Armour
Instructions for assembling L/A-SA arms:
This describes assembly of the left arm. The same sequence applies to the right arm.
For easy assembly, we recommend that you attach the straps which buckle the wearer into the armour before assembling the armour. Plates L5, L6 and L8 each need a 400mm strap and a buckle. Plate L10 needs two 90mm straps and L11 needs buckles.
L5 has a 400mm strap attached to the outside of the rear of the plate (see Fig 1), and the buckle at the front. All the other straps are fitted on the inside of the armour, with the buckle attached to the "front" of the arm, and the tongue at the rear. (This ensures that the wearer can reach all the buckles.) If you look at the concave side of the plate, the rear of the arm on L5 & L8 is on the left, and on R5 & R8 it's on the right.
Always pass the rivet through the hole from the outer face, and burr the rivet from the inside. Always put a washer between the strap and the rivet to prevent the leather from pulling over it.
We recommend that you do not pierce any holes in the straps, nor cut them shorter, until the armour is assembled and ready to wear.
PLATES L1 TO L5: THE SHOULDERS
Plates L2 to L5 are suspended from Plate L1 by 100mm straps with 5 holes. The straps have their pointed ends upwards (see fig3 -L1) and are attached by rivets passed through the central pair of holes in the plates. The rest of the arm assembly is also attached to Plate L1 by another pair of straps (see fig 6).
Start with plate L5. If you start anywhere else, you won't have access to burr the rivets on later plates. Thread washers onto two steel rivets and push them through the lowest of the 5 holes in a pair of 100mm straps. Fit the rivets of both straps through the two remaining holes in plate L5. They need to come from the inner face outwards, so that they expose about 0.5mm on the outer side. Set the dome of the rivet against your anvil and burr over the exposed rivet, taking care not to pinch the leather strap too tightly. (Fig.2) Repeat the procedure with L4, L3, & L2, making sure that the plates are the right way up. (The rivet-holes are near the top edge of the plates L4-L2.)
Plate L1: Use 2 copper rivets and 4 washers. From the outer face, push the copper rivets through the lower set of centre holes on Plate L1. Add a washer on the inner face, the remaining holes in the straps holding L2-L5, fit retaining washers, and burr over the exposed rivet end. (Fig. 3)
Take 1 pair of 200mm straps, 2 copper rivets, and 4 washers. These straps will hold the lower section of the arms, and are fitted to the second central pair of holes in the same way as L2-L5 was attached. Leave the uppermost pair of holes for the body suspension buckles.
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