How to edge a shield with leather.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

The best way to do this is to get two or three other people together to invest in the largest side of leather that you can afford. A leather weight of 6-7 ounces is best. Gotta go take more pics. More later.

[Cedric Adolphus]

Looking forward to a how to, mine always end badly

[Vitus von Atzinger]

The first cut can be done at the edge of the side if you intend on using the leather for other stuff than shield edging.

If you intend on only using it for shield edging, you can make the first cut down the center of the side at the point where the side is LONGEST. In this pic I am making the first cut on the side.

Using a long straight edge of some type, draw a first straight line- this is the straight cut you will use when you cut the edging out with an adjustable strap cutter. Cut along that first line very carefully with a utility knife.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Cut out your edging piece with a strap cutter. because I use thick shields I made my edging piece three inches wide. 2 1/2" will work for shields that are about 1/2" thick...mine are usually 3/4"...sometimes an inch thick.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Stick the edging piece in a bucket and fill the bucket with water.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

This stuff people say about soaking a piece of leather overnight...I don't know where they get that. In three minutes a piece of 6-8 ounce leather will be absolutely soaking wet.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now, take your shield blank that you have covered in canvas using slightly watered-down Elmer's Glue-All (DON'T USE WOOD GLUE) and get a good look at it.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

You need to take a piece of posterboard and work out a cutaway pattern for right-angles. Some people have the cuts meet and sew the cut closed but that doesn't help things. When you lay over one section of the cut over the other, you get thicker padding at the corner where you need it.

After you make that template, flop the edging on the shield and taking your thumbnail, mark the place where the edging will need to make that right turn.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Lay the piece back on the table and centering your template above the mark you made with your thumb- trace and cut out the corner turn.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now get a feel for how you will make it happen- the fact that the leather is still very wet means that you should be able to form it pretty well just using your fingers.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now, cut a buncha strips from thick cardboard that are six inches long by 1 1/2".

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Using the 40-50 pinch clamps you keep in a bucket, start pinning the edging in place, making sure that none of the clamps touch the actual leather- the cardboard must be between the clamp and the leather.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now let the leather dry in place. From here on I will be using the pics I took while making the teardrop shield I currently have for sale.

If you have pre-formed the leather edging as I have instructed, remove the edging from the shield and dye it the color of your choice. DO NOT attempt to dye it after you have sewn it on. I am too lazy to tell you why- just trust me.

After the dye dries smear white glue on the inside of the entire edging piece. Don't use too much or you will be constantly cleaning the leather with a clean wet rag that you always keep with you. Now you are going to clamp it right back in place.

You have a bucket of white Elmers glue around right? Right?
For the teardrop I laid the edging on the table and smeared the underside with glue. In a few places I used too much.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Here's the edging for the teardrop piece with the glue on it.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now clamp the edging back on.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

When you first clamped the wet edging on the shield you should have watched closely for places where the dging was trying to bulge. By removing the clamp where the problem area is, you can press on it and monkey with it and get it flat if you are careful- put the clamps back on any area that is giving you fits. Eventually you will get it right.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

There- it's glued in place.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Now taking a BRAND NEW drill bit that will leave a hole big enough to pull the needled and wax thread through- start drilling holes every 1 1/2". Leaving an inch between the holes looks even better. IF YOU ARE EDGING A HEATER DRILL THROUGH THE TWO CORNERS FIRST- I will post a pic of what I mean tomorrow.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Take a paintbrush and go back and touch up the sewing holes with dye. Looks better that way.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Start sewing it on- I double-back through each hole twice. Sometimes three times if I am daydreaming.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Looks a helluva lot better than heater hose.

I use wooden shields because aluminum ones are too light and I don't like the way they bounce around.

More tomorrow.

[Keegan Ingrassia]

Excellent! Thank you, Sir.

Two questions: Do you find the leather easier/cheaper to work with than rawhide, or more durable? And why Elmers glue, rather than wood glue?

[Cedric Adolphus]

How much do you dilute the elmers glue?

[Thorgrimr]

I gotta second whoever asked already- why Elmer's and not wood glue? ( I just put some canvas on a shield with Titebond 2, so I'm kinda curious...)

[Chris G.]

I don't think the glue or soaking is necessary if you use 6-8 oz leather that is reasonably pliable. I did my last couple of shields by just starting in one spot, clamping, drilling, and saddle stitching along the entire edge. Only need 2 clamps this way too.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Let's say I fill a Homer bucket with a gallon of Elmer's Glue All...I pour about 1/4 of water over the top and stir it in. Because I keep it out in the hot shed all the time I have to add water to it every few days.

White glue just works better with leather- it soaks in better than other types I have used....and I have even made my own glue from rabbit skin. It cleans up better, too.

If you can work with rawhide- go ahead. If you make a mistake it will shrink and actually break your shield. IMO it ain't worth the trouble.

[Vitus von Atzinger]

I don't think the glue or soaking is necessary if you use 6-8 oz leather that is reasonably pliable. I did my last couple of shields by just starting in one spot, clamping, drilling, and saddle stitching along the entire edge. Only need 2 clamps this way too.

Yup- that works 100% fine it you are patient. I am not. I prefer getting the best form-fit I can get. I just like to clamp it and walk away from it. When I come back and the edging is glued-down just right I find it less stressful and fun for the drilling and sewing.

[Cedric Adolphus]

A 1/4 ratio or a 1/4 of a cup? Sorry if I'm being dense :/

[Vitus von Atzinger]

I pour enough so that I have about 1/4" over the top. I usually let the water just sit on top because it protects the glue.

[Maeryk]

I'm dissapointed. Ever see one of those quarters that's got a seamless wood rim all the way around it? and you wonder "how did they do that?"

Here I figured Vitus would cut a slot in a cow, stick the shield in there, let it grow over, the cut it back out a few years later and whittle away all the cow that's not "Shield edge".







(In all seriousness.. nice work, thanks for sharing the method)

[Cedric Adolphus]

Thanks

[Kilkenny]

I don't think the glue or soaking is necessary if you use 6-8 oz leather that is reasonably pliable. I did my last couple of shields by just starting in one spot, clamping, drilling, and saddle stitching along the entire edge. Only need 2 clamps this way too.

Chris, what you're doing is just putting a decorative edge that provides a minimum of "padding" between the shield rim and the rattan. It also provides a small shield against flying splinters.

Using glue to bond the leather to the wood actually reinforces the edge, as well as making it look finished and providing nominal "padding".

There's a meaningful difference.

[Amanda M]

White glue like that is fairly cheap anyway. I use crap tons of it when I make a new wood shield for myself.

[Foxman]

Vitus, have you seen where people put a poly rope between the leather and the shield?

When I started playing someone showed me how to do that - so the technique we used is pretty much what you have above for the leather edging but with rope in between the leather and shield - protects the wood and extended the lifespan of the shield.

Just curious if there were reasons for you to use or not use that technique?

[Vitus von Atzinger]

I should try that!