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No modifications. I started from almost total scratch. The bowl is the only part that started life as other than what you see. The neck, cheek guards and neck guard are hand beaten from sheet steel. The brass is from 1/16" brass plate. The brow guard is from 1018 mild steel plate. The only time I used my forge is when I heated and flattened out the ends of the brow guard.
The whole thing, minus the brass was tinned and polished. I just finished the die to make the rosettes (I tried to buy them online without any luck)and still looking for a machine shop to groove the brow trim.
I could have beatened the entire helmet out of sheet steel, but decided to go the faster route. I am well satisfied with the results so far, because 1. I made it and 2. I know the quality of the materials and craftsmanship.
I was just commenting that you have a lot of work to do in deconstructing and then reconstructing your new helmet. To me, it would depend on the quality of the steel and construction of the basic helmet as to whether or not I would want to go through that trouble. I do have more crafting ability than the "average" person, but I learned a lot along the way. I only used inexpensive tools from garage sales and Harbor Freight, so most anyone with a little talent and a lot of tenacity, and of course be willing to put in the long hours, could make one as I have.
Manius Acilius Italicus
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Robert, how do you plan on adding on the brass edging along the helmet? I am thinking about just using a thin 1/2" wide sheet of brass and folding it along the edge of my neckguard after I cut it.
I'm very impressed you've done most of this yourself, it's coming along great!
Quintus Furius Collatinus
-Matt
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Thanks for the encouragement Matt. As for the neck trim, I am looking at a piece of roughly 1/2" brass that now looks like a "Sherman's bowtie". I am abandoning the strip idea and going to thin wall brass tubing. I have found 36" pieces at a local hardware store for about $5, so that would cost me X3 for the cheeck guards and neck guard.
Tubing is easier to bend, then cut with a Dremmel tool and the edges will help grasp the steel edges. I not saying you might not have to rivet strips across it to hold it on, but I doubt it. You could even cheat if not a thread counter and put some adhesive on the edgeing before flattening it out.
I may stir up a few fellow Legionnaires when they see my crest, but will save that until I put in the hair, as the wooden part is finished.
It is a lot of work, but fun, and I have a long ways to go with the kit. Can't decide if it will be the musculata next or the scabbard. Have you looked at my gladius?
Let me know what you think and if I can help in any way.
For Rome and the Senate
Manius Acilius Italicus
Bob
Manius Acilius Italicus
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Awesome work... I really want to see your Crest.
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I promise to post as soon as I have completed it. Work is currently on hold, as I am trying to get the horse hair for the crest and waiting for cooler weather to complete the metal work.
Manius Acilius Italicus
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Cooler weather? Hah come to Scotland. You'll wait a lot longer for hot weather.
great job with the helmet Robert. It's really looking fantastic!
Jim
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Well fellow legionnaries, after a few personal setbacks, I am once again working on my personal helmet. Currently I am getting that special crest in order and I'm getting close to finishing that. I guess the rosettes and brow trim will be next. I'm still waiting on Matt to tell me how his trim from flat stock came out (unless he is like me and hasn't been working on it), as that will be the last thing on the outside. I already have the inside materials ready to go in. No more peeking, as I want to display the totally completed helmet and crest when I finish.
Manius Acilius Italicus
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To all who have viewed my projects, I promise to do more on them in the near future. Currently, I have reentered the gym and started back into bodybuilding. I want to have my body conform to more of what a true legionairre may have looked like. I have the body armor laid out and rounded, but wanted it to fit better. Easy you say, I'm 67 years old.
All of this takes time and a lot of effort, as I am now in a position where I have to fire up the charcoals and beat on some iron and brass. I can't wait to be able to don my kit, but that's a little ways off.
A big thanks to those interested and please write to me with any suggestions, hopefully pro, but I can take the cons also.
Manius Acilius Italicus
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Good luck with the gym thing Robert. It's hard work for some one 67. I'm not far behind at 62 in a few months. I don't have the energy for it after working 12 hour shifts on my feet constantly.
I would love to see your finished kit. Just finished a couple of other projects myself (well not totally finished) I decided to try my hands at a single piece hilt and a lenticular spatha blade with a profile and slight distal taper. It is interesting looking but probably doesn't match any known find.
How long before you finish the armour etc? I would like to add some segmentata drawings to my blade web site. I might start working on those in the next few months.
Keep us posted as I am dying to see the final results.
Jim
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Robert and Jim.
I'm not trying to sound rude but considering age of Romans you two should just be like me and get yourselves a Toga, I'm 79 and you two are coming up to around Roman retirement status just about like my time scale.
Brian Stobbs
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I am a 50 year old pastor of a small northern Michigan USA church and without a secretary! My work hours are uncountable...
I hear you Robert. I am working on two different impressions. An Officer and an Optio. And at the same time, researching for a book that I am writing with the understanding that the armor doesn't just have to fit you... you have to fit the armor.
My son is a body builder and I worked out with him a few years back. I will be hitting the gym with him again starting next week to do just that... "Fit my Armor" and make the armor and myself compliment one another.
In working on this, I have purchased some armor that is not totally historically accurate, on purpose. When I guest speak to men's and young men's groups, I want them to have a hands on feel by wearing the ones that I am putting together.
My son will be wearing one of the Lorica Segmentata kits for his part in the stage production that we are doing next week. I will post pictures of him when we get them.
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Jim, I wish I had a strict time table to guide me, however it is up to priorities at this point. I have so many things going on that I will have to make myself fire up the forge and start beating on metal again. One thing that has slowed me down is the decision making in design and execution of my projects. I wanted my works to be as handcrafted as possible, suit my likes but conform, to a degree, to some sort of historical accuracy.
I hope you maintain the gym and get that body into great shape. I know how tough it is to workout and work long hours, as I did the same thing myself until I retired. We worked around the clock and I often worked a 36+ hour shift without rest and still had to take care of my personal business.
I have always said, "life is tough and then you die". As long as I'm warm and upright, I'll continue on and hope you do also. Best of luck to you.
Manius Acilius Italicus
