Mogami do questions

[Sakurai Takamori]

Am planning to cut and shape lames this week (yay)
for my debut do.

Am working towards a go-mai mogami do (AKA laced lamed curaiss in five sections ... and for the love of all that is holy someone tell me if that's an incorrect combination.)

I have one or two quick questions:

One : the central lames on front and back. how wide are they? I'm trying to figure where to place the four sets of hinges...are the central lames (tateage?) as wide as the oshitsuke no ita (I mean the munaita, I think) or do they step out wider under it and hinge with the side pieces more to the sides of the body?

Two: I've read that Tatami do were/could be opened on the right side but have seen nothing of mogami do. Can the opening be moved from left to right and it still be a mogami do?

Three: finally, am unsure of how to do the hinges: I've seen X- laces, simple horizontal lacing loops from one lame section to the next and even running lacing running vertically down the edge of each lame connected to a wide leather flap that acts as a hidden internal hinge. Thoughts as to the right way to go??

All assistance greatly appeciated

Veejay the still nameless

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

One : the central lames on front and back. how wide are they?

How wide are you? What is the circumference of your chest?

I'm trying to figure where to place the four sets of hinges...are the central lames (tateage?) as wide as the oshitsuke no ita (I mean the munaita, I think) or do they step out wider under it and hinge with the side pieces more to the sides of the body?

The hinges rise only as high as the nagagawa dou (the four or five lower pieces). The upper pieces - the tateage dou in front and back and the waki-ita on the sides - do not have attach to the hinge. I think that answers your question.

If you need help finding those pieces:
sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/katchu.html -> Armour Parts

Two: I've read that Tatami do were/could be opened on the right side but have seen nothing of mogami do. Can the opening be moved from left to right and it still be a mogami do?
The opening is almost always on the right side.

Three: finally, am unsure of how to do the hinges: I've seen X- laces, simple horizontal lacing loops from one lame section to the next and even running lacing running vertically down the edge of each lame connected to a wide leather flap that acts as a hidden internal hinge. Thoughts as to the right way to go??
I like you last option best. On my last go-mai-dou, I used four holes at each 'point' which is two on each side. I laced like this where ~ is under the armour and | is over the armour:

O~O
|  |
O O




All assistance greatly appeciated

rhinohide.cx/daimyou/daimyou54/daimyou54.web.infoseek.co.jp/H367/index.html
rhinohide.cx/daimyou/daimyou54/daimyou54.web.infoseek.co.jp/H366/index.html

[Kurodachi no Mykaru]

Measure your chest at nipple height (A). The front tateage (and section below) is nipple width (B). The back tateage the width of your shoulderblades(C). Subtract the front and rear from the total (A-B,C=D). Divide D by 2 for E. E is your left side plate. Divide E by 2 and add 1.5 inches for overlap (F). F are your 2 right side plates.

[Sakurai Takamori]

Thanks for the tips.

I also went back and re-read the fine print in some of Effingham's patten PDFs which answered my first question.

Otagiri-dono, by chance have you any pics of your last go-mai dou? After the hell I went through securing materials for this first dou, I'm hedging my bets and trying to amass as much info as I can before I touch it.

Again, my thanks for the assistance

veejay

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

veejay said:

Otagiri-dono, by chance have you any pics of your last go-mai dou?

rhinohide.cx/katchuu/30shin/img/

[Sakurai Takamori]

And there I thought I'd already poked around every page on your site!

Thanks again.....
and so to bed...for tomorrow we start cutting!!

veejay

[jo]

Otagiri-san,

while I was looking at the pictures you posted (to keep this on topic), I also wandered on your site a bit and saw your hon kozane do maru in progress. Can you tell what the status is because I would LOVE to see it?

Jo

[Kitadatedenka]

Kurodachi said:

Measure your chest at nipple height (A). The front tateage (and section below) is nipple width (B).

Make it slightly wider than nipple width. Trust me.