Metals Information
Comparing the Metals
|
|
Aluminium |
Brass/Bronze |
Black Steel |
Galvanised |
Hard stainless |
Stainless |
|
workability |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
|
durability |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
corrosion |
3 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
material cost |
4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
(Ideal metal would have straight ones)
Workability 1=easiest to work 5=hardest to work
Durability 1=most durable 5=least durable
Corrosion 1=least subject to corrosion 5=most subject to corrosion
Material cost 1=least expensive (by weight) 5 = most expensive
(by weight)
Aluminium
- Aluminium weighs only 1/3 as much as steel.
- Mail made from aluminium is not durable enough for combat.
- Aluminium mail makes a light tinkling sound that will not
sound like steel mail.
- Aluminium oxides in air, polished aluminium is a bright shiny
silver, this fades to a dull steel grey colour. The oxide will
wear off leaving greyish black colour on the wearing surface
(washes very easily). Aluminium armour could be sprayed with
a thin layer of clear paint to make it cleaner.
Black steel
- Annealed steel; annealing is a process that makes worked
steel (like wire) softer.
- Comes coated with a black coating to prevent oxidation during
shipping and storage, this coating wears off quickly leaving
you with regular steel.
- I recommend Black Steel if you want to make medieval looking
pieces and plan on taking care of your mail.
- Black steel is significantly easier to work with then galvanised
steel but not as durable.
Brass
- Brass is pretty expensive to use for anything other then
trim and jewellery.
- My brass is tempered which is much stronger then untempered
brass.
Galvanized
- Galvanized is the best all round deal for making armour.
It is the cheapest, it has some rust resistance, and it is durable.
- Galvanizing is the process of coating steel in a layer of
zinc, the zinc prevents steel from rusting though a chemical
process (see reduction - oxidation processes in a chemistry text).
While it does not rust the zinc will oxidise and turn grey. The
zinc oxide will wear off eventually and the metal will be shiny
again.
Stainless steel
- Stainless steel is, in my opinion, the best material for
mail.
- It is the only material I recommend for prolonged contact
with skin.
- It is the strongest material I sell.
- The "hard stainless" steel is stronger then the
other stainless but harder to work with.
- Stainless steel is a nice shiny silver and will not corrode
unless deprived from oxygen for extended periods of time.
