12-19-2006, 08:28 AM
I'm making progress on my scutum, and it's getting to the point where I need to decide on some specific details.
First, I know that rivets are appropriate for attaching the boss to the rest of the scutum. Would this sort of rivet be OK?
Second, I know I'll need something to attach my brass rims (made from the thinnest brass Online Metals stocks) to the edge of the scutum. Would I want to use the same sort of rivet, some other kind of rivet, or a bent-over nail?
Third, I would like the back braces securely attached to the main scutum board (two layers of door-skin plywood -- not the most realistic, but I'm new at this). Would more rivets be supported by archaeological record, contrary to the record, or neither supported nor contradicted? Would some other mechanical fastener be reasonable, in addition to the glue (Elmer's wood glue) I'm already using?
Fourth, what methods of decorating the front are reasonable? I'd prefer to avoid painting directly onto the facing fabric (inauthentic but inexpensive quilting cotton that looks a lot like linen), because I don't think my hands are steady enough to avoid ugly slips. Would it be reasonable to cut the decorations from separate pieces of fabric, paint them instead, and glue them (if I get them right) onto the facing fabric? What about embroidering the patterns onto separate fabric, which offers sharper contrast, doesn't run while paint dries, and doesn't require special tricks to trace the decoration pattern?
Fifth, what sort of patterns are appropriate for the front decoration? I don't have a specific period in mind, beyond making the full set of gear look reasonably self-consistent. The scutum has a small Deepeeka boss (SoulOfTheWarrior AH6752B, small but inexpensive, and ordered before I figured out how to hammer brass correctly). It goes with a FindItArmory Pompeii gladius (SDK1171, bargain-priced but nice), Deepeeka lorica segmentata and Gallic G helmet (SoulOfTheWarrior AH3851 and AH6052N), Soul of the Warrior balteus, and the crappy vinyl caligae I made (they look OK from a distance but not up close) from the Legio XX pattern.
I thought about using the Legio XX design, since the web site has such nice patterns, but I'm not near their geographic area so it wouldn't really fit in if I join a group. I also thought about the Legio IX Hispana pattern, since I live in Washington and their site says they cover California, Oregon, and Washington, but as far as I can tell there aren't any chapters active in Washington. So best might be to just choose a pattern that fits best with the other gear and doesn't advertise me as part of a group that I don't march with.
First, I know that rivets are appropriate for attaching the boss to the rest of the scutum. Would this sort of rivet be OK?
Second, I know I'll need something to attach my brass rims (made from the thinnest brass Online Metals stocks) to the edge of the scutum. Would I want to use the same sort of rivet, some other kind of rivet, or a bent-over nail?
Third, I would like the back braces securely attached to the main scutum board (two layers of door-skin plywood -- not the most realistic, but I'm new at this). Would more rivets be supported by archaeological record, contrary to the record, or neither supported nor contradicted? Would some other mechanical fastener be reasonable, in addition to the glue (Elmer's wood glue) I'm already using?
Fourth, what methods of decorating the front are reasonable? I'd prefer to avoid painting directly onto the facing fabric (inauthentic but inexpensive quilting cotton that looks a lot like linen), because I don't think my hands are steady enough to avoid ugly slips. Would it be reasonable to cut the decorations from separate pieces of fabric, paint them instead, and glue them (if I get them right) onto the facing fabric? What about embroidering the patterns onto separate fabric, which offers sharper contrast, doesn't run while paint dries, and doesn't require special tricks to trace the decoration pattern?
Fifth, what sort of patterns are appropriate for the front decoration? I don't have a specific period in mind, beyond making the full set of gear look reasonably self-consistent. The scutum has a small Deepeeka boss (SoulOfTheWarrior AH6752B, small but inexpensive, and ordered before I figured out how to hammer brass correctly). It goes with a FindItArmory Pompeii gladius (SDK1171, bargain-priced but nice), Deepeeka lorica segmentata and Gallic G helmet (SoulOfTheWarrior AH3851 and AH6052N), Soul of the Warrior balteus, and the crappy vinyl caligae I made (they look OK from a distance but not up close) from the Legio XX pattern.
I thought about using the Legio XX design, since the web site has such nice patterns, but I'm not near their geographic area so it wouldn't really fit in if I join a group. I also thought about the Legio IX Hispana pattern, since I live in Washington and their site says they cover California, Oregon, and Washington, but as far as I can tell there aren't any chapters active in Washington. So best might be to just choose a pattern that fits best with the other gear and doesn't advertise me as part of a group that I don't march with.
