Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 3:00:47 GMT
This is what I have done so far. They have one bolt holding them, plus 4 small screws, just for extra security. I will likely work on the outside of it tomorrow. i may or may not paint it, but I will add a ton of these brass thumb tacks to give it a cool design I am considering adding a third strap beyond the buckle portion for it to be a handle, while the other two straps function as something to grip unto my arm, but I kind of like how forward the shields edge faces the opponent with just the buckled portion in hand
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Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
Posts: 3,284
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 3:16:18 GMT
My nerd shot lol. Imitating something similar to zelda
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stormmaster
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I like viking/migration era swords
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Post by stormmaster on Jun 16, 2018 3:43:38 GMT
nice start dude, also cant wait for the sword review dude
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Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
Posts: 3,284
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 4:15:11 GMT
I like it so far, but I am starting to see why people usually make these things lighter.
As far as the review goes, I am kinda wondering how I will do that one. I have tested it a bit, but I feel like I am having a hard time getting a full impression based on just dry handling. I am also waiting for the others to review first, as the Gladius guy had a better description than I did on the handling, so I wanna see whose phrases I can reword into something that works better than what I have to offer
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Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
Posts: 3,284
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 8:06:48 GMT
Finished top. For now. I used brass thumb tacks and now my thumb is bruised. What it lacks in symmetry it makes up for in looking less like a table top
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 16, 2018 13:11:44 GMT
May I make a couple of quick suggestions? You could remove the straps and glue some crafts-store felt onto the back for a more luxurious feel and look, or maybe faux fur, or even rabbit fur(unless you are opposed to real fur.) Also, I made a 'wall-hanger' shield(strictly for looks)for a friend once. I used a small stainless steel pet food/water bowl as a shield 'boss' and simply screwed it to the wood in the center. Before doing this, I glued a piece of old, thick curtain material to the front, painted it in his color choices(yellow and green)and decorated it with steel furniture upholstery tacks. It looked pretty damn good. It hangs on his wall to this day with a couple of cheap s.s. swords crossed behind it. Just suggestions, or thoughts for your next shield.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 16, 2018 14:54:13 GMT
That is coming along nicely. Christain has some good suggestions to improve its appearance. Along with those you might consider something to absorb shock if you plan on using your targe. With your arm smack-dab against the targe whatever energy it receives will be transferred to your arm and could be uncomfortable.
I’m still working on my shield. I spent the last three days wrapping the canvas over the edge and will be back at it again today and hopefully finishing that chore. It looks like it’s going to come in at 5 lbs, I was shooting for 4 something. I did some testing on a scrap piece of wood cut off and wrap in the canvas. It trapped a machete well but my XIV wasn’t as impressive. It was stopped and may have been briefly trapped but came out with ease. I was holding the wood so it wasn’t rigidly supported. I am enjoying the project and hope to be finished within a couple of weeks and may do a review. This thing is getting interesting.
Keep us updated.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 16, 2018 15:10:30 GMT
I totally forgot to mention some arm padding. Thanks for mentioning that, Sir Gandy! I'm in the process of a shield-build myself. So far, just a 14ga. boss from GDFB, a chunk of 3/4" treated plywood, and a big roll of leather.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 16, 2018 16:55:12 GMT
Your material list sounds impressive. A big roll of leather sounds expensive. I had about a yard of dark brown canvas on hand so that got pressed into service. It’s about the weight one would use on outdoor lawn furniture. I would have preferred a light colour, something that I could paint and add colour. On the other hand that would have added more weight. My plywood is 3/8”. This was my original plan considering weight as a primary requirement. Then at the last minute thought ½” but the fellow although had that in stock refused to sell it offering a 9 mm 2’x2’ piece so that’s what I ended up with. It’s a beautiful piece of 7 ply wood and probably not a bad idea as I am going to come in about a half pound over target weight.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 16, 2018 17:24:39 GMT
My leather I actually won at an auction from Goodwill, of all places! I won't say what I paid for it, but suffice it to say I got it WAAAAY cheaper than buying it from a leather company. Three whole-hide cow hides of automobile upholstery-grade finished leather---Mercedes/BMW/Rolls Royce quality stuff. A dark, rich brown color. They are HUGE. I sold one of them already. Also got big pieces of red and black leather along with some smaller scrap pieces. I made out like a bandit on that deal.
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Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 19:26:09 GMT
Good ideas, dudes. I think I will make some padding. Some felt would be nice. I usually wear padded arm bands too, but something additional would improve it, functionally, and looks wise
Gotta say that this is far from a wall hanger though. It is quite tough and heavy, like my sword of danu
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 16, 2018 19:49:26 GMT
Even a single padded bracer on your shield arm would do...but in MY case...with steel bracer over the padded. Extra insurance.
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Ifrit
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More edgy than a double edge sword
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Post by Ifrit on Jun 16, 2018 22:53:39 GMT
Thats what I am thinking too. All that padding together would make it feel a ton better
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 16, 2018 23:08:40 GMT
Yup...Imagine a hard mace or war hammer strike on the face of a shield with nothing between your forearm and the wood. If the wood broke, so might your arm. Game over. Cancel Christmas.
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Post by demonskull on Jun 21, 2018 9:05:25 GMT
I've made several brass furniture tacks on leather shields in the past. The trick I've used to make the tacks uniform is to buy several sheets of graph paper. Tape them together to form a single sheet larger than you shield. You'll need to line up the grids exactly so you have a large sheet of graph paper with uniform distance between the grids. Pretty easy to do, they are after all sheet of graph paper.
Cut out a circle of graph paper the same size as your shield with a single point that will line up dead center in your shield. The easiest way to do this is measure your shield. Now tape pencil and string, tie the pencil to the string and simply create a circle on your graph paper the same size as your shield. Cut out the circle and tape it to your shield face. Use the graph to plot your pattern onto the paper. Just put a red dot where each tack should be to complete the pattern.
Next step is to drill starter holes into the shield. You drill a hole through the paper into the wood about a 1/4" deep and slightly smaller diameter than the tack shaft. Brass furniture tacks have a shaft about a 1/2 " long so it's only a starter hole. Once you have completed drilling the pattern, remove the graph paper.
Now simply take your tacks and lightly dip the tip in some wood glue then use a mallet and LIGHTLY tap the tacks down, starting with the center most tacks and work your way out.
You can do this directly onto the wood but I recommend putting down a layer of leather first. It will give your finished product and much better look.
The most ornate one I've done I gave to my brother about twenty years ago but I still have one not so ornate one laying around. I'll add a pic later on today. I've also added a steel rim to mine but it isn't needed and does add a lot of weight.
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Post by demonskull on Jun 21, 2018 10:36:32 GMT
Okay here a pic of the much less ornate shield I still have: i.imgur.com/HcAb5hC.jpgNext is the padding and strapping I used: i.imgur.com/juDzouO.jpgThe padding is a stuffed leather bag/pillow I made that was slightly over the size of my strapping. The longish strap (D ring affair) is a shoulder strap that can be used either for back carry or when in combat to remove some of the weight from your arm. The carriage bolts that hold it in place are counter sunk from the front of the shield. The next pic is something similar to what Christian mentions when he used a dog food bowl for a boss. This one is an old Christmas tree stand repurposed and cut down to make a shield boss: i.imgur.com/jm7z5aU.jpgThe shield is a single piece of plywood. The planking is just magic marker lines drawn parallel to each other. This has fooled a good number of people who have stopped me at ren fairs to ask me how I did it. The next shot is my VW hub cap/buckler: i.imgur.com/DqB8oRa.jpgThis last pic is an Hero's Double bit axe head cut down to a single bit. The decorative brass pieces are actually belt mounts tapped down to match the curvature of the axe head and the "pins" are just shortened nails. I used a flat head screwdriver to make the pattern on them. i.imgur.com/oIyRdZu.jpgTo Christian's and Pgandy's points, use what you have around you, you don't need to purchase expensive supplies to make unique serviceable stuff. Don't have leather, use old fabric. Many old draperies have a tapestry feel to them. The important thing is to have fun and learn new skills.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 21, 2018 13:29:45 GMT
Thanks for your last two posts. I found them informative. What does your tack decorated shield weigh? I hadn’t considered the magic marker. I used wood carving tools and a file. I am making mine centre grip for several reasons and started carving the handle a couple of days ago and suspect that it will occupy my full attention most of the weekend, but am making progress. I painted the inside of the 14 ga. GDFB boss flat black as an anti-rust measure. That colour against the wood colour and grain is appealing and I was tempted to paint the entire boss but when I flipped the shield over that flat black on the solid dark brown background and no border really made it look like Plain Jane so it stays in the white and I will fight rust. The finished shield is beginning to take shape and now looking at it I am beginning to have concerns about the edge. In the long run with no border, in order to trap a blade easier and to save weight, I fear that the canvass may wear. I have had no problem with the heater shield but I believe they used heavier material than I did. I’m undecided at this point but might use a 3/8” rope or raw hide in order to protect the canvass from wear but there’s no hurry for that.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 21, 2018 13:32:18 GMT
Very nicely done stuff, and exactly to the point, D.S. I've thought about adding a steel rim to my shield/mega-buckler project, but you're right about the weight. Instead, I think I will use a length of natural-fiber rope around the circumference. As I understand it, this was done in antiquity, and could easily be replaced if need be. For my shield base, I started with a square cut piece of plywood. Drew out an X on the front from corner to corner to get perfect center, then drilled a hole there. Next, I used a wooden yardstick with a nail in one end to go in the center hole, and a notch cut out for a pencil at the desired measurement for my circle. Ziiiip...and done. Same thing for the center hole under the boss, cut to the size of the underneath opening of the boss. Simple. I use an ice pick to make starter-holes for my tacks, and Gorilla Glue to make sure they stay. I've also found a local source for decorative heavy iron tacks, like you might see on a fancy wooden barn door. Might add a few of those. My goal is to keep the whole thing under 7 pounds, but I'm already pushing the limit. Don't really care...not like it's gonna see actual combat. But....I like knowing that it WILL BE 100% functional.
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Post by demonskull on Jun 21, 2018 16:01:51 GMT
Pgandy: The brass tacked (Vortex) shield weighs appxly 8 lb. It is a little overkill as the plywood is 3/4" and steel rim is about 10ga by 3/4". The battery in the small digital scale I bought for the sword construction data base thread is dead so I had to use a bathroom scale ( a lot more room for error).
I have never done this next suggestion so take it with a grain of salt. Try cutting out another shield the same dimensions then cut another circle about an inch in from the rim. Remove the circle from the work area. At a later date you could use it to make a slightly smaller shield but for now it isn't needed. Now take the "hollow" circle you now have and affix it to your shield as a rim . It will stick out from your shield surface but not as far as your boss. It will add strength to your shield but only very little weight. If you use nuts and bolts counter sunk or raised it will be very difficult to severely damage the shield and the pressure from the bolts will garb your opponents sword better then just the plain rim. It should also prove cheaper than the rawhide. It will also be very easy to decorate.
Christian: The shoulder strap takes up a lot of the weight both for fair going and practice. You are only lifting the shield up to block so it isn't too bad. If I do another, I'd use 1/2" and possibly aluminum for the rim. After I made these shields and a good many others of varying designs without the tacks but some with steel rims, I went to a local Heating and Air Conditioning company to see if they'd sell me some scrap aluminum. They were so surprised someone wanted some they gave me a bunch for free. They are the support strips they use to hold the vents in place. Light as hell and about the same gauge as the steel.
I've also used some of the aluminum to draw circles for shields in the same fashion as you.
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Jun 21, 2018 16:23:03 GMT
I recently purchased a set of well used brass drum-set cymbals for next to nothing. I may flatten them out and make a full metal-over-1/2" ply with a steel boss. I have enough wood scraps from my job to make a nice grip. Just can't decide if I want to polish the face, or paint it.
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