Improvised Armor

[Andy]

So about a year or so ago, there was a thread at another site about if the world "ended" (sort of a long Armageddon scenario,) what would you use to defend yourself. I said steel belted tires. They are almost impossible to cut, very hard to pierce, flexible and have in some cases, been known to stop bullets. So, i was stumbling around on the inter webz and I found this pic :

http://www.toxel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/tire13.jpg

That about does it in my mind. Awesome tire armor.

[RyuJin]

that is actually something i've thought about on numerous occassions and it eventually lead me to establishing a full checklist of things to do and places to go....'cuz you just never know...the tire armor looks really cool...although i have access to steel sheets and heavy leather, because of that i looked into how steel armor is made and came up with my own design based on what i considered to be usefull in a "future armageddon"...
if i made my own:
it would use steel for the chest and back with thicker steel on the front as i don't ever plan on turning my back to an opponent long enough for them to attack. leather straps would hold the various pieces together.
there would be a high backed collar(about 6inches high) that swooped down to a 2inch front with inner padding
the shoulders would have 3 overlapping pieces with steel bands to protect the outer portion of the upper arm, forearms would have leather bracers with steel strips.
upper legs would have leather reinforced with steel and similar for the shins.
however for speed i would most likely go with my list which would be:
1st go to a gun shop/pawn shop and collect a kevlar vest, whatever firearms are there as well as all the ammo possible. the vest would be the majority of the armor the rest would simply be leather(possibly from a harley shop)
2nd locate a secure facility to establish as a center of operations(storage facilities would be perfect as they have pretty good security in place, lots of storage space, and usually backup generators)
3rd locate as many local food and fuel supplies as possible.

everywhere i've lived item 2 and 3 are always done,afterwards i start locating gun/pawn shops.

[Mindas Arran]

Andy, that armor is AWESOME!

I recommend checking out Blood of Heroes. Not only does it have tire-armor, but it's also a fun game that we could all play at the next Gathering. haha :D

[Inari]

If the tyres are so hard to cut, what method is used to shape it for armour, I wonder?

[Kitsu Tails]

tires are able to be cut - However it takes effort and a good blade to do it. Not some pacing blow of a sword or sudden blast of a bullet. Gotta go slow and have lots of patience. Ive seen some real nifty flower pots be made out of tires....

[RyuJin]

there's 3 methods i know of:
1) an electric knife with some patience
2) a hot knife(electric knife with a heating element connected to the blade).
3) a hack saw and a plan

i've seen all 3 methods used by swamp buggy racers, and monster truck builders. the hot knife is fastest and safest as it heats the rubber, making it cut easier and allowing it to melt a bit so your less likely to cut through. the electric knife is second fastest.

[Rivan Elan]

I might suggest buying the vest early because if everything falls apart there will be more people looking to buy a vest than there are vests to be bought.

The chainmailed gloves used in meat packing plants could be nice but anytime you put steel over your body it is going to be a very cold prospect in the winter months. At least in NE.

[RyuJin]

the gloves are a nifty idea but like you mentioned there's the whole cold steel thing...and it's kinda hard to hold a sword or firearm firmly when it's sliding around the steel covered palm

leather gloves would work well as they offer some protection from cuts as well as cold and the leather grips pretty good

[Master Alex Winward]

lol umm nice armour there, but i'll stick with my crude military-style combat gear thanks lol

[RyuJin]

gotta say one thing for sure...that armor does carry a degree of intimidation factor with it as it looks rather demonic or like what you'd see in an anime

[Ro-Ha Til'leto]

Definitely +1 for the cool factor!

And, if you had to do battle in that armor, you could make temporary repairs with a can of Fix-a-Flat! :D

[Master Alex Winward]

lol definitely a cool lookin set o armor, but i think i'll stick with my tactical gear fer now lol