4/8/24: Dremel, Dremel, Dremel
Connor O -
This week seems more unproductive than the last few, but nonetheless time continues to be poured into the helmet. The bowl of the helmet is officially polished and ready to be assembled, while the backside and rear still need more sanding. You can see that the front of the helmet has a very smooth look to it, while the backside is still choppy and doesn’t look too smooth. That is an easy fix using the new method of using a Dremel.
That being said, I had the opportunity to attach my first piece to the helmet that isn’t made of steel:
The brass edging covers three sections: the neck guard, and each of the two cheekguards. I also polished it with clay so it’s very shiny. That’s one down, two to go.
As for the inside, Romans historically would have made a leather basket-like harness that the wearer’s head would touch instead of the hard metal interior. However, partly for simplicity’s sake, as well as comfortability, I have elected to use closed-cell foam padding similar to what I’ve grown up using wearing inside of hockey helmets. An added bonus of this is that it doesn’t absorb water or sweat as easily as leather does.
Before fitting the foam, I want to ensure the inside doesn’t rust while it’s hidden from sight. To do this, I have sanded and spray painted it with Plasti-Dip, so over time rust cannot penetrate the steel and ruin the helmet. It also provides a better surface for the foam to be glued to.
Foam isn’t pretty, though. To counter this, I have bought some very fancy fabric — velvet to be exact, which completes the color scheme of the Roman flag alongside brass.
I am hoping that by the end of this week I’ll have the entirety of my sanding complete, and maybe even get started on the final assembly. All I have left to make are the two hooks a crest is fastened by, the carry handle, and the forehead brim. Most of these I was planning on making the past week, but sanding has taken more time than I anticipated.
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