09-14-2013, 12:29 PM
Wow, so it's been over TWO YEARS since I started on this project! :oops: Tools and procrastination were the enemies of the day, yet I finally got off my duff and secured a bench vise and a Whitney punch, which made this project MUCH easier...
At any rate, I just finished it tonight so I figure I'd let everyone know how it turned out:
[attachment=7954]Balteus.JPG[/attachment]
I've affixed my pugio in accordance with Crispvs' article on the carriage of Roman weapons - [url=http://www.romanarmy.net/artweapons.shtml][/url] using some thong to tie the suspension rings directly to the frogs. The only issue I discovered is that when attaching the second frog I had to space it closer to the original frog (Rather than pulling to the maximum distance) so as to account for wearing the belt unarmored; pulled out to the full length, the tension was pulling the pugio out of the thongs. I'm still slightly concerned what will happen when my waist-size increases while wearing segmentata, but as the rivets are already set we'll burn that bridge when we get to it...
[attachment=7955]Buckle.JPG[/attachment]
The buckle and pugio frogs are slightly different than the original belt-plates I was using. Those three parts were ordered from Raymond's Quiet Press, and are cast rather than stamped out of sheet-brass. Fortunately they match closely enough I feel...
[attachment=7956]ApronFront.JPG[/attachment]
The apron was originally started with bronze boat-nails. I discovered mid-way through the project that this is where I was running into most of the difficulties as the bronze doesn't peen over very well. I had to drill out the nails and start again using copper rivets, which worked out much better.
[attachment=7957]ApronRear.JPG[/attachment]
I decided to make individual apron strings, both because I feel it provides a much better appearance and allows me to also integrate the belt plates in that area, but also for utility in repair if there is some manner of failure, or I feel like changing out the terminals at a later date. They are looped over and secured by the third rivet.
[attachment=7958]Rivets.JPG[/attachment]
This was also my first attempt at riveting. Dean Cunningham had provided a sample of what a completed one should look like, and although mine don't look very pretty they get the job completed.
-Quintus Claudius Britanicus
At any rate, I just finished it tonight so I figure I'd let everyone know how it turned out:
[attachment=7954]Balteus.JPG[/attachment]
I've affixed my pugio in accordance with Crispvs' article on the carriage of Roman weapons - [url=http://www.romanarmy.net/artweapons.shtml][/url] using some thong to tie the suspension rings directly to the frogs. The only issue I discovered is that when attaching the second frog I had to space it closer to the original frog (Rather than pulling to the maximum distance) so as to account for wearing the belt unarmored; pulled out to the full length, the tension was pulling the pugio out of the thongs. I'm still slightly concerned what will happen when my waist-size increases while wearing segmentata, but as the rivets are already set we'll burn that bridge when we get to it...
[attachment=7955]Buckle.JPG[/attachment]
The buckle and pugio frogs are slightly different than the original belt-plates I was using. Those three parts were ordered from Raymond's Quiet Press, and are cast rather than stamped out of sheet-brass. Fortunately they match closely enough I feel...
[attachment=7956]ApronFront.JPG[/attachment]
The apron was originally started with bronze boat-nails. I discovered mid-way through the project that this is where I was running into most of the difficulties as the bronze doesn't peen over very well. I had to drill out the nails and start again using copper rivets, which worked out much better.
[attachment=7957]ApronRear.JPG[/attachment]
I decided to make individual apron strings, both because I feel it provides a much better appearance and allows me to also integrate the belt plates in that area, but also for utility in repair if there is some manner of failure, or I feel like changing out the terminals at a later date. They are looped over and secured by the third rivet.
[attachment=7958]Rivets.JPG[/attachment]
This was also my first attempt at riveting. Dean Cunningham had provided a sample of what a completed one should look like, and although mine don't look very pretty they get the job completed.
-Quintus Claudius Britanicus
-Ryan
-Cave a sinistra manu utebatur pro bellator.
-Cave a sinistra manu utebatur pro bellator.
