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+--- Thread: Helmet Qs (/showthread.php?tid=14372)
Helmet Qs - tDub248 - 01-08-2009
Hey Everyone! I'm a sculptor at a museum and recently did some armor for a Nativity production. I made everything with Polyester resin and Polyurethane Resin, but now I'm dying to work with metal! There's just to much maintenance with plastic stuff (break to easy, paint rubs off...).
Q's:
With what's been found, are there more iron helmets or Bronze/Brass?
What size of forge would you need for working on a helmet? How big of areas would you heat up to work with? Is it easiest to hammer it into a bowl or form?
What would be some good books or links on this?
That's all I can think of for now... Thanks!
Me - tDub248 - 01-08-2009
Heres one
Re: Helmet Qs - M. Demetrius - 01-08-2009
Nice work! And considering how it was used, it is probably very much better than most productions of similar sort. Way to go.
Crossing over from "theatre" to "reenactor" grade is a pretty big step, though. There are armorers on this forum that can probably lead you in the right direction. Good to have you on board, Travis. Welcome here!
Re: Helmet Qs - Doc - 01-09-2009
The easier method for helmets would be to use a spun bowl which is present for most bronze/brass helmets of the period. The iron helmets were raised from one sheet of iron either by a drop-forge method or simply by hammering the helmet out.
As Demetrius has pointed out, the armorers on this page can be of greater help. Go to the marketplace section. There are custom armorers and vendors of "off the shelf" equipment that has come a long way.
Re: Helmet Qs - tDub248 - 01-09-2009
Thanks! where would I learn more about the spun bowl? how does that work?
Helmet Qs - Coenwulf - 01-09-2009
Take a look at the helmet section in Matthew Amt's Legion Handbook on the Legio XX website. It has a lot of info and some really good links. Then here are a few others: The Artists Blacksmith Assn at www.abana.org , its' British equivalent at www.baba.org and the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland at www.bgcmonline.org links page. If you want to get into blacksmithing the Roman world, joining a local blacksmith guild is a good way to learn the basics, particularly in regard to safety.
Regards,
Henry Irving
Legio XX
Re: Helmet Qs - Magnus - 01-09-2009
Welcome to RAT Travis...some very cool casting there. Nice work!
Re: Helmet Qs - Tarbicus - 01-09-2009
Quote:its' British equivalent at www.baba.orgHenry, you need to take a look at that link you just gave :wink:
Re: Helmet Qs - caiusbeerquitius - 01-09-2009
:lol: ROFLMAO
Re: Helmet Qs - Virilis - 01-09-2009
BAA-BA, BAA-BA, BAA-BA
hock: ...
Helmet Qs - Coenwulf - 01-09-2009
Sorry. It's www.baba.org.uk , not baba.org. The British Artist Blacksmiths
Association.
an embarrased Henry Irving
Helmet Qs - Coenwulf - 01-09-2009
One more link. Jake Powning, a Canadian bladesmith, has some tutorials on
swordmaking on his site at www.powning.com/jake/home/j_homepg.shtml
Henry
Re: Helmet Qs - Matthew Amt - 01-09-2009
Ave, Travis!
GREAT work! Geez, that's vastly better than anything Hollywood has ever come up with... Some more links:
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/helmets.html
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/spunhlm.html
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/armrhnts.html
http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/armor ... _index.htm
http://www.armourarchive.org/
As far as I know, brass and bronze Roman helmets are more common than iron, but that's at least partly because iron simply rusts away more easily. And because for several centuries almost all helmets were bronze. So you kind of have to narrow down the time-frame for your question--Late first century BC would be mostly brass but some iron; Late first century AD probably more iron; 4th century AD probably almost all iron.
Iron helmets (and many copper alloy ones) would have been made with a combination of dishing and raising. The size of the forge needed may simply come down to "the size that works!" You can heat large or small areas and work hot, or heat the whole thing to anneal and work cold, or anneal smaller parts and work cold, etc. Copper alloys are generally worked cold with frequent annealing. Iron is annealed by heating and slow cooling, whereas copper alloys are annealed by heating and quenching.
Not to be discouraging you from making stuff, but most people find that a helmet is NOT a beginner armorer's project! A few shield bosses first, maybe? I'd also recommend practicing on scrap steel first (old shelves and such), before starting to pound on expensive brass. But then, looking at your work, you just might be one of those disgusting multi-talented guys who conquers every new project brilliantly and makes it look easy! (Kinda like me, bwa-ha-ha!) If nothing else, armor-making is certainly *noisier* than resin casting!
Go to! Looking forward to your results! Vale,
Matthew
Thanks! - tDub248 - 01-10-2009
Thanks so much! Thats all very helpful stuff!
Re: Helmet Qs - M. Demetrius - 01-10-2009
Noisier, yes. Foam ear plugs are a must! And liniment for the sore forearms and wrists until you get arms like Popeye, at least.