A central place to talk about weapons and armour, as it relates to your kit. This is where you show it of or talk about making it. Discussing the relative merits of types of weapons goes in the WMA section.
Okay all you shieldwrights. . . makers. . . craftsfolk - anyway I need help! I was going through a scrap wood pile behind my house that termites had gotten into. In that pile, I found some old oak that a guy at work had given me. Brilliant idea Number One: It didn't seem to be in very bad shape, so I got the idea to build myself a shield! This was really thick stuff so I figured any damage from bugs would probably be mostly superficial since the wood still felt very heavy. Brilliant Idea Number Two: While I was planing it down, I remembered I had some pieces of white oak in the storage shed that are about the right size for a 20" diameter shield. I told my son to go get it and I would build him a shield too. Well, long story short, his boards are biscuit jointed together and drying in the clamps. Mine? His looks promising. Okay, about mine.
It seems most of the oak I salvaged for mine is too far gone to work. So brilliant idea number three hit me. There was an old pallet sitting under my carport that I had been meaning to dismantle (that's nearly a day's worth of work alone!). I got almost all of the nails out- my planer found one I missed. I resawed the 1 1/4" supports into something that would give me two boards each. I could have done that better and got more boards out of them. I planed all of these boards down to 1/4" with the plan to make this shield two-layered. The outer layer of boards will be oriented in the vertical position. The back layer will be horizontal. It will have some character-adding nail holes. That's what I'm calling them anyway.
So here's where I need help: How do I assemble the two layers and attach them to each other? They are too narrow to use my biscuit jointer on.
Any pointers?
I'm already making my dishing stump for the bosses.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
...are always shown with a boss and often have wooden or metal bands on the back to strengthen them. All the examples found have been of planked construction although there is some evidence to suggest a plyed construction would make the 'watchglass' shape easier to make. Some shields were edged with a rim of sewn thick leather or hide to strengthen them whilst others were possibly faced with leather or rawhide. However none of the shields excavated demonstrate this even though 'leather covered' is a phrase writers used from that period. Regia Anglorum: Shields
They were made from a single layer of planks butted together, with no iron bands, and the fronts were painted black and yellow. Hustic Viking Shields
You could use a clenched nail to secure the two layers together and edge with rawhide.
Last edited by Beornmann on Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Near is the hour when the Lost should come forth, And the Grey Company ride from the North.
I've been planning to make a wood buckler/targe...I think I'll join you. Don't have a biscuit cutter, but I've got a drill and dowel rods that could do nicely...
I'm definitely gonna hafta make some metal strips for bracing...that'd be legit.
Eric...about that bow you wanted...I may decide I need a shield boss or two in the near future...let us know how yours turn out!
I read about the 2-ply idea on a site about targes. I'll have to see if I can find the site again. I could use a clinched nail. Or I caould possibly use short wood screws around the rim, then edge it with leather or metal. I don't really like that idea though. I think I'd rather use the clinched nails along with some wood glue between the layers.
Greg, dowels would work just as well as the biscuit jointer. I used a doweling jig until my father bought me the biscuit jointer.
Glad to hear about the decision of possibly doing the shield bosses for you. I forgot all about the arrowheads today. As a matter of fact, this day was kinda messed up and I hardly even touched a knife, much less work on one. My adult ADD was kickin' hard today and I had to force myself to focus on anything. So, metal work was out of the question.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
RD was doing a targe a number of years ago on another forum. I don't remember if it was multi-ply or not, if it was he should be able to chime in with a how to.
Here is the shield I made about 4 years ago, it's 2 ply plywood and felt, glued and then shaped by tying a belt around the pieces and left to dry. The boss is from Therion arms, a nice guy the shield is a bit heavy but I was looking for a bit of a fantasy bent to the shield. Eric, this is the same shield I think I told you about that I left MyArmoury over LOL I always meant to put horn tips on the ends but never got around to doing it.
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
Ken, you don't seem very worried that a wizard with a palantir has taken up residence in your yard and has confiscated your shield. He'll be expecting you to feed and house him next thing you know. If it was me, I'd be calling for Gandalf or something. I'm just saying. . .
Cool shield btw.
Beornman, thanks for the sites too.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
Eric C wrote:Ken, you don't seem very worried that a wizard with a palantir has taken up residence in your yard and has confiscated your shield. He'll be expecting you to feed and house him next thing you know. If it was me, I'd be calling for Gandalf or something. I'm just saying. . .
There's no need to fear. See the owl? It's totally Radagast...he has no interest in our affairs. He's probably eating out of the shield boss, or using it as a perch or something.
Our wizard guards the yard, as does our dragon, both part of our "cover the yard with cement" campaign from a few years ago lol less yard to mow, you see
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
A traditional targe
*to my knowledge* wasnt nailed it was glued, the strength came from the composite construction. two layers of 1/4 boards cross plied, glued and covered with leather is pretty stout.
as far as rims go the next sheild I make is going have a laced rim.
The frontier moves with the sun and pushes the Red Man of these wilderness forests in front of it... until one day there will be nowhere left. Then our race will be no more, or be not us.
Thanks for the input. Hopefully I can get back on the shields tomorrow. I'm pushing to get out a hunting knife and cleaver for a guy before muzzleloading season starts. It's just a couple of weeks away. But maybe I can start gluing it all up tomorrow while I am waiting for something else to get done.
Ichthean Forge (pronounced Ick thee an). Maker of knives, and primitive camping gear.
Nice shield, at the moment i'm thinking of a leather covered round shield but wondering about where i could get a boss (thanks for the sites). should the handle be a sort of single grip where you hold a single handle in the middle of the shield behind the boss or a handle that has belt that goes round your forearm and then another for you to hold on to on both on different sides of the shield? Which would work best?
