Leather Armor

[deadsnow]

Hey i was drawing up some leather armor and on my helmet i have some points where i feel it is not going to be as stiff as i want it to. How would i get it to be stiff. Would i add card-board underneath or what?

[Soo Ma Tai]

Search for "Hardened Leather" or "Hardening Leather" on these forums, Find Forkbeards method for hardening and use it. It works, and works well.

[deadsnow]

thanks

[deadsnow]

i think i got it now dude but i need to know is this all of it?

The magic happens when you bake it. The fibers in the leather are in the shape of a cow at first, then it's processed and made flat-ish, streching and shrinking those fibers.
When you make it into yet another shape, soaking in water allows you to jam those fibers into that shape.
But they will not stay. Baking at 180F heats up the ellastormers or whatever inside the fibers inside the leather, locking them into the new shape.
You need to take it out and reshape it every 20 minutes or so for the first hour, but after that, it's as hard as wood.
FB