The Armour Archive

What is the best thickness for a shield made up in aluminum when you have no idea what the alloy is?

The scrapyard has some stuff thats around 12 gauge to 1/8th inch...But its not marked in any way for alloy.
So I have no clue whether its soft, or actually aircraft grade scraps.

I'd certainly find out when I hammer on it..
But I'd prefer to figure out whether its a viable thickness at all before I buy some.

-Badger-

Can you tell what it was before showing up the the scrapyard?

Its all fabrication scrap pieces.

Unused sections of virgin 4X8 sheets.

-Badger-

losthelm wrote:Can you tell what it was before showing up the the scrapyard?

I've seen vendors around .09 mostly, with 6065. At .125 it will be a little thick, but it will really depend on the alloy. If the price is right, might as well give it a shot.

I was figuring I'd have a look for you and see what turned up.

I've worked with some of the unmarked stuff before, and its hard as hell to hammer in about 12 gauge.

Theres occasional lucky finds in marked alloys.
But theres no predicting what will turn up.

-Badger-

marcus the pale wrote:I've seen vendors around .09 mostly, with 6065. At .125 it will be a little thick, but it will really depend on the alloy. If the price is right, might as well give it a shot.

My tourney shield is made from two layers of 1/8", riveted together with canvas glued to the front & back.

- Scott

My shield is 0.090 7075 t-6. Leather covered and linen backed.

I would likely buy some and see how it responds to use, assuming your paying only a little more then scrap price.
a 1" strip can be bent, shaped, and abused to find out how durable it will be for a shield.

Even if its something soft like 3003 or 4043 you can do some soft kit accessories.
It holds a polish well for aluminum and works like annealed copper.
Chasing, reposé, or engraving on 3003 or 4043 is fairly easy with hand tools.

marcus the pale wrote:I've seen vendors around .09 mostly, with 6065. At .125 it will be a little thick, but it will really depend on the alloy. If the price is right, might as well give it a shot.

I don't see anything about 6065, but 6061 is weaker than 2024 and 7075 (which doesn't get into the age hardening specs of T-x).

Scott wrote:My tourney shield is made from two layers of 1/8", riveted together with canvas glued to the front & back.

- Scott

What size? That must be really heavy!

My shield is 1/8" 6061 and it is a little heavy but its hard for my opponents to move around. I have gotten used to the weight at this point and I like the fact that my shield doesnt distort. In my 15 years of fighting I have gone through about 5 shields which have all cracked some heroically. The last shield I had was an .090 6061 I got from windrose and it held up for a few years and then developed a couple of cracks after it got distorted out of shape around the tail of the kite and the area where my basket was bolted on. Having gone through so many shields I can say that the windrose shield held up the best, they defiantly make a good product but my local practice has allot of pole arm and greatsword heavy hitters. In retrospect I should have put a reenforce on the areas of greatest stress. The new Shield I fight with I had made up at a local fabrication shop that was going out of business so they threw a scrap big enough for my shield on the roller and this thing is tank.

Baron Alcyoneus wrote:

Scott wrote:My tourney shield is made from two layers of 1/8", riveted together with canvas glued to the front & back.

- Scott

What size? That must be really heavy!

Centergrip kite, 15" x 27"

- Scott