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Starting a scaled chalcidian helmet
#1
[attachment=1637]Chalcidic_unhardened_leathe.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1638]Chalcidic_hardened_leather.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1639]Chalcidic_leatherbase_front.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1636]Corinthian_plaster.jpg[/attachment]
Here is the foundational leather cap to which I intend to attach bronze scales. I will also attach bronze sheets all around it and also bronze cheek pieces. It looks a bit crappy but the general shape should be fine if I manage to get the bronze to compress it a bit from the front to the back (and a bit upwards).

I do believe that the representations of what could be chalcidian helmets covered in scales are possibly painted decorations on solid helmet bowls. I do not however find the idea impossible since there are other historical helmets with bowls made of scales from earlier times and from medieval europe (and probably from Asia as well) .

From my modern perspective I thought it would be easier to build a scaled helmet in my appartment compared to raising a one-piece helmet. Shaping and hardening leather in two planes was however a lot harder than I thought. The organic nature of vegetable tanned leather makes it hard to predict how it behaves when dipped in hot water.

I started by making patterns over a plaster mould I had made earlier. The problem is that I couldn't use the pattern directly since I needed some extra leather as the material shrinks when hardening.

Unfortunately the leather was hardened unevenly when I soaked it in around 80 degrees celsius water. The bowl I dipped it in was too small so I had to move everything around in the hope of getting an even heat. If I would ever try this again I would only damped the leather, shape it, and harden it in the oven.

Anyway, I had to cut up the hardened helmet, remove misshaped parts, add wedges, and re-stitch the pieces.

When I manage to get a hold of bronze sheets I plan to attach the scales so that they overlap upwards. Unless I return to raising a one-piece helmet instead because this project is just a bit too much for me..


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#2
[attachment=1641]Chalcidic_leatherbase_back.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1640]Chalcidic_leatherbase_side.jpg[/attachment]
And a picture indicating how I would need to shape it a bit more and where the bronze will go. Also a pic from the back.


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