Aluminum shield blanks.

[Mad Matt]

Ok so I work in a custom aluminum fabrication shop. I can get them to order in rolled t-6 aluminum for me so I can make shield blanks. I'm going to be getting a shear big enough to cut thick stuff soon. Couple things I need to know before I do that though.

What's the optimum thickness for an aluminum shield.

What type of aluminum is best or does it matter.

What's a good size for the curve.

Anyone got any nifty ideas on a good way to package them up for shipping. I was thinking I could probably just wrap them up in that brown packing paper stuff and put the address on it as well as write it on the shield just in case.

That's about it for now. Thanks in advance for any tips.

[Konstantin the Red]

The structural aluminums, precipitation hardening alloys like 6061 and 7075, temper T6 or better, assuming that the metal doesn't go more brittle at the higher T numbers.

Depth of curve, three to four inches at center. It really doesn't need to be deep, as too deep a curvature limits how you can place the forearm, and really a modest curvature makes a big difference in the shield's balance.

You could become one-stop shopping if you also offer grip cages and enarmes straps and materials for edging.

The edges of the blanks ought to be protected; the customers wouldn't care to see them arrive with dings and upsets. The shipping people might like the corners radiused a bit -- a little something to give your product a bit of difference, as one usually sees such blanks having pointy, angled corners.