This is a fairly simple pattern for a full arm made of leather reinforced with steel splints. What you need:

• Steel 18-16 gauge (I used 16 gauge stainless)
• Leather 3-8 ounce (It does not have to be heavy leather at all; the steel is the armour. All the leather is is backing)
• Rivets 1/8 inch wide (you can cheat with roofing nails, but rivets are better)
• Burs/washers (as many of these as you have rivets, and you want their inner diameter to match the outer diameter of the rivets)

This arm is made in 3 pieces, the rembrace (upper arm) the vambrace (forearm) and the elbow cop. I will instruct you in the making of the rembrace and the vambrace but not the elbow cop. (There are several articles on construction an elbow cop already -- no need to make this one another) (BTW, the elbow cops in the pictures I used were made by Gundobad, of Wise Ogre Armoury, thanks again Gundo), and Ron Simmons.

The Rembrace

Patterns (Click on thumbnail for full-size image)

• Leather Backing
  
  
• Plates (need two of all plates but the first and last)
  
  

Instructions

1. Cut out the leather (most likely scissors will work well for cutting this).
2. Cut out the plates. Remember that you need two of each plate exceptDrill or punch rivet holes in the plates, either using your rivet pattern or the one I used.
3. Place the plates on the leather as shown in the first image above.
4. Mark the leather through the holes in the plates, and then take the plates off the leather and punch holes where the markings are.
5. Give all the plates a bit of a shallow roll. This can either be done by placing the plate on a depression and whacking it with a hammer, or you can place it on something round like a pipe and whack it with a hammer. or you can get lazy and improvise some sort of press. (For best results, or if your gona make a lot of these, use a press.)
6. Place the plates back onto the leather, put the rivets through the holes, place the burs/washers on the ends of the rivets and peen them down.
7. Now, the piece is mostly complete. All that remains is to overlap the ends by a hair more than the width of the center plate and sew/rivet the piece closed (see last image above).

   You have now completed the first piece of this arm armour.

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   The Vambrace

   
   
   

   Patterns (Click on thumbnail for full-size image)

   • Leather Backing
     
     
   • Plates (need two of all plates but the first and last)
     
     
   
   
   

   Instructions

   1. Cut out the leather.
   2. Cut out the plates. Remember that you need two of each plate exceptAs with the rembrace, drill/punch rivet holes in the plates
   3. mark the leather, punch holes, roll the plates, and rivet on.
   4. Before finishing place straps between the leather and the plates as shown above
   5. Either put buckles on the straps, or make your own buckles.

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   Buckles

   
   

   Here are 2 pics of the buckle I use. they should be sufficient for you to make your own. I used 9 gauge stainless steel wire. the circular part of the buckle is an inch across.

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   Final Assembly

   Assuming you have all the pieces done -- Vambrace, Rembrace, Elbow cop -- there are several ways of finishing the piece.

   • You could wear all 3 pieces separately (works but bad idea, However the vambrace is cool by itself)
   • You could attach the rembrace and vambrace to a 3-5 piece articulated elbow (easy to do but if your going for articulated steel you might as well wear full steel arms)
   • You can attach the leather edge of the rembrace and vambrace directly to the elbow cop. (This is what I did in the pic, It works but is better if you leave a little extral leather on the ends that need to be connected)
   • Or last, and perhaps best, you can attach leather straps to both the rembrace, and the vambrace, and then rivet the straps to the elbow cop. (this works really well, and allows a lot of customization for size)

   Additionally, you can add straps or points to connect these arms either to your spaulders, or to your gambeson.