The Armour Archive

Can anyone point me to a pattern for a kite shield?
The ones I have tried to make wind up looking like icecream cones and I know thats not correct.
Thanks

Era and geographical location will help "Kite" shields encompass a lot of shapes.

Alaric

Yeah I guess that would help.
I'm looking at Byzantine between 10 and 1100.
I've seen some pictures that make the shields look like a cross between an oval and a heater.
Hope that helps.

You know, the ice-cream-cone is depicted in some contemporary illustrations. Nonetheless, I think you are after the Bayeaux style kite shields. Here is a basic layout. You can do this directly on the wood for the shield, or on a piece of cardboard (then trace the outline on wood), or, if you are planning a bunch of them, do the layout on hardboard, but just do one side, and flip it over for the second.

Part 1:

So, let's say your starting with a wood panel that's 4x2 feet. First, draw layout lines that divive the panel by both width and height, and divide the upper half again horizontally as so:

Layout1

Second, use a compass, trammels, or string and pencil to sweep out a circle in the upper half:

Layout2

Part 2

Next you layout the lower eliptical curve. This can be done with a piece of string, a pencil and two nails place along the vertical axis. The positions as red dots are guestimated in the picture, so a bit of trial and error will get it. Sweep out the lower curve.

Layout3

Now, I think this makes the lower half a bit "fat", so I prefer a slimmer arrangement like this:

Layout4

To do this, you use bent laths of wood to trace the curves, rather than string. Knock sturdy nails (10 penny; 75mm for folks from Yerp) into the positions shown as green dots in Layout5. These need to be set inside the edges about the same thickness as your lath. The lath should be 6 feet or more (2 meters), and about 1/4 inch thick (6mm). Bend the lath on the outside of any two nails letting the ends of the lath extend past both nails. Adjust the bend until it is a pleasing even curve. Hold in place, and trace your line with a pencil (or chalk, or charcoal).

Now cut it out.

Again, making a reuseable pattern in card or hardboard will save you time and hassle later if you want to make another, or want to help someone else make one.

This is a sample layout, and you can change the proportions to fit either the dimensions you want or to replicate the look of a shield depiction.

Good job Dirk! This should be in the archive!!!

Large Pic

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/m ... 0_0214.JPG

Small Pic

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/m ... 0214_s.JPG

This is mine.

Thanks Ceramite.

Morgan: Nice shield! Is that blue leather on the rim? I like the
proto-heater proportions.

WOW,
Thanks Dirk, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for.
Maybe I'll cut one out this weekend. Now I just gotta figure out how to get that nice curve...

Just try the wood lath thing. Any place you buy wood will have some. Just make sure it flexes nicely.

Uhmmm, Wood lath thing?
I'm afraid I'm not familer with that teqnique. Is their an article around here about it?
I'm mostly a leather worker, my expertise with wood generally dosn't go much further than what is required to make forms or cut out a shield.
Thanks
Edit. Oh I see the wood lath thing your talking about. The curve I was refering to is the concave(?) shape I see to a lot of kites and heaters. Ya know so the shield kind of wraps aorund your body.

Curving the shield: This applies to curving plywood, not joining shield boards into a curve (more on that later).

After building several shield presses and jigs over the years, I have settled on a method that is simple, inexpensive, and works every time.

First, draw a guide in full scale for the amount of curve you want. Cut it into concave and convex pieces for checking the curve later.

You will need:

4 pipe clamps ($5.00 each at Harbor plus some pipe (at least 3 feet long); I use 3/4 inch)
A dozen or more C or F clamps, at least 6 inch throat
A couple dozen or more plywood blocks cut from scrap, 2x2 inches; mine are an inch thick
A box of 3 inch wood screws
Wood glue (your choice)
Saran wrap
Plywood to make shield (your choice)
A drill, bits and drivers
Small 4 inch painting roller

As before, let's say you're making a shield that's 2x4 feet. You're expecting this to get some real punishment, so instead of 2 layers of 1/4 inch plywood, you are going to call around and get 3/16 inch ply and build this out of 3 layers (for a total of 9/16, which I have found is much tougher).

(Again, this is just an example: there are so many options...)

Cut the plywood to the same size panels.

Cut your 2in. plywood blocks and drill a whole in the center of half of them to freely except the shank of your wood screws, and the other half need pilot holes. Cover in several layers of Saran wrap.

Stack your Panes on each other and drill a hole through them all at top center and bottom center. Use a painting roller to evenly spread glue between each sheet according to manufacturer's directions. Titebond III is great; Gorilla glue is very strong; traditional hide glue works just fine.

Clamp the top center and bottom center together with a C or F clamp.

Stretch your pipe clamps across the width of your panels. Space them along the length evenly. Start tightening the pipe clamp until the panels bow up. From now on the edges will stagger, but you can ignore that for now. One at a time, tighten each pipe clamp a bit more. Get your curve guides and start checking the curve from inside or outside. You may find the center gets to the curve you want earlier than the edges. Use your Cor F clamps to lock these curving edges together, as needed.

You may also find the long edges may splay. Use more C or F clamps to pull them together, but not tight yet.

Continue this process until you get just a tad tighter than the curve you want. One by one you can replace the C or F clamps if you want to use them for the next shield blank. Start with the center top and bottom: Remove the clamp, thread a wood screw through a block, through the hole in the plywood (or drill a new one if needed), and screw into the pilot hole block underneath. Tighten it down. The Saran wrap will keep it from sticking.

Do not remove pipe clamps until the glues cures (24; 48 hours; whatever the directions say).

After that, remove all clamps and screw blocks .

Layout your cutting pattern, and cut into the shape you want. If there are any holes left and you want them filled, simply apply wood glue to a dowel of the same diameter as the hole, push some through leaving it proud. When the glue is cure, trim with a chisel or gouge.

Next, I'll tell you how to figure out where to drill for the shield straps so its right the first time!

And here are some nice pics of Byzantine kite shields for you to emulate. Note that some of them really are icecream cone shaped.

You said Byzantine beteen 10 and 1100. Did you mean 1000 and 1100?

BTW, don't take the device of the right hand shield in the scene of the gambling soldiers - that's MINE!

Yes, 1000 to 1100.
I am trying to recreate my SCA persona. I have been doing early period (circa 600 or so), but am getting a little to slow to be effective with a center grip round shield. A friendly shire member helped me do some research and we found that my helmet would work in the Byzantine empire around that time. As a bonus, he also found evidence of leather lamalar armor from that time period and region. And since I wear that for armor I decided to go ahead and switch over. So, I am looking at Viking Rus. Much to my Lady's amusment. She does Rus.

Excellent info, Dirk!

Steve