At the end of the 1st century, various modifications resulted in a simpler, more robust design. This is the kind of gear that the soldiers in the movie "Gladiator" (late 2nd century) should have been wearing, along with Italic (Type G?) helmets. Traces of Newstead-type armour have been found as late as the middle of the 3rd century. Newstead reconstructions are harder to find than Corbridge types, because many re-enactors focus on the early 1st century, and also there is a perception that the Newstead style is cumbersome and difficult to put on. Poulter, Amt, and various other authorities have suggested that this may mostly be due to the assumptions made by Robinson in the 1970s (a superb scholar and armourer regardless). At present, there is just as much evidence for using buckle closures as the pin arrangement he proposed. Maybe the upcoming 2nd edition of Roman Military Equipment will address this problem. I've chosen to use the alternative proposed by Poulter, because it's adjustable, and it's a change from what Museum Replicas (www.museumreplicas.com) is offering. The excavated plates from the collar assembly appear to have been nearly 2 mm thick, so it would probably be okay to use 16 ga. for these 6 plates and 18 ga. for the rest. Note that the flanged area around the neck was likely lined with brass edging to prevent cuts. The slots on the back and breastplates were also protected with folded-over brass liners, which would have been useful if a strap closure were used.
Sources for Hardware
Copper roofing nails (period-type rivets); small 4 or 6-hole mending plates (sturdy eyes for Corbridge "B", "C", and Newstead); crafts and hobby stores (beads and buttons for ornamental disks around exposed rivets, unattached 0.75" to 1.5" belt buckles).
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