Intro to Armor Crafting: Lamellar Armor

This class will give you all the knowledge, tools and materials to craft and take home a set of Lamellar Armor suitable for cosplay, LARPing, or SCA combat.

This class will be using ‘Wisby’ lamellar plates (see picture below). Wisby plates make armor that’s more flexible, elegant, esthetically pleasing, and much easier to lace than the ‘Birka’ plates I used to make my first cuirass (See Main Event Picture where I am holding a shield).

Lamellar armor is a type of armor consisting of small plates connected with cordage.
This type of armor was first used in Mesopotamia around 3000 years ago, and continued to be used up until the 19th century.
Historical materials included, for the plates, metal, bone, leather and wood, and a variety of materials for the cordage - but this class will be using PLA plates and paracord cordage.
PLA is a plant based plastic that’s strong and lightweight, and paracord is sturdy.
All components will be durable and easily washable.

You’ll walk out of this class with all the materials and knowledge needed to complete a set of Lamellar armor, custom crafted for you!
Assembling the components will likely take more time than a single session will allow, and student will be able to attend a future workshops session on May 3rd from 11am-5pm if extra time is needed to complete their armor. We will be also willing to consult, free of charge, via video chat with the instructor.

• Laptop (if you own one)
• Pen/Pencil and a Notepad/Paper

Riley Harrison has a long history of making longbows, trebuchets, ballistae, shields, props, costumes, armor, and a great many other things. You may have seen his trebuchets and armor/costumes at events such as Northern Spark, The Greenway Glow, or the Mini Makers Fairs in Chicago, Mpls and St. Paul!

Over the years, in addition to volunteering for Twin Cities Maker and serving on it's board, Riley has taught classes on making long bows for archery, advanced laser cutting techniques, shield construction, and digital design.

Riley is fascinated by the making of things, and is always looking for new opportunities to share what he has learned with others.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Twin Cities Maker, 3119 East 26th Street, Minneapolis, United States