Arqai Ne'urin
IntroductionI got my start in the SCA helping a friend make armor. He had "carpet armor" that was barely legal and asked for help improving it. We worked together to make a more suitable kit. It was still carpet, but it looked a lot better and much better fit. I looked at that and thought, "I can do better". So I made the armor pictured to the right. I was hooked. It was the early 80s, around AS 22. I've been active on and off since. History - Midrealm(Resume note: During my time in the Midrealm, I also got involved with re-enacting the French and Indian war with a group made up of a few members of Casa del Sol. I actually spent more time with the F&I group for much of my time in the Midrealm. I really never got any of the kind of notice that is required to gain SCA accolades. One of my friends from Casa del Sol did go on to become the first Baron of Cynabar, but that was after I had more or less left the group.) History - An TirFor a time, life in my modern work kept me from full participation (AS 44 through AS 46). But now that I have returned I have been even more able than before to participate. Recent ActivityAnd, And, And . . .
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SiegeI've long had an interest in mechanical artillery. Since my return to the SCA has largely been focused on promoting siege, I figured it should have it's own section. Here's a few siege related projects.
Model Trebuchets
San Gong Chuangzi NuIt wasn't long before I wanted an SCA legal combat siege engine so I started developing one. But I didn't want just any siege engine. I wanted one that would be period correct for my persona.The overall design is based on the San Gong Chuangzi Nu, a three bow siege arcuballista out of China. 1. "Weaponized Grass"
2. Han Dynasty Crossbow TriggerIt was pretty obvious that one of the first things that needed to be replaced was the trigger. I did a lot of looking around and found that crossbow triggers of various sizes are still being dug up all over China. I built two prototypes out of wood and started cutting steel when Archos Arion put a cast bronze one in my hands. I worked with that one until I realized it didn't really suit my engine, so I built one specifically for the new engine. Originals were cast in bronze. Mine is assembled from cut brass. It is visually similar and functionally identical to the originals. I left mine open on the top to show off the pretty insides. I liked it enough to enter it in the An Tir Kingdom Arts and Sciences contest as a single entry. Here's a link to my documentation, with pictures. Trigger Documentation
3. Bow DevelopmentThe bows for this engine were a long process. I learned a LOT from all the different attempts. The most important thing I learned? I'm not a bowyer. I've gone through at least five different attempts at bows and they all broke in some fashion.
4. "Dragon Fly"And done. Mostly. Little things keep being added or changed to improve performance and reliability. But my baby is ready to defend Barony and Kingdom and has performed admirably on the warfield, starting during the war season of 2019.
5. SummaryIt's been over five years in the making, but I have the siege engine of my dreams. Modern materials and methods (3M?) were used throughout, but I made it work. So, being proud of my work, I posted videos and pictures to Facebook. And they got shared. A LOT. Apparently everyone knows about "san gong nu". Everyone is an expert. Then it's like, "Holy CRAP! Some one made one!" and they suddenly want to know more. Even the author of the book that first introduced me to this engine is asking me questions. One fellow in France said, "He obviously understands nothing and his machine is impossible." So I shared some video with him and we're friends now. I even get inquiries from China. And I think that's really cool.
Other Siege ProjectsAfter a long process, I now have the siege engine of my dreams. It is now my passion to help others in their own siege related quests. Some times it's advice. Some times it's engineering and design work. Some times it's hands on building. If you have a dream that includes a siege engine, please feel free to contact me. We can make it real. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Han Crossbow ReconstructionWhen I was a lad of 14 summers, a remarkable discovery was made in Xian China. Seems a farmer dug up some ancient figurines. Turns out these figurines are the funerary guards for China's first Emperor, who was the first to unite all the various Kingdoms under one rule. We have since learned the magnificent scope of these figures and refer to them collectively as the Terracotta Army. I've had a fascination with them ever since. Fast forward 45 years and they're still digging in Xian. This time, they dug up a crossbow that is almost entirely complete. My fascination renewed, I decided I needed a Han Dynasty crossbow of my own. Follow this space to see my progress on this project.
I've posted a few videos to my YouTube channel about my reconstruction.
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Affiliations:As a Laurel, I am in fealty to the Crown of An Tir
Service History - partial
It has become far too difficult to keep this list even close to current. Interests(in no particular order): And one more new interest: managing pages on this wiki for a few friends. Here's a link to the pages I manage. Classes I've taughtIn response to continued interest, I'm presently guiding three people in making their own coat of plates. If this trend continues, Dragon's Laire will soon look like a proper horde on the battle field. I've been challenged to develop and teach a class on "The Science of Siege Engines" and have a working prospectus ready. If you are interested in attending this class, please contact me via Dragon's Laire. Awards(From the An Tir Order of Precedence )Bumblebee - Jun 2, 2007 (AS XLII) A few projects
Cast pewter belt tip plates
Battle Pig!
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