Armour
Instructions for assembling L/A-SA legs
This describes assembly of the left leg. The same sequence applies to the right leg.
FITTING THE STRAPS
For easy assembly, we recommend that you attach the straps which buckle the wearer into the armour before assembling the armour. Plates LL5 and LL7 each need a 460mm strap and a buckle. Plate LL8 needs two 90mm straps and LL9 needs buckles.
The buckle on LL5 is attached to the inside of the armour on the inside of the leg. (If you attach it to the other side, you won't be able to reach it because of the spades or rounds on the outside of the knee. The other straps are fitted with the buckle to the outside of the leg. If you look at the concave side of the plate, the inside of the leg on LL plates is on the right, and on RL plates it's on the left. Attach the straps on LL1 & LL2 on the inside surface of the plate, but those on LL7 go on the outside to avoid interfering with the lower leg (See Fig 1).
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 end to prevent the leather from pulling over it.
The straps and buckles on LL8 and LL9 are fitted to the outer surface of the armour. LL8 has the straps, LL9 takes the buckles.
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.
FITTING THE HINGES
Start by fitting the hinges to plate LL2. Fit the hinges on the inner face of the plates so that the hinge pin protrudes through the cutaway slot. Pass steel rivets through from the outer face, rest the domes against your anvil, and burr them over, ensuring that the hinges are tight against the armour. (Fig. 2) Fit plate LL1 to the other leaf of the hinge, then repeat the procedure with plates LL9 and LL8.
ASSEMBLING THE LEGS
The remaining procedure is simply a matter of selecting the correct plates, aligning the holes, and joining them with steel rivets and washers. Compare the pieces with Fig. 3 to make sure the parts are the right way up before assembling.
Push the steel washers from the outside, fit washers on the inner side and burr them over. These plates revolve around the rivets, so the rivets must not be made too tight. We recommend this sequence for easy access to holes:
LL3 to LL2: LL3 fits outside LL2.
LL4 to LL3: LL4 fits outside LL3.
LL6 to LL7: LL6 fits outside LL7.
LL6 to LL5: LL5 (the knee cup) fits outside LL6.
LL4 to LL5: LL5 (the knee cup) fits outside LL4.
It may be necessary to bend the edges of Plates LL4 and LL6 slightly to fit them into LL5. We use "molegrip" clamps for this.
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