I just bought some poplar boards (they didn't have any basswood/limewood ) for a kite shield I'm planning on making and if at all possible I would like to make it convex. And I spent some time looking around to see if anyone else has made one that is convex with plank boards. I know there are plenty of convex ones but they are made out of plywood and such not the plank fashion, which I'm going to try and achieve.
So I need your help
The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives- Albert Schweitzer
Right is always pretty, pretty is not always right-Corby de la Flamme
It's better not to practice making armour just do it. Mad Matt
You may actually want to build yourself a shallower version of the kind of shield-press-forming-thing they use in the Legio XX site, Ironic. While they use these to press scutums from plywood, the thing also makes a good former, even using the ratchet straps -- here, more to hold things in place for gluing planed planks together. How thick are those planks? Think you could bend them longitudinally with the right tool and method?
Last edited by Konstantin the Red on Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yup, a table saw will do the job quickly after you joint the edges square.
If its just round in cross section with the curve being the same gradual radius you can do the math.
Laying it out just like you do for a camel backed trunk or "treasure chest"
Otherwise you change the angle every cut to match the profile of your form or "shield press"
For this kind of jointery I would treat the project like furniture and plan things out a bit.
a little more time spent on the first few steps will save you a lot more time on the last few.
A canvas skin will help add a lot of strength to the finished shield, much like a fiberglass epoxy skin over a wood boat hull.
So here comes the first question, what glue would you recommend for gluing the planks together that would work and hold up in SCA style of combat? I was about to go ahead and use my wood glue, (Titebond or Elmer's Wood Glue). But I had to wonder if they would hold up.
What say you?
And some progress pictures
A 5 piece plank shield. :Note: The two end wings are on the side
Whatever glue you prefer for wood working will do the job. What makes the shield durable is a fabric or rawhide shell laminated on front and back. With canvas, thin your glue and paint it on like a size. Its really the same process as prepping a board for medieval painting. The outer layers of gesso make the surface tough and smooth. Lots of thin coats with a minor scrapping in between will make it look great.
A little bump update:
I'm almost done but have run into a wall trying to figure out how to rim my shield with metal. So I'v come here again asking for wisdom from the sages of old.... okay I need some pointers and input on how to achieve a rimmed kite shield. Photos and examples would probably be the most helpful of kite shields that are rimmed with metal.
I've seen round metal rimmed shields which doesn't help me since that's a bit different situation then working on a Convex/plank/ Kite shield, it ain't flat and it ain't round.
This is a start at my first attempt. As you can see between the two metal rims is a gap; I was originally thinking to put a third piece overlapping the two sides ones to close it. But it ended up not really working.(Should have taken a picture of it; piece is destroyed now ) I have another idea to just remake the two pieces and make them longer so they are extended and butt up to each other. But what I don't like about that idea is that leaves a sliver of a gap.
What would be your words to me?
The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives- Albert Schweitzer
Right is always pretty, pretty is not always right-Corby de la Flamme
It's better not to practice making armour just do it. Mad Matt
Consider alternating your notches front/back with top/back or maybe even just back. Not certain if that makes sense in english as it does in my head. You have notched the front and back of the steel to fold it over. consider leaving the front face intact and notching the back and top in some places. If you make a duct-tape patern and try some strategic cuts to get it to unfold flat it should give you the right shape.
I usually use pre-made aluminum C-chanel for plywood to edge shields. I used to notch but now just bend the metal instead. I have (had, old shop) a jig with a few plywood wheels and some pins that could bend the chanel in the easy direction for a flat round shield. Then I would take it to the anvil and insist that the metal bend in the hard direction. Not fun as it wants to twist. I figured next time I would put the hard direction bend in first, probably with some splints in the opening to keep the general shape.
Why not just sandwich the edges between two pieces face and back? Such straps may be curved by hammering, as you no doubt know. You don't need to close the edge over with a U-section anything so long as you have the structural reinforcement the metal either side will lend.
I've seen the sandwich method Konstantin mentioned used- with the metal plates lining each side of the shield edge left a little proud to hold a large piece of rope along the edge - rope about 1" diam. or more, the rope being held on by leather straps at intervals. Looked sharp and was durable SCA wise.
Winner of the Coveted House Clovenshield Underacheiver Scholarship.
) for a kite shield I'm planning on making and if at all possible I would like to make it convex. And I spent some time looking around to see if anyone else has made one that is convex with plank boards. I know there are plenty of convex ones but they are made out of plywood and such not the plank fashion, which I'm going to try and achieve.
) I have another idea to just remake the two pieces and make them longer so they are extended and butt up to each other. But what I don't like about that idea is that leaves a sliver of a gap. 
