannot fully get the rust and now you can see rust circles around rivets and hard to reach places, are there any recommended tools or ways you can stop this? I also have this problem around rivets for leather straps on the breastplate.
Have you ever polished and buffed it to a high sheen, just to see what it would look like? Maybe you can blind your opponent with reflected light? ;-)
How do you clean the areas under the lames and in the tight parts of the joints? Also, is the bluing enough to protect the inside of the plates?
+pscwplb If I see rust on the inside of the plates, I clean them just like the outside. For under lames I try to feed the scrubby pad through the gap (sometimes you will need to trim it down to size) and floss it through the gap a bit and then do the same thing with the oily rag at the end.
How often do you clean the armor if you aren’t using it that often just displaying it and wearing it occasionally?
I almost never clean it if it's just in storage or on display. The oil I use stays on the surface indefinitely. If I handle the armor a lot or wear it, I will wipe it down and re-oil it, and use the scrubby only if there's something stubborn on it.
You mentioned that you don't use stainless steel because it is not historically accurate. I've heard that stainless steel is weaker than many spring steels, but I'm not entirely sure. Would you know by chance?
Stainless steels represent a wide variety of steel alloys that contain some percentage of chromium and other elements, depending on the series, and they all have very different properties, so it's not like there is one 'stainless steel' that can be compared to spring steels. That being said, some varieties of stainless can be heat treated just like their spring steel cousins through quenching and tempering and can make perfectly adequate armor. Other varieties can only be work hardened. One reason some people think that stainless steel is weaker is probably because of the low-end sword industry. A lot of cheap swords that they sell in catalogs and online have blades made from brittle stainless steel that have not been properly heat treated. They tend to break very easily when someone tries to use them. They're really only intended to hang on a wall and require no maintenance. The cheap sword market is flooded with swords like that which has lead many people to think that _all_ stainless steels are junk, which just isn't true, but another difference is that the metallurgical properties desired in a sword vs armor are also very different. As far as historical accuracy goes though, stainless steel wasn't invented until well after the medieval period, and usually due to the presence of chromium looks a lot whiter than carbon steels which gives it away visually.
Knyght Errant Thank you for your time! This clears up my misinformation perfectly. Love the vids!
I think i'm going to paint the inside of my armor to prevent rust. But if you didn't paint it and put the CLP on the inside, would it protect it from your sweat? Or would it still rust anyway.
Use a layer of pot-15 on the inside
What would've been the most usual finish for late medieval armor? Satin finish or a more mirror like polish?
+Immopimmo Polishing armors bright is a very labor intensive process. Toby Capwell mentions accounts of high end armors with costs where more than 50% of the purchase price was the polishing of the armor to final brightness. So very highly polished armors and decorated armors are more the domain of those who could afford them. A lot of lower end armors have a far duller finish and some are simply painted.
+Knyght Errant Thanks for the information. Makes a lot of sense. :)
To what degree does blackening one's armor, if at all, prevent corrosion? I am under the impression that it helps but I don't know exactly how.
+Jack Kardic, If you don't mind, what exactly was the process back then? I have only seen one demonstration of how to blacken armor that involved a modern blowtorch. I assume the original process was similar but I am not sure.
+IanTheRed It depends on what you mean by 'back then.' There's really not much evidence for 'blackening' armor pre-15th century.
That pads use tungsten carbide as an abrasive.
That makes a totally different surface (duller) than softer abrasives like Vienna Lime, Tripoli ore Pumice.
I thing that a stone like this is much more historically correct.www.kremer-pigmente.com/en/fillers-und-building-materials/polishing-powders/pumice-stone--medium-599913.html
Would you happen to have any period-correct method of armour maintenance? I am aware of sand-filled barrels and boxes for maille maintenance, but there's tons and tons of different methods recorded for maintaining armour plate, but I'm quite conservative in testing any of those methods on the few expensive pieces I posess.
Any experience, or perhaps subject for future research?
Thanks for the Video. Its just in time since I got a "new" helmet here. Are those pads the same you can buy to clean pans or your oven? It would be nice if you can explain more about the products you are using because that would make it easier to find an alternative if somebody sits on the other side of the world and has a limited access to the particular product you are recommending. You did that well with the oil.
Didn't they glue sand to cloth with hide glue to make sandpaper?
Anybody an idea how to clean a bag of rusty scales? I think about fine sand or sandblasting glass and oil in a concrete mixer. Any idea about the result?
+Nighti88 There are links in the description and the product number was on the box.
for your scales issue, I've seen gunsmith put rusty parts in a vibrating box with ceramic beads, your idea seem like the next best thing, but I can't say for sure
What do you think about putting paint on the inside of the armour to avoid having to clean the inside?
+The Lightning American I've had some pieces that are painted on the inside and it works great.
I received "project" armour recently that I intend to reshape a little with the help of a metalworker, and I noticed that whatever paint the last person used seems to be chipping off. Do you think that, with wear and tear that is supposed to happen, or perhaps they used a low-quality paint?
I don't know if there is a specific kind of paint I should be using, but I assume the kind that is good for steel. Mild steel, not stainless. If you have any insight on that, I would appreciate it.
Also thanks for such a swift response
If you’re not using the armor regularly, how often should you clean and reapply the oil?
If you use a good oil, the armor can be stored indefinitely without reapplication unless it's being exposed to a lot of humidity on a regular basis.
Knyght Errant Thank you for the reply!
Where can we see the illustrations you used for the video vignette, what is the source of these guys furbishing armor?
What about maintaining the inner parts of the armor?
+GhostOfTheNorthWind If the inside of the armor is not protected in any way then the same process will work just fine.
+Knyght Errant What seem to have been the protection on armor interiors, then? Leaving a forge black finish, and/or some pitch/beeswax?
I've read that brigandine plates were tinned, was it so for other pieces too?
+Knyght Errant Is it historically accurate for the insides of the armor to be protected?
Would polishing your armor enough actually make it too thin?
+Douglas Fulmer No, even though polishing does remove material, we're talking about microscopic amounts of steel being removed at a time. It would take you far longer than the working life of the armor to appreciably thin it out without taking it to a grinder or something like that.
Knyght Errant Ok, thanks for your input! I say this because most of my experience with finely crafted metal objects comes from firearms, where you can "screw shit up" if you change tolerances from polishing.
Hello KE, can you make a movie about cleaning and protecting chainmail, please ?
is any oil not ok for armor?
Hey Ian, once you've finished polishing it, have you tried using a ren wax on it to keep the rust and water off instead of a final coat of oil?
+TlantMagnus I have an 3 year old unopened can of ren wax. Never tried it because I've never had need for it. I may just give it a shot to do a comparison one day.
Wax can work on flat surfaces, but on mail, it wouldn't be useful.
what do u think about painting the inner side of the plates?
Do you use CLP with your arms? Like swords?
Yes
I know it's been a long time since this was posted, however, I was oiling my armor and once I got to the part where you oil with the clean rag black residue kept appearing on the rag, is this normal or do I need to clean more in the previous steps?
If the rag is still really black after wiping, you'll want to keep cleaning it. If it's just a little bit, it's really no big deal. You don't need to get it so clean that the rag comes off spotless.
Bought the exact same pads and CLP you use to try out after watching this... I'm finding the pads leave a scratchy finish similar to about 400 grit, even without much pressure. I like the satin look, but yours doesn't show obvious surface scratches in the light. Anything I'm missing or is your spring steel just harder to scratch than mild?
I'm sure the hardness of the steel plays a part. I don't go particularly easy on my armor when I scrub it with the pad, but through a camera, lighting and oil make the armor look a lot shinier than it is in real life.
Yeah I do like the clean satin finish, but I doubted you had a scratchy finish :) I guess you prefer the results than the traditional autosol?
Will this also work with Blackened armor as well, or will it harm the blackened finish?
You would polish off the finish in most cases. The blackening treatment itself is preventing corrosion, so if the armor is rusting it's likely because the blackening is wearing off.
@@KnyghtErrant You have my thanks. I just got my armor and have been scouring the web for answers also I love your website. Again thank you for the answer.
Historically, I would bet they would use olive oil or some other oil to do the same thing as the CLP. Instead of the fine scotch brite they would probably use just sand and water.
Nice intro! (Don't think I've seen this before, correct me if I'm wrong)
+Andy Beasto it was before too
Alexandros grivas Oh right, must have missed it, thanks anyway.
Andy Beasto no prob
I don't waste so much time. I just use bee wax (which, by the way, is an historical accurate product) and cloth. Noting more, and my armor parts are just like new (except for dents)
+Bazuzeus Yeah, I watched a blacksmith basically rustproofing a fork while rubbing while the fork was still hot from the forge in a layer of bees wax while is was cooling down, creating a slippery, filmy layer above the metal. Pretty cool stuff
Anyone know a rust remover that doesn't have any lubricant? I have a helmet with a very loose pin.
White vinegar.
Does this Work on Carbon steel too?
My armor _is_ a medium carbon steel.
@@KnyghtErrant thanks pal! Glad you respond, Just got my first crusade helmet and planning on wearing in school
Why not use stainless steel to make the armor? It's too difficult to work with it, or is not appropiate for some reason?
Historically it would be inappropriate. It's more of a 19th century discovery. Some people do make and wear armor from stainless steels, but that's purely for modern convenience. A lot of living history groups and re-encatment groups explicitly prohibit its use because it's usually visually obvious, so for educational purposes it can give the wrong impression.
Thanks for the answer. I have never seen a standard vs stainless metal armor to have an idea of the difference, but i suppose that stainless steel will tend to look more "mirrorly", right?
Did the tech exist at the time to make stainless steel? If so that would make a great material for elites to use in Fantasy settings.
Mike Mac, Knyght Errant said that stainless steel is from the 19 century, so it definitely wasn't available at the medieval period.
***** It was discovered in the 19th century. But _could_ it have been discovered earlier with the technology they had at the time?
what do you recommend for the leather bits?
+russell timmerman I've found most normal leather conditioners, or something like 'neatsfoot oil' works great to keep leather components soft and supple and not drying out. The leather on my armor admittedly does not get as much love as the steel, as it simply doesn't seem to need it as often, and the leather components are perishable anyway.
Thanks! Could you talk a bit about how foot knights (circa 1400's) fought in battles? Did they make formations of guys with pole axes? Did they have sword and board guys in front and pole arms in a second rank? Did they make formal formations at all? It would really help to understand he armor if I knew more about how the fighting was done.
CLP?? USMC???
Too bad you don't have a squire to do it for you, though.
+No Free Will You can....if you have one.
+No Free Will Tell me about it... :)
I know some folks who's squires make them armor. We have some support personel in MCF, so that's nice, but we gotta do our own maintenance
.
To me it's just like firearm maintenance. I love to shoot, but I don't like having to clean the guns afterwards, but I'm disciplined about getting it done and everything stays in good working order.
how do i maintane gilded armor? i wanna know before i get it so i can keep rust off
Gold does not rust, and pure gold does not tarnish, but lower purity gold can tarnish if not kept clean.
@@KnyghtErrant yes but how would i repair scratches?
@@Sir_knight_trooper scratches on any metal are removed through polishing, but if you're polishing gold you're also removing gold. If it's a thin electroplated layer of gold you'll end up polishing through it over time. Eventually it would have to be re-plated if you kept getting it scratched up. Medieval fire-gilding deposited a much thicker layer of gold than modern electroplating.
@@KnyghtErrant ok! thank you for your time and information!!!
how to you clean maille
+urbanmyths95 Hi, mail will get its own video because it's a completely different process, and there are a lot of ways to do it.
Knyght Errant
fair enough i only ask because i'm tempted to get my own maille
+urbanmyths95 I'm using a thumler with oil for mail... and it works just fine with no effort.
+urbanmyths95 Barrel, sand, and oil! combine all three, stir or shake, here's your clean mail-tini!
Step one have bronze armor
CLP CLP!!!!
Hi :) Do you do the same for your weapons ?
+hacheurdepoulet Yes. The only difference is that on swords, I make sure to only go with the grain of the steel. That is to say, the scrubby pad only goes lengthwise along the blade so you don't produce scratches across the width of the blade.
+Knyght Errant Hello Again, just got my new sword (from Regenyei), i was wondering how to see which way the grain goes.. probable from the handle to the tip but i prefer to ask rather than messing it up!
On *most* swords the grain of the blade goes from cross-guard to tip.
that's what I thought! thanks :) if it's not the case, I'm suing you! lol
+hacheurdepoulet That's why I said 'most' :)
Actually, I'm wondering if you could possibly help me with my armor situation if that's alright. I recently bought some 18th-century Victorian armor, with ornate designs all over it. Sadly a lot of it is rusted or tarnished, and I have no idea if it's safe to clean it without taking off the designs. A photo is included of it. If it's not possible, I won't try anything, but I'm just curious for your opinion on it, thanks. image.prntscr.com/image/d5474fcc60054d26859f8270c6fa9b68.png
Armor will rust. It is inevitable. Even with maintenance ☝️ I just spray paint mine in all black rust oleum 🤷
Are you a dumbass?
sorry but why don't you use gloves? to avoid skin fat
cerakote
+stephend50 flat dark earth armor
+Knyght Errant that would be sweet, almost maintenance free.
First!
+Gomer Pyle wow, your family must be so proud of you....
So could you use olive oil 😂