Brass-framed spangenhelm--in progress

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:08 pm

Avete!

Thought I'd share my latest project, an "Ostrogothic" spangenhelm. So far I have 4 of the 6 brass frame pieces done:

The main basis for this is the first brass-framed helmet shown in this thread:

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=5623

The motif is done in "punctim", little punch-marks. LOTS of little punch-marks! Each one takes a couple hours to do, and I think I'm wrecking my shoulders and neck in the process... The fifth one is covered in masking tape with the pattern drawn on it, which I found to be the best way to get a good result. Once that one is punched, I can peel off the tape and stick it on the matching 6th piece, and just follow the holes!

Once the decoration is done, I bend the piece to shape, with just a little dishing near the bottom with a rubber mallet. Add the ridge down the center with a piece of coat hanger wire taped to the back, hammering into a couple layers of heavy scrap leather. Works like a charm! I have also dished out the disc for the top, and stuck a decorative bit of brass tube on it for the crest tube.

SOMEwhere online I found photos of a gorgeous reconstruction, which was helpful for much of the detail that I can't see on the original. I realized right off the bat that the proportions of my frame pieces are not the same as the original, nor do they match the other repro, but they do seem to be in the ballpark compared to other originals. Over 2 dozen are known of this general type, so there's a lot of neat options. Most have gilded brass and silvered iron--I confess that I'm going to skip that part! Sorry...

Two more originals are at the bottom of this page:

http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEqui ... -late.html

The next-to-last has the brow band that I'll probably base mine on. I'll have to make a couple tools for that. But actually seeing what the design is might be harder than copying it!

The helmet will be used for basic living history stuff, reenactment with steel weapons (no head shots, please!), and maybe some sparring around with latex weapons with the local "Iron Age Heroes" crew. The brass is about 18 gauge or a hair thinner, and the steel panels will be, too. Oh, the browband will actually be thin brass sheet (.015" or .010") wrapped around a steel band, just to complicate things. I have some pieces of riveted mail that I will patch together for the neckguard. Still waffling on the color for the leather edging and the horsehair plume, but no hurry.

Anyway, enjoy! I should make some progress on it this weekend, and more photos will follow, of course.

Thanks for looking!

Matthew

Vladimir · Post by **Vladimir** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:23 pm

That was the inspiration for my helmet.

Will this be a dress helmet, a living history reproduction, or an SCA helmet?

Donngal · Post by **Donngal** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:28 pm

Nice. cant wait to see the finished project.

Donngal

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:38 pm

Thanks! Yeah, this style caught my eye a few years ago, but at that time I had no idea they were so heavily decorated! This will be for living history and reenactments (probably school demos and such more often than battle reenactments, but we'll see). But like I said, it's not an straight copy of one particular artifact. Partly that's because I simply don't have good enough illustrations of any one helmet, and no scale drawings or dimensions at all, and partly it's because there are features of some helmets I can accomplish, and some I'm not so sure of!

Aha, found that REALLY nice repro--probably a lot of you already know this guy:

http://www.drachengold.at/helm.htm

Geez, Google is still turning up stuff I missed the first time around! Well, typical for me, the best information will surface *after* I finish the project!

Valete,

Matthew

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:54 am

Now this is going to be nice!

Remember we like progress pics.

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:38 pm

Progress pic!

Didn't get as much work done last weekend as I had hoped, sorry! But here all 6 frame pieces are done, and temporarily bolted to the top disc. You can see that some subtle tweaking of the pieces is needed to make them all sit with their bottom edges flat. I also plan to punch all of the rivet holes before doing any rivets.

I found an original helmet with a browband motif that I can achieve, it'll just take some time. No surprise...

The crest knob was part of a curtain rod support. Life depends on nicely sorted boxes of accumulated junk!

My lovely wife said, "Wow! It looks like a Christmas ornament!" If you know my wife, you'll understand what an enormous compliment that is.

Enjoy,

Matthew

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:42 pm

Oh yes... now that is more like it.

We do like our progress pics.
I think it gives newbies a sense of what it takes to do this sort of thing.

I found the chisel work to cramp my fingers something terrible.
Therefore it only showes up in my early work.

Hal

Derian le Breton · Post by **Derian le Breton** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 8:10 pm

Cool stuff!

For future reference, if the dots are close together (say, no more than half a radius apart), there is an easy trick to get them in consistent lines that was used heavily on medieval coinage:

Basically all you do is engrave a shallow line with a square graver, then use that line as a guide for your punch. If your punch is domed, it will ride in the groove very easily, and you can get very clean looking lines. If you examine almost any medieval coin with a ring of dots, you will see a thin line connecting them; this is that engraved groove.

-Derian.

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:21 pm

Ah, clever, thanks! Yes, I think mine are actually spaced too far apart, many of the originals seem to actually overlap. Doing lines of embossed dots from the back on some other things I've done, I start by just scribing a line with an Xacto knife, and the punch follows that very nicely.

HOPEfully a little more in a couple days!

Matthew

armourjon · Post by **armourjon** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 9:08 am

wow, very impressed, i cant wait to see how this turns out,

its allways nice to really take your time with a piece such as this because when its done and all the painfull work is over you have something to really be proud of

good going matt

regards jon

Ideval · Post by **Ideval** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:17 pm

Nice work!
I really appreciate the progress pics!

Ld Thomas Willoughby · Sun Dec 06, 2009 8:07 pm

Damn but that's some nice work. That thing is going to rock hard when its done. I wish I had even half an eye for detail work that fine.

Chris Gilman · Post by **Chris Gilman** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:25 pm

Nice looking. Nice clean looking pattern.
I wimped out in putting the dot pattern on mine. Nice tip for getting the dots straight. That was the main reason I didn't do punch work on mine, the crooked lines bugged me.

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:30 pm

Thanks, gents! Yeah, the punchwork was pretty intimidating at first, but having done scale armor, I knew it was one of those projects that gets done faster if you actually *start* it, rather than sitting around thinking about it... And a few days ago I ran across a close-up photo of one of the original helmets, and the punchwork on it really isn't much better than mine--the dots are closer together, but the lines are certainly no straighter!

At this point I need to cut and shape the browband, and get a bunch of little nuts and bolts so I can bolt the segments to the band and get all the shapes right. THEN emboss the brass for wrapping the browband and rivet the whole frame together. Dishing and installing the steel panels will be a cakewalk after all this!

Matthew

mattmaus · Post by **mattmaus** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:35 pm

Matthew Amt wrote: I knew it was one of those projects that gets done faster if you actually *start* it, rather than sitting around thinking about it...

It's been my experience with chisel graving that once I get over the hump of actualy doing the work rather than looking at it that it goes really fast.

The down side to that is that I can get lost in it pretty easy, and 3 days later I end up looking at what was supposed to be a simple straight line border and say to myself "Huh! This is a significantly more complex design than originaly envisioned. That got a bit out of hand on me."

Ernst · Post by **Ernst** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:53 pm

I have been debating using pointillÃ© work to dress up the brass cross on my attempt at a 13th century heaume. I think Matt made up my mind to do it. Fantastic work, sir.

I wonder if this type of work was seen as tedious by folks accustomed to hand sewing and mail making?

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:36 am

Progress at last!

The frame pieces are all fitted together and bolted to the browband. Each frame piece has a steel "rivet plate" riveted inside the bottom edge, and that overlaps the browband and gets riveted to it.

Started embossing the sheathing for the browband, and it's working out pretty well. Also shown are all the high-tech tools that I use for embossing! Yes, that's a Chicago screw--perfect for the little circles. I ended up going with a motif which I didn't think was going to work, but it's the one on the original helmet that mine is most closely based on. Here's a close-up:

It's basically little trees or grape vines with clusters of grapes, a number of little "sun" circles, and each vine flanked by 4 little birds which I haven't done yet. THEY will be the challenging part. I'm cutting out a tiny bird from a thick piece of brass and will Dremel it into something resembling a bird shape, then tape it in place and give it a whack. Then flip it over to do the one facing the other direction. We'll see if that works. There is supposed to be 2 different pairs of birds (one on the ground and one over the branches), so I'll make 2 tiny brass bird dies. I checked a couple leather suppliers to see if they carried any little bird stamps that were even close, but no go. On the other hand, some of the original "birds" are pretty darn stylized, so I should be able to get something accurate even if it isn't easily identifiable!

Anyway, the whole motif is repeated 5 times around the rim, and this piece of brass has 3 of those zones. Sheer luck that it was just the right length for that! So I won't have seams in the middle of a motif section. The only change I'll make in the other sections is to space the trees an eighth-inch farther apart, they're a little more cramped than I'd intended.

Whew, it might work! Back to the basement!

Matthew

Pitbull Armory · Post by **Pitbull Armory** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:58 am

Hi there, I absolutely love this helm and the details you put on it. I cant wait to see it finished. Thank you for the pics and keep up the great work.

Take care

Pitbull

Halvgrimr · Post by **Halvgrimr** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 12:15 pm

Very nicely done Matt!

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:33 pm

Thanks, guys! I hope to emboss more tonight.

Matthew

Effingham · Post by **Effingham** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:34 pm

This is really coming out perty.

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:07 pm

It certainly is.

Thanks for the progress pics.

Gerhard von Liebau · Post by **Gerhard von Liebau** » Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:36 pm

Ohhh, yes! Very pretty indeed. Can't wait to see the finished product! More pictures!

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:43 pm

Wow, got the embossing done! I didn't expect to get that far tonight!

Fifteen little "trees", 30 clusters of grapes (almost 400 individual grapes), 75 "sun" rings, and SIXTY rotten little birds. Actually, I'm pretty pleased with the birds--made a tiny brass die for each of the two types:

They were quicker to make than I thought they'd be, mostly because they're simply too TINY to require much filing! And almost impossible to hold onto... Each one is double-sided, so I did all the left-facing ones, then flipped it over, finished filing the other side, and did all the right-facing ones. Most took only one or two hammer blows. The larger "ducks" at the top of the motif got their feet added separately (modified small Phillips screw driver).

Hoo! Now to get these wrapped around the steel band without mucking them up...

Hey, Gregory, long time no see! Yes, I'm horribly neglecting a LONG list of Bronze Age projects to work on this helmet. And getting horribly inspired to try a Valsgarde helmet, ack! Not tonight.

Enjoy! And thanks for the kind words!

Matthew

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:35 am

Better photos in daylight, including a detail shot:

Matthew

Blackoak · Post by **Blackoak** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:05 am

Holy crap dude that is impressive. Your talent AND your patience.

Well done.

Uric

Pedro Ramirez · Post by **Pedro Ramirez** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:16 am

VERY nice Matt!
I cannot imagine how long it took to do all that punching. Good on ya!
Pedro

David Blackmane · Post by **David Blackmane** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:26 pm

The embossing looks too sweet. I can't wait to see the finished piece.

Vladimir · Post by **Vladimir** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:38 pm

Lookin' good so far.

I can't wait to see the finished product.

Gerhard von Liebau · Post by **Gerhard von Liebau** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:06 pm

For the work that's gone into this piece, I know it's not worth doing something with such little historical merit... But I think a spangenhelm like this would look totally awesome with tooled and painted leather stretched over the top of the steel panels before they were riveted in place. Talk about detail.

I may have to think of doing some such thing.

Matthew Amt · Post by **Matthew Amt** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:30 pm

Leather? Ha! Most of these Baldenheim style helmets had their steel panels sheathed in silver foil! Many were decorated, some were gilded rather than silver. Apparently almost all the brass parts were gilded. So I'm going the cheap and easy route!

The embossing is going faster than the darn little dots on the brass frame! It takes a while to find or make the tools, testing them repeatedly to make sure they work. But then, just one or two taps per component (e.g., tree trunk is one component, each branch is one, each GRAPE is one, etc.). Dots are easy, especially in straight lines. So I'm guessing maybe three hours actual embossing time. Obviously the NEXT helmet would go that much more quickly without the "tooling up" time, ha!

Oops, supper time, gotta run!

Matthew

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:58 pm

I like it... you have the patience of Job.

Forming it around the helm band.
Hmmm.... Without kinking it.
Soft rubber mallet and a folded up towel?

Jolly well done.

Hal

Effingham · Post by **Effingham** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:43 pm

Man, this just keeps getting better and better.

Jovian_Skleros · Post by **Jovian_Skleros** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:40 pm

That is gorgeous work!

Jovian

Gerhard von Liebau · Post by **Gerhard von Liebau** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:53 pm

Matthew Amt wrote:Leather? Ha! Most of these Baldenheim style helmets had their steel panels sheathed in silver foil! Many were decorated, some were gilded rather than silver. Apparently almost all the brass parts were gilded. So I'm going the cheap and easy route!

Lazy ass. Ha, look who's talkin'.