01-22-2007, 07:52 AM
I found a design I like in The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome (which arrived promptly, a few days after the seller's e-mail). It's image xiii on page 84. The text about it (page 86) says, "(x) to (xxv) are also legionary shields from Trajan's Column. I've attached a photo of the page. I think I'll simplify it a little, removing the wavy arrows flanking the vertical spikes, leaving the angular arrows.
I've already painted the shield background red. I'm going to give it at least one more coat of red before I attach the brass rims. I won't attach the boss (with a rounded, roughly hexagonal base) until the pattern is done.
I beat on the copper rivets, and they're nice and rounded now. I beat on the washers and heated them to make them look more like hand work. I also found some copper tacks to nail down the rims. I wanted the rim fasteners to match the boss rivets, so it was nice to find copper tacks. Interestingly, I had assumed that the big-box hardware stores stocked pretty much the same stuff, but those tacks are available at Lowe's, but not Home Depot. I'll add pictures of them later.
I've already painted the shield background red. I'm going to give it at least one more coat of red before I attach the brass rims. I won't attach the boss (with a rounded, roughly hexagonal base) until the pattern is done.
I beat on the copper rivets, and they're nice and rounded now. I beat on the washers and heated them to make them look more like hand work. I also found some copper tacks to nail down the rims. I wanted the rim fasteners to match the boss rivets, so it was nice to find copper tacks. Interestingly, I had assumed that the big-box hardware stores stocked pretty much the same stuff, but those tacks are available at Lowe's, but not Home Depot. I'll add pictures of them later.
