+- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat)
+-- Forum: Reenactment (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Roman Re-Enactment & Reconstruction (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Thread: Tip of a gladius chape (/showthread.php?tid=3545)
Tip of a gladius chape - Marcus Mummius - 07-02-2005
Salvete,
Has someone experience with the making of pompei gladiuschapes? I want to reconstruct this chape:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/M ... apetip.bmp
I could use every tips you guys can offer because I'm completely inexperienced in this kind of work.
I also have a specific question: how is the tip of the chape(circled in red) constructed?
Thank you very much in advance,
Valete,
Marcus Memmius
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - FAVENTIANVS - 07-02-2005
Ask LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS, he makes it.
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Matt Lukes - 07-02-2005
Ave Marcus Memmius,
I make the 'finial' (not sure if that's the proper term or not) at the bottom of a chape from a piece of solid brass bar- 10-12mm in diameter, and just shape it with a grinder and files- if you have access to a lathe, that'd work even better. Use a piece that's rather longer than you need as it can be hard to work the end of a very short piece. Put it in a bench vise so that only about 5cm of the bar extends beyond the jaws, and do the grinding/ filing, rotating it as necessary. Then when you're done you just cut off the finished end. I usually make it such that I can slide it into place and solder it there from inside.
Vale
Matt
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Marcus Mummius - 07-02-2005
Thanks for the advice Matt! What do you mean by sliding the 'final' into place? Do you slide it into the hole formed by the two 'gutters'?
Best regards
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Matt Lukes - 07-03-2005
Sure thing Jef- and I mean the small knob-like piece at the very bottom tip; a 'finial' is the term for a similar type of object at the top of something like a stair banister, or columns in piece of furniture- but I'm not sure if it's the proper term for this part of a sword scabbard. And yes, I usually reduce the diameter of the top end of the knob/finial a little so that it fits inside the hole formed by the gutters; if one were to try to just place it against the ends of the gutters and solder it (a simple butt joint), obviously it wouldn't be nearly so strong.
Oh, and it can be helpful to bind pieces to be soldered with thin steel wire (NOT galvanized)- it won't draw off heat the way pliars etc. will. Placing an object on a stee wire mesh so you can heat it from below if necessary is good too. And with specific reference to solid objects like the knob/finial at the bottom of a chape, you should heat it from the bottom- it takes the longest to reach soldering temperature and the contact it makes with the gutter sides will be enough to heat them. If you wire everything properly, you can actually solder the gutters together and to the knob/finial all at once.
Vale
Matt
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Marcus Mummius - 07-03-2005
I'm very gratefull Matt, I understand how it works now!
Another question: I've tried to make the gutters. I just took two rectangular pieces of brass and I chiseled out two small decorative gutters in each. Now I'm wondering how to get the plates in the right 'gutter' form to fit the sheat. How do you bend them?
I hope you understand what I mean, I'm not so good at describing these things..
Kindest regards
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Matt Lukes - 07-03-2005
Well Jef just anneal the brass again and it should be soft enough to bend over most any kind of form; round steel bar or tube, wood dowel or even a plank. I'd recommend the latter- just take a piece of wood that's the same width as the gutter you want, round one long edge with sandpaper, a plane or whatever, place that in a vise, lay the brass along it and press down evenly on each side to bend the metal. If you draw a line down the center of the metal, you can keep it straight as you curve. If you use pine or another fairly soft wood, you can also deepen the chiseled grooves again if they are changed during the bending.
Matt
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 07-05-2005
Faventianus is wrong
That sword it's from Hoger Ratsfold.
Usually to make the tip i use a tube with a round piece soldered to close it.
You can make some grooves with a file, or so.
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - FAVENTIANVS - 07-06-2005
I didn't say you made that sword, I meant that you make that kind of swords. :wink:
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - Robert Vermaat - 07-07-2005
Quote:That sword it's from Hoger Ratsfold.That sounds awfully like Holger Ratsdorf...
Re: Tip of a gladius chape - ambrosius - 07-07-2005
:lol: Yes, that's one of Mr. Ratsfold's scabbards alright.
I'd recognise Hoger's workmanship anywhere :lol: