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Bauzuband Tutorial

By : Ld Uilleag o’Conmhaic MKA: Dan Houchins

Step 1) Leather selection

There are no pics for this portion, because there are many different types of leather and laying them all out would be cost prohibitive. The main consideration when making armour is what hardening process are you going to use. Wax hardening can let you get by with thinner leather, water and heat treating requires thicker leather. Authentic hardening, water soaking, heat treating, then coating with gesso will let you get by with thinner leather as well, but you need high grade leather for this and it is a bit pricey.

For this project I will be using water hardening and heat treating without coating with gesso, so I chose Armour Leather Bend. This can be found through the Leather Factory, stock #9099. It comes in two grades; -01 and -02 (on the end of the stock numbers). Grade -01 has much fewer brands and range scars so you get more useable leather out of the hide. The trade off is that it is about $2.00 more a pound. The average bend weighs between 15 and 20 lbs, so there is a considerable price difference.

The advantage of armour leather bends is that is compressed during the tanning process, making it extremely dense. It also averages about 14 - 16 oz. Throughout the hide. 1 oz of leather = 1/64". That means that it more than meets the SCA, Inc. "or equivalent" rule for rigid material, before any hardening processes take place.

Step 2) Pattern Layout

Note!

The pattern used in this tutorial is the property of GAA Armouries. I have been given permission to leave this link up for the information it conveys, however, use of this pattern without the express permission of GAA Armouries is forbidden. Please use the information in this tutorial only for general knowledge of constructing leather arm protection and leather hardening/shaping techniques!

I don't know about you guys but I can't afford to waist materials. Leather costs about the same as good quality steel these days! Since I buy -02 grade sides I need to lay out my patterns on the grain side. (That's the smooth side). I usually recommend laying out patterns on the flesh side so that mistakes will not be seen on the finished product and it makes for a cleaner finished cut. However, with the brands and range scars all over the grain, I need to lay out on the grain side, so that I can lay my project out with wasting as little leather as possible. You want to lay your patterns as close together as your cutting skill will allow for the same reason, less waste.

You may notice quite a bit of leather that will not be cut in between the patterns. This can be set aside and used for future projects, like gauntlets!

Step 3) Cutting out the patterns

I usually recommend cutting the leather into manageable size chunks, instead of trying to cut out each project piece individually from the hide.

I use a simple jig saw with a course wood-cutting blade. A fine-tooth metal blade will make a cleaner cut, but it takes a lot longer to cut and the blades break easily. I cut off from the hide width wise, then cut the two pieces apart, leaving the useable scrap in the middle uncut. Try to follow your pattern as closely as you can. The care you take here will save you hours of clean up and edge finishing time later.

Step 4) Preliminary hole punching

I use a high power drill for this step for several reasons. First, its fast. Second, the drill gets through the thick leather much cleaner and easier than a rotary hand punch. A single bit hole punch works well, too, but that much hammering on your punches will go through them very quickly. If you aren't doing that much leather armouring, than I prefer the hammered punch, the holes are cleaner, but if you are doing production you want to look at tool and time conservation.

I also use a wooden block under my project. It protects my work table and it makes for cleaner exit holes. I use an oblong punch for my strap placement. Punching through the leather takes some pretty hefty hits with a hammer, so I drill 2 relief holes on either end of the slot position. I also soak my leather before I do any punching or edge finishing, which takes us to our next step.

Step 5) Soaking

Soaking leather in hot almost boiling water is a myth, IMO. After several years of practical application and $100's in wasted leather, I highly discourage this practice. Leather is an organic material. The density of the hide is not consistent so even with the most stringent monitoring of water temperature and precise timing, you will not end up with consistent results. Some parts of the leather will over cook, making the leather very brittle and some parts will hardly be saturated at all. The hot water cooks the leather, just like boiling meat, save that for stew, not armour making IMO.

I soak my leather in the tub with cool or room temperature water. I allow it to soak for several hours. At least until all bubbles stop forming. This time varies on the thickness and density of the leather. I will allow this leather to soak overnight. This will ensure that the leather is completely saturated and it will give me time to finish punching the slots, beveling and edge grooving all of the pieces, (20 in all in this run), and I can even dye it while it is still wet. This will allow the dye to penetrate more deeply and evenly.

Step 6) Oblong strap punching

I do this step directly following the soaking process because the leather is nice and pliable and the oblong punch can go through the leather easier, hence it doesn't over work the tool. The punch can be purchased through any leather craft store. I recommend a single-piece fabricated tool, over the one I currently have, which has been welded in construction. The single piece construction punches are a lot more durable, where as the welded construction punches will fatigue and break along the weld.

As you can see the oblong punch makes a nice, clean oblong hole for the strap to pass through.

Step 7) Decoration/makers mark

The picture above shows my maker's mark. (the howling wolf) This is also the time to do any tooling, embossing or stamp work that you would care to do. I didn't do any in this project because this is a run of 10 munitions grade pieces, so they will be completely undecorated. I much prefer doing the tooling, etc. at this point because it is much easier to do before the piece has been shaped.

Step 8 ) Preliminary edge work

I call this step preliminary edge work, because after all of the construction processes are complete, I burnish the edges to finish them. The steps covered here are the beginning steps needed to protect the edges of the project and make it look more professionally finished. Even in my munition grade pieces, I like to add a decorative groove along the edge of the project. To do this I use a Saddle Stitch Groover, (pictured below). I also bevel the edges. This rounds the edges, which protects them from rolling and catching on things, damaging the piece. It also gives the piece a nice, professionally finished look. The beveler I use is a #5 beveler. They come in various sizes, 1 - 10, the smaller the number, the more narrow the blade. I like a mid-sized blade and it works for most edge finishing needs.

I use the groover first. The tool rides along the edge of the piece and by doing it before you bevel gives the tool a more solid edge to work with. I groove along all edges that will be seen on the finished project. The saddle stitch groover was originally designed to give a recessed place for stitching, so that the stitches aren't rubbed during use, causing them to fray.

After I have grooved all of the sides that will be visible, I bevel all edges. This includes edges that won't be seen. The reason for this is all edges will be rubbed, either by other pieces of armour or by the person wearing it. Beveling the edges protects the piece and adds to its longevity.

Step 9) Dyeing

I do this step now, while the leather is still damp. Damp leather will accept the dye more readily and evenly. You will need a few things to help keep this potentially messy step a little less so. A disposable container for the dye, rubber gloves and disposable sponges. You will also need a lot of news paper or a work surface that you don't mind getting dye on, like a work bench.

I use a damp sponge and apply the first coat, (which is usually enough with most dyes) with a circular motion. This allows the dye to penetrate more evenly and is less likely to streak.

I then use a dry rag to wipe up the excess. This keeps the dye from pooling and leaving a weird sheen on the leather. It also will help you with the finishing process. The more even the coating and the more you buff it out now, while it is wet, the faster and easier the polishing and buffing job you will have later.

Once you have all of the pieces dyed, lay them out and allow the dye to dry enough that it doesn't rub off on your hands just by touching it.

Because I soaked my leather, allowing it to become completely saturated, the leather will still be damp when it is time for assembly and shaping, but dry enough to retain its shape.

Step 10 ) Marking/punching holes for assembly/shaping

First to go over the tools for this step. I use my drill, block and a stylis to mark where the holes need to go. Pull the punched portion of the elbow cop over the portion that hasn't been punched yet. Line the edges up and use the stylis to mark where the holes need to be drilled. Once all 6 holes have been marked, lay the piece down flat again and drill the holes.

Step 11 ) Assembly

For this step I use a rivet setter and medium copper-burr rivets. I also use a standard ball-peen hammer and a pair of 12" end snips. To set the rivets I use a t-bar mounted to my work table with a boltable bracket. Start by placing a rivet through the outer most hole on the middle flange of the bauzuband. Set the burr. Work from the outside in on both sides of the elbow.

Once all of the rivets are set use the end snips to trim them as close to the washer as possible. Trimming the excess is important. If you do not trim down the rivets they will bend and not peen well. The finished result will look like crap and won't hold very well.

Then peen all of rivets with the hammer. I use the flat side first to spread the rivet and then peen the sides over, forming a smooth mushroom shape.

Step 12) Intial Shaping

For this process I use a large dishing hammer and a shallow steel dishing form. Shaping the leather like this will compress the leather making it more dense, which will aide in the hardening process, and makes the leather retain its shape.

Line the project up in the dish along the edge of the bauzuband with the cup of the elbow towards the outside of the bowl. Start dishing from the bottom of one seem and work out to where the elbow meets up with the vanbrace portion of the piece. Then dish along the outer edge back to the elbow seem. Do this on both sides and then shape the seem itself. Do not be afraid to hit the project, you don't want to crush the leather, but you want it to take a nice smooth bowl shape.

Step 13) Flairing the cuff

I use a cross-peen hammer and the edge of my dishing form. Role the vanbrace portion of the Bauzuband into its initial shape, (like you were going to put it on your arm), then lining the cuff on the edge of the dishing bowl, use the cross-peen to draw the edge over the lip of the bowl. Work all of the way across the face of the cuff.

Step 14) Finish shaping the vanbrace portion

I have pre-cut the straps that will be used in the final assembly portion. I use them to hold the vanbrace portion together during the heat treating. This will force the vanbrace to hold its shape.

Place the strap through the oblong strap hole. Holding it all of the way closed, to its smallest fitting position, (the sides should overlap at this point), then run the strap through the other hole. The friction of the leather will hold the strap in place.

Step 15) Final cuff shaping

Once the straps are holding the bauzuband together, run the coss-peen back across the cuff. This will give a nice interior flare that will be comfortable against the fighter's wrist while worn.

Step 16) Planishing the elbow cop

For this step I use a small faced rubber mallet and a medium sized ball-steak.

Place the elbow onto the ball steak and working from the bottom of the seam, working along both edges, drawing the elbow down over the ball. Then draw the outside edge of the seams down the ball, this will tighten the elbow cop making a more streamlined profile on the arm.

Step 17) Final shaping of the elbow cop

I use a small faced dishing hammer and the same shallow dish used for the intial shaping.

Place the project in the bowl lining the outter edge of the elbow cop on the edge of the dish. Using the small hammer, dish down inside of the elbow near the bottom of the seam. Work all along the bottom of the seam to creat a better defined bowl.

The final shaped Project should look like this:

Step 18 Heat treating

I set my oven at 180 degrees Fahrenheit and place the project on an aluminum cookie sheet. The aluminum doesn’t transfer the heat directly to the project so there is less chance of scorching. At this point the project should still be damp but not soaking wet. Set a timer for 30 minutes, close the oven and allow the leather to bake. Check the pieces when the timer goes off, if they still feel damp, reset the timer and let them go another 30 minutes. Some pieces will be dry to the touch in 30 minutes, some may take up to 2 - 3 hours. It depends on how wet the leather, how thick the leather is and the temperature variances in your oven. The leather will not be completely dry after this stage, but they will be very rigid and dry to the touch. The leather will actually take about 2 - 3 days to completely dry.

Step 19) Making buckles

There will be a lot of criticism of how I do this next step. I use speed rivets for my buckles and straps. They are also known as 2-piece end cap rivets. I use them on all of my munitions grade projects for a couple of reasons. First, they are fast and easy to use and secondly they are easy to replace by the customer if the strap or buckle should fail.

I use my oblong hole punch, a strap cutter, leather scissors, strap end cutter, ½” buckles, small end cap rivets, a ball peen hammer, and a t-stake as a striking surface. Any rigid striking surface will do.....I miss the use of a good sized anvil.

I make my buckles like an assembly line. I cut all of my strips of leather with the strap cutter set at ½". Then I cut all of the straps to the required length. This will vary depending on where the strap or buckle is going. I lay the strap across the project where it is going to be and cut it at the required length. A lot faster than measuring the project and then measuring each strap. After all of the straps are cut, I punch all of them with the oblong punch. This process is much faster than punching a series of holes with a rotary hole punch, and a lot neater in appearance too. Fold the strap where oblong hole was punched so that the oblong hole is divided in half. Then using the rotary punch, punch a hole through both pieces of the strap, this will place the holes evenly on either side of the long hole, where the tongue of the buckle will be. Set all of the buckles onto the straps and then go back and rivet all of the buckles in place. This is very tedious, but it is the fastest way I have found to mass produce buckles. I needed a total of 60 for this project.

Step 20) Sealing the leather

There are many different ways of doing this. Natural oils work well to seal the leather, but they also soften it. That’s not what we want to do here. Hide glues, that can be found at most crafts stores works very well, but it is a long process. For munitions grade, SCA armour, I commonly use Kiwi Shoe Polish. It comes in most common dye colors, it seals the leather without softening it and it also polishes the piece.

I use different brushes for different colors. It keeps the colors from blending. For brown projects I prefer natural polish and plain black for black projects.

Step 21) Final assembly or strapping

As I stated before, I use speed rivets for this process. The advantage of following the steps I do is that by this point all of the straps have been cut, all of the buckles are assembled and all of the holes are already punched into the project. All that is required now is to rivet the straps and buckles on. I generally place the buckles to the inside of the piece. This way the buckles won’t generally be struck during combat and they last longer. A t-bar or a long, free standing, rigid bar will be need to rivet the straps and buckles in place. The reason for this, is because it is next to impossible to reach the rivets on the inside of the vambrace portion without damaging the hardened piece by straightening it out.

Once all of the straps and buckles are in place the project is finished!

This was a really fun project. I really enjoyed sharing it with all of you. I hope that it proves to helpful.

Again, please make sure that you get Master Geoffrey's permission before using the pattern shown in this tutorial. The pattern is the property of GAA and has been used by belated permission in order to instruct on the techniques I use in constructing my leather armour projects. Have fun and experiment with your own patterns. Please email me with your successes and lessons learned!