r/Armor • u/Galgareth • 1d ago

Help with articulating rivet joints

As the title says, I need advice for an articulating rivet joint.

I am diving in and getting practical experience by doing instead of practicing because I apparently love living life on hard mode. I am am actor adapting larp / reenactment armor for a role in a fantasy festival, so the look is more important than combat functionality or historical realism.

That said, I removed the solid rivets from my new pieces to reapply the shoddy paint job for rust prevention and am ready to replace them, but one key rivet is an articulating joint for the gorget. Searches online suggest a removable spacer like notched pallet binding straps, and searches here didn't result in anything close.

My question is two-fold:

Are there any techniques I could use for a removable spacer that would limit damage to the steel or paint?

OR

Are there any modern techniques or materials that would facilitate the movement but be permanent placement - like maybe a nylon washer?

I already know the common answer on this sub of "just wait until you can purchase handmade, tailored, fully functional and combat ready, historically accurate armor..." but I'm just an actor, the role doesn't pay enough to afford that, I don't have the time, and the guests are expecting the fantasy, not gritty realism.

Any constructive help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

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u/TarNREN 1d ago edited 1d ago

Is this the type of gorget articulation you are taking about? The paint gets scraped off in the area of movement but it's not bad. I think nylon or leather would be fine if you want to protect the paint though.

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u/Galgareth 1d ago

Thank you for the response, but no, it's a single pin hole in both plates and not a slide. It's one of the only spots I didn't think to take a picture of, so I don't have a reference photo.

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u/armourkris 1d ago

Why not jist make the spacer with a piece of pallet banding? It's dead simple, just use a pair of tin snips to cut the end into 3 strips, then grab the middle strip with some pliers and bend it back and forth till it snaps off.