Greek Helmets With Scales

[Feinman]

Yeah, a jig like that would be the way to do it and still come out the other end of the project with a smile on your face! Occasionally one might have to make a custom wider or thinner scale to finish a row, and the Whitney punch would still be good for that. If you do decide to drill the holes, you'll want to make sure to smooth the edges of the holes, or they'll eventually fray and cut your cords.

[Iphitos]

The mass production would help so much thank you for the idea. For the top of the helmet what would I put there? A circular scale or what exactly?

[Feinman]

Spiros, this is usually where the tube for a featter or horse hair plume would go, and should be ahite small, but in your case as you'll be using a wooden Greek crest block, I'd put a thick leather disc on the inside with two holes, and put two metal staples (or even better, a hole near the bottom running from side to side of the wooden crest block) on the bottom of your block, toward the sides, in the middle. Run a leather thong through those staples (or hole), and through the two holes in the larger leather disc on the inside, and tie it off securely with a couple of overhand ties on the inside.
If you aren't going to use a Crest on the helmet, just dish (dome slightly) a round metal disc, put two holes in it, and run it through the holes in the leather disc and tie it off. The leather disc will be substantially larger than the hole, so it won't pull through.

[Iphitos]

Oh okay thank you. I just need to order all the materials and I can start on the project.

[Feinman]

Take your time with it, and you'll have good results. Use lots of blue painters'tape'; tape a wedge's worth of scales scales together on the back with the proper overlap, and see if they reach far enough to overlap the scale on the next wedge, before you proceed. Lightly mark the correct hole placements with the awl a couple of scales out, each time. Doube and triple-check scale placement before making holes.

[Feinman]

You can get the big 3' x 3' cardstock pieces at a local store, as I see you are actually in California.

[Iphitos]

Could anybody recommend a cheap Corinthian helmet to use as a basis for the project?

[Feinman]

Spiros, just a note --in that depiction the cheekpieces appear to be hinged. Good news for you as you could make the Corinthian plates yourself. You could always modify a Corinthian you buy, but it wouldn't have the hinged cheekpieces.

[Iphitos]

Yes in the depiction the ones in the middle and left seem to have hinged cheekpieces but the one on the bottom right appears to be one piece so if the one I create turns out good I will try with different variations.

[richard robinson]

just found this while looking for pics of Giannis's painted helm;
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%...=lAQEpI6qW

he did a good job, didn't he?

regards
Richard

[Feinman]

Over at Koryvantes they also have madee a Bronze Age scale helmet too. That particular one is very nice. The scales appear to be rivetd on.

[richard robinson]

there is this also but in a different style to what you are chasing: https://www.facebook.com/VMBulgaria/phot...45/?type=1

regards
Richard

[Feinman]

Here is a Bronze Age version I made for Dan Howard:

http://z8.invisionfree.com/Bronze_Age_Ce...id=6811098

Adapted from this Scythian reconstruction:
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4379/...zzzzyi.jpg

[Iphitos]

I just need to find a helmet to use as a basis and get the leather and metal sheets and im ready to start

[Feinman]

I just need to find a helmet to use as a basis and get the leather and metal sheets and im ready to start

By "basis" you mean you will cut off the back and faceplates to use with your helmet?
The leather and linen is the only basis you need for the scales; it forms a rigid construction. The Scythian example in the link above, and even those from Koryvantes, all just have a leather, or leather and linen backing. There is no need for a metal helmet under the scales.