04-10-2008, 03:43 PM
I think we are making this way too complicated Matt and Giannis. I have been really thinking deeply about how I am going to overcome the issues you both warned me of with the greeves and noticed this picture below.
Look carefully at the one greeve on the bottom row that is dead center. I think the key to getting them to fit right is simply "skewing" the form higher on one side.
Basically, to get a two dimensional template, take your form and draw the angle that your leg takes from your knee to your ankle and then shorten the width for the side to the inside of each leg and start the curve higher on the leg for the two dimension cutout. Then do the exact opposite on the outside. Lengthen the width and start the curve from the knee a bit lower on the leg.
Look at the picture as a guide. It is flat, but the knee dishing and the two halves of the back side of the calf are still dished. That is exactly what I am thinking. Cut your metal out to look more like this picture, skewed. Dish the knee. Dish the calves and just turn the metal to the right angle of your own leg to check it. Then lightly hammer a slight groove following the knee to the instep to get the metal bending in the right direction using a large ball peen, and hammer the full thing around the leg.
Of course this is theory at this point, but I really think it will work and prove to be less difficult than originally thought. The trick will be constantly fitting it for minor adjustments. Anyone disagree? Regardless, we'll have proof/evidence of the theory in about a week.
PS. I don't mean to assume that you haven't thought about that, just an observation at this point that hopefully will help get it right for me and anyone else doing them.
Look carefully at the one greeve on the bottom row that is dead center. I think the key to getting them to fit right is simply "skewing" the form higher on one side.
Basically, to get a two dimensional template, take your form and draw the angle that your leg takes from your knee to your ankle and then shorten the width for the side to the inside of each leg and start the curve higher on the leg for the two dimension cutout. Then do the exact opposite on the outside. Lengthen the width and start the curve from the knee a bit lower on the leg.
Look at the picture as a guide. It is flat, but the knee dishing and the two halves of the back side of the calf are still dished. That is exactly what I am thinking. Cut your metal out to look more like this picture, skewed. Dish the knee. Dish the calves and just turn the metal to the right angle of your own leg to check it. Then lightly hammer a slight groove following the knee to the instep to get the metal bending in the right direction using a large ball peen, and hammer the full thing around the leg.
Of course this is theory at this point, but I really think it will work and prove to be less difficult than originally thought. The trick will be constantly fitting it for minor adjustments. Anyone disagree? Regardless, we'll have proof/evidence of the theory in about a week.
PS. I don't mean to assume that you haven't thought about that, just an observation at this point that hopefully will help get it right for me and anyone else doing them.
"A wise man learns from his mistakes, but the truly wise man learns from the mistakes of others."
Chris Boatcallie
Chris Boatcallie
