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**richsc** · 05-15-2003, 03:33 AM

Here in Legio XX with Matt Amt's we built a caupona for augmenting our military displays. www.geocities.com/richsc53/index.html 
 
I have seen other groups, like Leg II in UK, and Ivan Perell's group in Taragona, with various other displays, and some as in Xanten. There is now a group in California working on a display simliar to our caupona. 
 
I was hoping that through descriptions of what has been built, that we can share best practices and experiences in construction and transportation. One of our biggest problems with the caupona is the warping that just comes with wood, but causes seams and bends that show up and make it harder than originally planned to set the panels up. I am always looking for better hinge and fastener solutions. All the ones I've used have been cheap door hinges with the hinge pin extracted. I have theatrical 'coffin hinges' but have not yet installed them.

Gashford · 05-19-2003, 02:52 AM

Rich 
 
I wil get those details to you that I have promised hopefully this evening. 
 
But a basic run down for here is: 
 
We use a sandwich of 3mm ply on the outside and a piece of thin baton inbetween making prefab walls that are 6'6" high and 8' long with a solid roof. 
 
We are going to experiment in time with internal door sections as they are light and easy for one person to manage, properly painted they should look like internal painted panels ... we hope. 
 
Hope this helps. Graham Ashford
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**richsc** · 05-19-2003, 03:24 AM

Coincidentally, my panels are 6' 5 1/2" tall, which is a 6' piece of 1x3, capped with 3 ft 1/3's on both ends. My panels are lightweight, maybe ten pounds max, with textured paint on them, but I'll have to weight them now that you mention it. I intended one to be easily carried by anyone, and two hinged together to be carried by one.

Gashford · 05-19-2003, 03:55 AM

Rich 
 
We get quite a bit of rain in the UK, so our buildings are a little more solidly constructed ... or perhaps this is another example of the British concepts of over engineering ... I am sure that if we could have used rivets anywhere we would have done. 
 
Also, once you have the first building you can gain others simply with the construction of another two walls! How do you find the canvass walls are holding out to the weather, this could be a good alternative for some ofo our other areas which don't need as much protection. 
 
All the best 
 
Graham Ashford
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**richsc** · 05-19-2003, 04:34 AM

I actually use large plastic tarps to cover the caupona, not canvas, since plastic is waterproof and light weight, and come in very large sizes. 
 
Yes, our panels do suffer a bit of warpage, but I can always twist them into position. 
 
I was wondering how you deal with uneven ground; our caupona is pretty rigid when all set up,and not amenable to slopes. It basically needs a pretty flat area, but that isn't always available. To expand the shops means I need something that is flexible but won't fall over. Suggestions?

Gashford · 05-19-2003, 05:28 AM

Rich 
 
Uneven ground can be a killer, but the hinges that we use typically give us an extra inch of leeway and we carry a bag of long wedges to place under walls if needed and even planks so the whole length of a wal can be raised if needed, but most sites we go to are manageable. 
 
I will get those pictures of the hinges up soon so you can see what I mean. 
 
All the best Graham Ashford
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05-20-2003, 10:37 AM

Here is a crazy brainstorm: How about if us re-enactors in the eastern USA agree to a standardized height and complementary positioning of hinges/latches/interfaces for buildings; that way if I made 2 panels of a pottery shop I could lean/latch on your caupona. In this manner we could slowly grow our village. 
 
I went to a Bethlehem market here in Athens, GA last December and was amazed at how many shops they had crammed into a gymnasium. It seemed they were able to create an atmosphere of a city by zigzagging the edifices. This cuts off the view of the modern world outside of the city. Another thing they used on about half of the walls was tapestry or fabric painted to resemble a wall complete with niches, frescoes, window scenes etc. 
Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub27.ezboard.com/bromancivtalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=paulusflaminius>Paulus Flaminius</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://sc.communities.msn.com/tn/8F/52/PaulsPhotosofRomanLegionaires/1/43.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 5/20/03 12:40:58 pm

Gashford · 05-20-2003, 11:08 AM

Paulus 
 
I am not in the states so I couldn't join in on this. But another way to join different size buildings is with a fascia between the two buildings or even a gap big enough to fill with a couple of crates or amphora to make it al alley way ... ? 
 
If you do a fascia you can place adverts or ther Roman grafitti on them. THis way you need to only be able to lean the fascia against the front of the buildings instead of complex design issues? 
 
Just a thought. Graham Ashford
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**richsc** · 05-20-2003, 04:59 PM

Paulus, that did occur to me and I tried lashing the flats together as they do in the theater, but that isn't too sturdy. I think we might consider some kind of bar crossing over two sides.

05-21-2003, 05:49 AM

see here for a project i was involved with over the summer where we took things one stage further! 
: 
 
www.butser.org.uk/bulletin6.html 
 
Tim Edwards.

JRSCline · 05-21-2003, 06:07 AM

Are you in any of the photos? Looks nice thus far. Could do with a few walls and some tiling. 
 
Cheers 
Jenny

**richsc** · 05-21-2003, 06:24 AM

Salve Ennius! That really is one step further! Didn't someone create a Roman bath in Turkey some years back? I seem to remember seeing that on TV. What will become of your structure when you're done with it?

Gashford · 05-24-2003, 04:41 AM

Rich, 
 
Here are a few images of things under construction. 
 
Hinges: Here is a shot of the male side of the hinges which we use, they get rid of loosing hinge pins and having to align everything exactly the same each time as they are about 2 inches high. Remember to have the top set of the male a little higher than the bottom one to allow for easy construction, trying to align two at the same time is a nightmare. 
 
<img src="http://www.ludus.org.uk/pics/building_hinge.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
Fascia: Next up with have the caupona and fabrica next to one another (unpainted), this has the fascia that I was on about between the two buildings. 
 
<img src="http://www.ludus.org.uk/pics/building1.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
Well I hope that this helps a little. Graham Ashford
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**richsc** · 05-24-2003, 11:16 AM

That is very impressive! I haven't seen those hinges before, but my son says they use them in drama for stage construction, though he thinks they are a bit weak. What are they called? How do they do on uneven ground? I see you're building that on a flat surface (so do I). 
 
Do you have plywood on both sides of the panels? It would seem so since one seems to serve as a double wall.

05-24-2003, 03:17 PM

yep i'm in two of the photos, note the one of me working (therefore obviously posed) 
 
it is hoped that the villa will be built up to full height using original material where possible, although that said there has been some major issues with the progress and sponsorship, of which i havent kept up with whilst going back to uni. 
 
Nice extension Graham! i had no idea you'd done that, look forward to seeing it. 
 
Tim.

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