making shields

[William Savage]

Me and my freinds like to train with fake weapons. I thought it would be cool to have shields to train more realistically. So I cut a bunch of different shield shapes out of some plywood in my garage. Then I read, in Ewart Oakshott's A Knight and His Armor, that [color="red"]NO[/color] medieval shields weren't currved. This added strength and helped protect the body better. On examination my shields were flimsy and weak. So I was wundering if anyone might know the simplest way to curve my shields. Thanks, William Savage.

[Matthew_Anderson]

Cut two pieces of 1/4" plywood slightly bigger than the finished shield size you want. Completely coat one side of one piece with a good wood glue. Put the other piece on top of the first. Support the edges of the plywood a few inches off the floor with some blocks or whatever you have. Now put some weight on top of the plywood like sandbags or bricks or whatever you can find till it sags in the middle to the desired curve. Leave it that way till the next day and take the weight off. Now that the glue is set, you'll have a curved piece to cut your shield from. I have made many shields this way, and although I now use a press and clamps, which gives a more consistent result, the crude but effective method described above works pretty well.

[William Savage]

Thanks a lot for the advice. Thats probubly what i'll do. but I was still wundering if there was any way to bend my already cut half inch shields. I've got 4 of them cut and would hate to see them go to wast. But thanks again, I will surly use your technique in the future.

[GeorgeHill]

Hmm.... The buckler was technically a form of sheild and it had no curve, nor did the targe. I think the target could go either way, but then "target" can be a few things as I understand it... I think there would have been some flat shields. And I'm sure the vikings used flat sheids, althought that might not be considered 'medieval.'

Heaters were usually curved.

[Douglas S]

If you can find "door skins" at your local hardware emporium, and they would be equivalent to about 1/8" plywood, then you can layer them with glue. Tie these onto a 55-gal barrel, and you should have about the right curvature.

What period are these intended to emulate?

[JeanryChandler]

If you can find "door skins" at your local hardware emporium, and they would be equivalent to about 1/8" plywood, then you can layer them with glue. Tie these onto a 55-gal barrel, and you should have about the right curvature.

Yeah this is much more realistic way, IMO, since you end up with a shield that is closer to the real width of most historical shields, around 1/4"


DB

[Shane Smith]

Good input on the veneer shield Douglas.Sounds like it may work.

Also, please re-register with your full last name per the forum rules.It will take you only a moment or two.Thanks.

[Ryan Ricks]

what i would do is get a large, shallow pan, and allow the shields to soak in hot or boiling water for a while, until they are completely saturated. then put them up on blocks, with weight in the center as matt described.

basically try some way of getting the wood wet and flexible. just something you could try and experiment with

ryan

[William Savage]

Thanks guys. Ive tried soaking some of the sheilds but not boiling them, I'll try that if i can. But it nothing works having flat shields wont bother me as much if vikings and other shields were flat. Thanks again. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[JeffGentry]

Hey William

Ive tried soaking some of the sheilds but not boiling them,

If you use 1x6 you could make a steamer out of a propane deep fryer or lobster pot and pvc pipe it would be fairly large that is about the only way i know to bend a piece of wood that realy work's, it is a time consuming and kind of expensive if it is only for one project, it work's though.


Jeff