length of brass shield edging

[richsc]

Before I make lots of tedious cuts of six inches (width of brass strip) it occurred to me to ask what the usual length of brass edging on shields actually was. If six inches with overlap, that's one thing, but if eight inches I have to cut it quite another way. Any ideas?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

umm... six inches seems like quite a lot of overlap for edging...

[PhilusEstilius]

Shield edging should not have any overlap all you need if it is a scutum is the four corner pieces shaped then measure your lengths to meet up against the edges of these, to create the corner pieces you need a piece of mild steel around 10 inches length of about 1/2 an inch wide at 1/4 thick.
This piece of steel is bent to a right angle so that you finish up with a right angle shaped piece of steel 1/4 thick bent over its 1/2 inch width, then heating your folded guttering shaped pieces of brass that are around 10 inches length these can be shaped on your steel former.
Where your guttering shaped brass is at 1/2 an inch wide it should be made from about 1 & 1/2 of an inch to allow for the holes at the ends to take the securing rivets, the length of your straight brass pieces can be as long as you want to reach from each shaped corner.

[PhilusEstilius]

Richard.
I have found a couple of old drawings that may help explain better the tool you need to create the corner pieces for a scutum they may be of some help, however what you might find as you heat your brass to hammer it over the former it will tend to fold at the centre but this can be also hammered down as you go along slowly until you get the right angle you need.
[attachment=12098]edgetool.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=12099]edgestrip.jpg[/attachment]

[PhilusEstilius]

Richard.
I have found a couple of old drawings that may help explain better the tool you need to create the corner pieces for a scutum they may be of some help.
[attachment=12100]edgetool.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=12101]edgestrip.jpg[/attachment]

[Crispianus]

A corner piece from Hawkes and Hull 1947(Colchester), approx 10 inches +/- overall length, I've always assumed it is more or less complete but it may not be....

[attachment=12103]ShieldBinding.jpg[/attachment]

[PhilusEstilius]

I think for a corner piece it would have terminated with the rivet positions but it looks to have continuations after the rivet holes, it also looks like number 2 could well fit the right end maybe.

[richsc]

Thanks Phil. I have made the steel stake for this, so have the corners covered. I was going to overlap the ends since with just one larger end you can save brass with cuttings, but if they're larger on both ends that solves that problem. I could even cheat and butt the nail down ends against each other on the corners, tapering them accordingly or overlapping with a single pin. Hm.