Kite Shield Construction
Sept 20, 2008 1:57:36 GMT
Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2008 1:57:36 GMT
Heya all......I've dabbled in the SCA....and will get heavily involved with it again after the first of the year (new job, wedding in December....lot on the plate this year.) I've made 2 of these....for about $50 bucks at Lowes...not counting the shield basket, pad, or arm strap. Those are 2006 prices mind you....but makes a very durable kite shield, roughly 2' by 4', even curved if you like. That takes building a simple shield press out of 2x4s....and a handful of C clamps.
Supplies req'd:
2 pieces 1/4" plywood, 2ft by 4 ft (or 1 4x8 sheet cut in half)
High strength wood glue.....enough to glue the 2 pieces of plywood together. (I got a 32 ounce bottle of TiteBond and had more than enough for 2 shields and then some).
A box of small nails
A box of 1 1/4 wood screws
4 2x4x10
10 2" C clamps
3 6" C clamps
First, you need to build a shield press (if you plan on putting a curve in the shield). Basically it's a 3' x 5' rectangle made from the 2x4's, with a center beam made from a 2x4. Then make a press bar....I did this with one of the 2x4's, cut in half and screwed together in an L-shape, with 3 small pieces of 2x4 as press points (the pictures show it best).
Once that's done, apply an ample amount of wood glue to one side of one of the sheets of plywood. Place on edge of the plywood under the stationary side of the frame, lining the centerlines of the plywood and the center beam up. Put the press bar on the other side, and with your arms/knees and bodyweight, press the shield into a curve and use the large C-clamps to clamp the press bar down. Clamp the top and bottom edges of the plywood, so it looks like this:
Let it dry for at least 24 hours....I think I left it in for a couple days, just to give the glue plenty of time to set up, and the curve to really get "set" in the shield.
Once it's been in the press for a couple days, you can loosen the clamps on the press bar and pull the shield blank from the press. If you're making a Roman style shield, use a drill and jig saw to cut out a hole in the center, install a center grip boss, and go from there. For a kite shield, us a jig saw to shape the shield bottom, like so.
You can see the curve here:
If you're gonna mount hardware (straps, shield-basket,etc) do it now before applying canvas to the outside of the shield. The edges of the plywood will be slightly uneven due to the curve, so you'll want to sand those smooth as well.
I used spray adhesive and staples along the back to apply canvas to the outside of the shield.
And paint to your hearts content. This is a shield I made for my young cousin for his "Knights" themed birthday. It has the family armory painted on the canvas.
I didn't get the chevron angle right, nor is it wide enough. But it turned out well for a first attempt, I think. It's fairly easy, about $50-$60,and a couple days of time.
~Jaufres
Supplies req'd:
2 pieces 1/4" plywood, 2ft by 4 ft (or 1 4x8 sheet cut in half)
High strength wood glue.....enough to glue the 2 pieces of plywood together. (I got a 32 ounce bottle of TiteBond and had more than enough for 2 shields and then some).
A box of small nails
A box of 1 1/4 wood screws
4 2x4x10
10 2" C clamps
3 6" C clamps
First, you need to build a shield press (if you plan on putting a curve in the shield). Basically it's a 3' x 5' rectangle made from the 2x4's, with a center beam made from a 2x4. Then make a press bar....I did this with one of the 2x4's, cut in half and screwed together in an L-shape, with 3 small pieces of 2x4 as press points (the pictures show it best).
Once that's done, apply an ample amount of wood glue to one side of one of the sheets of plywood. Place on edge of the plywood under the stationary side of the frame, lining the centerlines of the plywood and the center beam up. Put the press bar on the other side, and with your arms/knees and bodyweight, press the shield into a curve and use the large C-clamps to clamp the press bar down. Clamp the top and bottom edges of the plywood, so it looks like this:
Let it dry for at least 24 hours....I think I left it in for a couple days, just to give the glue plenty of time to set up, and the curve to really get "set" in the shield.
Once it's been in the press for a couple days, you can loosen the clamps on the press bar and pull the shield blank from the press. If you're making a Roman style shield, use a drill and jig saw to cut out a hole in the center, install a center grip boss, and go from there. For a kite shield, us a jig saw to shape the shield bottom, like so.
You can see the curve here:
If you're gonna mount hardware (straps, shield-basket,etc) do it now before applying canvas to the outside of the shield. The edges of the plywood will be slightly uneven due to the curve, so you'll want to sand those smooth as well.
I used spray adhesive and staples along the back to apply canvas to the outside of the shield.
And paint to your hearts content. This is a shield I made for my young cousin for his "Knights" themed birthday. It has the family armory painted on the canvas.
I didn't get the chevron angle right, nor is it wide enough. But it turned out well for a first attempt, I think. It's fairly easy, about $50-$60,and a couple days of time.
~Jaufres