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Roman camp for kids.
#1
I spent all day planning the activities for my school districts summer camp. I was asked to do a Roman history class. Among other activities I will be commanding 32 kids in a few drills from the Ludas militas tactica. They are going to create a cardboard kit. Maybe next year I will have an entire century.
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#2
Linda and I will help however we can. Please keep us posted. 32 is a big batch of junior legionaries!

Those brass-plated brads (the ones with the folding flat strips) work well for rivets on cardboard armor. There is "silver" duck tape at WalMart that works to transform pipe wrap, foam, or cardboard into "metal". What do you have in mind for helmets?

We've made cardboard shields of different sorts for the Sherwood Forest Kid Battle. They do very well against soft swords and spears. They wouldn't hold up with wood, though. See the Coh V photos. We're still trying to come up with a simple, cheap shield boss. Might make a mold and crank out some from papier mache. It might work--
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#3
As these kids could be auxillary, you can make or get them to make oval shields. If they were to glue two layers of cardboard with the ribs at right angles (cardboard ply) the shield would gain strenght. They then could clue a simple H frame with slats of pine to the inside to beef it up even further and provide a handle. For the shieldboss, the papier mache is a good idea, you may want to fortify it by adding some plaster to the mix and using gauze for some layers. That works like a cast for a broken limb. If you want metal see if you can pick up disposable aluminum bowls or visit the local Ikea for small metal bowls. OK, the rims of these are small, but will only take construction glue or a few rivits to attach.

I wish you a great day! There is so much fun in getting kids to enthousiasticly participate!
Salvete et Valete



Nil volentibus arduum





Robert P. Wimmers
www.erfgoedenzo.nl/Diensten/Creatie Big Grin
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#4
That's pretty much what we did. We used discarded boxes from a furniture store, and glued two layers together with contact cement. They work well enough, until someone bends them too hard, We suffer about 5% losses per weekend. Most of those can be layered with a third layer and sent back into battle.

I'm experimenting with a curved scutum using cardboard. Not ready for publication, but the idea seems sound enough.

BTW, none of ours use wood bracing. The cardboard alone is good enough for the foam and tape swords and spears.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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