The Armour Archive

@ Nick

They were also popular with the heavy infantry 15 cent onwards...

Rana wrote: As a fabulous shield painter yourself, do you find that you are paid what you should be for your level of art, regardless of it's transient nature? And that you have a line of folks in your queue (you should)? Maybe you do, but I find that many talented artists in the SCA greatly undervalue their work. I wish that wasn't the case, regardless of the cause.

For my shield work? Probably. But that is more BECAUSE of the transient nature of the work. If I was going work purely for decorative purposes then I would be able to charge more.

I currently do not have a que full of commissions. I have a couple I need to finish, but again, the price IS a determining factor. I am not painting shields for people that just want "something cool" on their blank. My customers tend to want something Medieval but unique to them. Also I don't paint them as a business. I paint them because I like to. I get paid because it covers my want to paint and my materials.

I'm not sure that "undervalue" is the right term to use. I think "priced for what the market will bare" is more right. Plus, and very often, artisans in the SCA showcase their work by giving it to people who appreciate it, instead of selling it outright.

Dude. that is way sexy. Good stuff!

bump

Bump for a quality product (review coming shortly after a couple of questions are answered by the OP). For the rest of you... how did you attach your handle? I see two options (pics attached below).

As for edging is U channel/pinch weld enough? My plan, at the moment, is U channel or pinch weld followed by canvas covering for the front and felt or something similar for the back and of course painting.

go with option 1. if you want to do rawhide edging its not too hard. start with a big ass rawhide dogbone from petco about $12. soak it in the tub in hot water for about 3 - 4 hours. untie the bone and cut it into 1" strips. overlap them about 2" and sew together using good waxed thread. wrap the rawhide (wet) over the shield and hold in place with duct tape . sew the two ends of the strip together to finish the loop around the shield. make sure their is some space between strips of duct tape so the moisture can evaporate. wait two days remove the tape and the rawhide will have dried and shrunk to fit the shield tightly.this is how the st.george pavises were edged.

cheers,
nicholas

nicholas cochiolo wrote:go with option 1. if you want to do rawhide edging its not too hard. start with a big ass rawhide dogbone from petco about $12. soak it in the tub in hot water for about 3 - 4 hours. untie the bone and cut it into 1" strips. overlap them about 2" and sew together using good waxed thread. wrap the rawhide (wet) over the shield and hold in place with duct tape . sew the two ends of the strip together to finish the loop around the shield. make sure their is some space between strips of duct tape so the moisture can evaporate. wait two days remove the tape and the rawhide will have dried and shrunk to fit the shield tightly.this is how the st.george pavises were edged.

cheers,
nicholas

For canvas to cover the front what kind of glue mixture have you had the best results with? I have heard of using a 3m based spray adhesive and (looking for the link) a glue/water ratio mix of some sort.

Awesome thread over on MyArmoury about pavises here.

NorthHammer wrote:

owen matthew wrote:
Yeah, but who really gets paid enough for their time in this game? Nobody wants to pay that much!

Bump for coolness factor.

By nobody you mean you... I think $300 for a High quality cash-and carry shield is pretty damn fair.

Actually I did not mean myself. I also paint shields, and am a professional freelance artist (and university teacher in the arts) and I consider myself to be fairly good, with a fair amount of shield painting experience. I had people asking me all over the place for my work on their shields but they melt away very quickly when they find out what is fair for a price. Not many people want to pay for expertise, or time. It is compounded by the fact that the paintings do not last forever. Now I mostly trade in services (rather than charge) to keep the SCA going, but even other artisans tend to devalue painting, in my humble experience.

And, yes, Northammer, I do agree with you, sort of. I think $300 is too cheap for a custom built shield, with a custom paint job.

i use 3m super 77 spray glue. put one good heavy coat on the shield wait 30 seconds for it to get tacky then smooth the canvass over the shield and trim with a razor blade. to help with longgevity i then cover with gesso ( i like liquitex) then paint your design. when it is completly dry use "rustolium crystal clear enamal" (either gloss or matt depending on your taste). two light coats, then as many heavy coats until can is empty. the durability will depend greatly on how well your glue job is. loose canvass catches swords. you can expect minor tearing along the channel but other wise i have been fighting with my primary shield for a year with only minor tearing.

cheers,
nicholas

nicholas cochiolo wrote:i use 3m super 77 spray glue. put one good heavy coat on the shield wait 30 seconds for it to get tacky then smooth the canvass over the shield and trim with a razor blade. to help with longgevity i then cover with gesso ( i like liquitex) then paint your design. when it is completly dry use "rustolium crystal clear enamal" (either gloss or matt depending on your taste). two light coats, then as many heavy coats until can is empty. the durability will depend greatly on how well your glue job is. loose canvass catches swords. you can expect minor tearing along the channel but other wise i have been fighting with my primary shield for a year with only minor tearing.

cheers,
nicholas

Awesome! Thanks for the tips. I am doing a "tutorial" over on the construction board and will give credit to you and the pothers who have helped once it is completed.

the one on the right is gone. the one on the left still looking for a new home.

cheers,
nicholas