Newstead lorica plan

[Titus Martius]

Hi folks!
I have just found armorer (in CZ) who is able to make newstead lorica. I need plans of newstead - Bishop's versions with dimenzions.

Any help will be much appreciated.

[FAVENTIANVS]

Be sure to get the revised version (with the hinges upon the shoulders)

[Iosephus]

Titus:

here you can find the plan:
http://www.armatura.connectfree.co.uk/jrmes/j1001.htm

and you need to modify the dimensions so that the final "product" suits your body. We cannot give you dimensions because we doesn't know yours. Before doing anything else (well, ergh, after printing the plan) make a carboard one which suits your body.

It's very important, because you cannot modify the diameter of the girdle plates later.

By the way I think you can do it for yourself and you don't need any armourer. Really.

All you need is to get good snips, a drill, a file, a solderer and the materials (sheet metal, leather, rivets & brass/bronze for the fittings).
OK I admit a hammer and an anvil will also help you a lot... :wink:

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!

Note that Mike Bishop's plans pre-date the Stillfried finds, so his girdle plates are based on the Eining finds (I think!). They are graduated in width, meaning the top plates are narrowest and the bottom ones are widest. And those cast loops are assumed to be used as regular lacing loops. However, most folks these days follow the Stillfried girdle plates, with all plates being the same width, and the closures being those cast loops on one side passing through brass-bordered slots on the other side. We can't be certain they were ALL done that way, though! Personally, I think the graduated plate widths are really spiffy, but I might be inclined to make the closures like the Stillfried pieces anyway. Decisions, decisions!

Vale,

Matthew

[Titus Martius]

Thanks all for valuable info!

[Flavius Promotus]

Dear Martin,

as Iosephus has already written, you can find Mike Bishop's plan for the Newstead segmentata under:

http://www.armatura.connectfree.co.uk/jrmes/j1001.htm

However, the plans are from 2001, and there have been some important finds in the meantime.
In my opinion, the chest and shoulder part of the plans is still very useful, although Arik Greenberg has suggested a few minor alterations, e.g. a different angle for the leather strap that leads to some of the rivets of the shoulder plates (his advice is very useful, as exactly this strap is causing most of the trouble with the cuirasses of LEG III :lol: )

You can find Arik's article here:

http://www.legionsix.org/Newstead%20article.htm

You will have to 'translate' the measurements from inches into centimeters.

More information provided by Matthew Amt can be found here:

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/newstlor.html

Now the girdle section is the tricky thing, as the 2001 plans show a row of copper alloy cast tie loops on both ends of all the girdle plates (with the exception of the lowermost one). However, as Matt Amt has pointed out, new finds from Iza and Stillfried show that (most likely) only the left girdle plates had these loops, while all the girdle plates on the right side had a slot through which the loops of the left plates were pushed and fixated.

You should try to get a copy of:

-Bishop, M.C., 2002, Lorica Segmentata 1. A handbook of articulated Roman plate armour, Duns.
and
-Thomas, M.D., 2003, Lorica Segmentata 2. A catalogue of finds, Duns.
(maybe your local library can help you)

A final pice of advice: before you go to your armourer, study the plans, articles and find reports very thoroughly, and make a cardboard model as Iosephus suggests. This way you already know in advance what should be done and what should be avoided. And have a lot of patience

[Titus Martius]

Thanks for all advices etc. I have just made a deal and my Newstead (Bishop version) lorica will be constructed soon by Matt Lukes. I chose an experienced armourer instead of one without experience with loricas.

I really appreciate all your help.