Hibernicus

Thanks again Thomas.. your post inspired an internet search that eventualy led me to an archaeological report about a possible air pump associated with metal work in a Roman context in Britain! I've written for a copy of the report!

Goatman, thanks very much. And Thomas.. thank you! You wrote: "If you are trying to be accurate in your portrayal you must always be careful of what we would do vs what they did." That is a serious problem for 1stC AD Roman reenactment. We do not know many things. In order to fill gaps in the knowledge we often draw from earlier or later decades/centuries. For example: there is no archaeological evidence for padding worn under armor in our time period. We know it was worn a few centuries later and we know the armor works exceptionally well with padding. So, we wear padding. .. and again: "Some times what they did seems very odd to us; other times it turns out that their ways actually work better than what we would try if doing it ourselves." Exactly! We used to make a hinge for the body armor with powertools... angle grinder with a narrow cutting wheel, dremel, and such.. took about an hour (if you had experience) to complete one hinge and the armor has 8 of them! Then after reading about using chisels to cut brass sheet and after a bit of experimentation we found we could make a hinge in 20 minutes. And now we have a way to demonstrate hinge manufacture at public presentations!

to Matt87 "Sean, may I ask what role you represent at reenactments? " The club's persona is that of a company of soldiers stationed some miles from the legionary fortress on extended duties in a temporary camp. In 2007 we decided to expand our portrayal to include Engineering. This gives us the opportunity as a group and as individuals to portray other aspects of Roman military life as part of our public presentations. We recently built a 16' crane... don't know it full load capabilities.. yet! We recently experimented with a portable forge set up at a 3 month long museum display we did in Anaheim Calif. For fun we've dug entrenchments with hand made tools (Roman pick axes, shovels..) and are trying to coordinate a project in 2009 to include several dozen soldiers digging/constructing a camp entrenchment. My role.. I am President of Legio IX Hispana. But as a Roman soldier I usually portray a Centurio (centurion). Since I know a bit more about swinging a hammer at hot iron I also do some smithing.

Thank you Old Rusty Ted, Happy to share, but I see loads to learn here as well! The first pic is an example of a pump found and partly restored. Note the valves! The next pic is of a simpler design using flap valves.. the stump contains a different pump.

David Sims, Iron for the Eagles for one Oxbow Books Another title: Beyond the Bloom Articles in JRMES. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies

Matt, Wonderful! You familiar with Dave Sims? His publications have been very useful. Smelting is the next step for me. Not this year, though! I live smack dab in the middle of the city. A forge and bread oven in the back yard are enough smoke. Only had the fire department out once in 15 odd years. :D

I have seen these pages. Good stuff!

Seeking input. I built a double chamber bellows, works great.. 42x28.. yeah, its medieval but I was familiar with it Here's a pic on its first day of use... http://legio-ix-hispana.org/gal_muzeo/img_sangandbellows.jpg and it's forge.... It comes apart for transport.. http://legio-ix-hispana.org/gal_muzeo/img_pilaintraining.jpg The fuel is mesquite charcoal.. real charcoal, not briquettes.. 40lb sack from a restaurant supply store. Neighbors prefer the aroma of mesquite over that of coal! Am almost finished building a double bladder bellows - Iron Age .. each bellows is 24" across.. something more appropriate for 1st C AD However, the next bellows project is a piston pump, much like a Roman water pump... Anyone have any experience with this sort of set up? The cylinders will be wood, much like staves in a barrel, except straight.