Used street signs

Rockman18 · Post by **Rockman18** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 8:45 pm

Where would be a good place to start to look for some of these? I know its not period but I would like to start using a center grip with a boss and don't want it to start killing my arm a quarter of the way through fighter practice and money is kind of tight right now so I thought that this would be cheaper than an actual metal shield blank.

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:33 pm

The local DOT some times decomisions signs. A scrap yard or an aluminum recycler can some times be convinced to part with them. Try the yellow pages and make a few phone calls. On occasions you can get a shield blank for the price of a six-pack and a good story. Other times you can't find any.

With that said signs have highly variable durability qualities depending on alloy and temper. Also you may want to remove that pesky sticker which can be a royal PITA. Road signs are also flat and bending is either easy (which means the shield will dent easy as well) or it is damn near impossible which means the center of balance will be off and contribute to arm tiredness.

The BEST aluminum shields are from 7075-T6 and several professional armorers will sell you a shield of your choice of dimensions that is run through a slip roller to get a good curvature. I would recommend both Windrose and Icefalcon.

Have fun,
Sean

Swete · Post by **Swete** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:41 pm

Well...first you gotta drive waaaaay out into the wooded areas, then ya gotta find a spot where they really just don't need that stop/railroad crossing/forestry sign. Then ya gotta... KIDDING!
Try a local steel/iron/scrap yard. That's where I got the alum for my targe.

And 3/8 plywood really doesn't weigh all that much more than alum for a shield either. I am making a new round center grip and I was surprised by this fact.

-Swete

raito · Post by **raito** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:27 pm

And if you score some, the first thing to do is to grind the signage off them.

In one apartment I lived in years ago, the police climbed into the enclosed patio to take away my stash of legally acquired, decommissioned signage. I got it back, but it was quite a pain, even though I had a receipt, and the people who sold them to me remembered doing so.

Johann Lederer · Post by **Johann Lederer** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:06 am

I am not sure where you are from, so I will be general. If your local area (city, borough, county, township) has a public works or Highway department, check with them. In our area decommissioned or damaged signs go to scrap heap. Our state DOT has a requirement for signs to have "X" reflectivity and readability, so a lot of signs are getting pulled.

If you ask the guys at the highway shop for some, you may score, especially if you tell you what you want to do with them. Of course, you will probably have to come back and show them your work also!
I have even recruited a fighter this way, so good luck!

As for taking the reflective material off: I have burnt it off with a torch, scraped it off with a wallpaper scraper and heat gun and sometimes I leave it on and burn it off when I anneal it to form it. It is up to you.

Rockman18 · Post by **Rockman18** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:14 am

Thanks for the help and sorry for the delay in my reply but I was in the middle of nowhere missouri with no internet and not enough cell signal to use my phone for it. I had just made a 3/8 plywood shield and was using it for about 5 minutes before the strap broke on it, I had forgot to put some decent sized washers on the straps anchor points in my haste to get it finished for that nights fighter practice, so I had used my 3/4 green treated shield that weighs a ton until I borrowed a fellow fighters center bossed street sign shield and it felt like a feather compared to my big one but not that much lighter than the new one I had made. I might just get a center boss if I can find one really cheap as money just got a whole lot tighter after having to replace my fuel pump as I was a quarter of the way home yesterday.

tgimbert · Post by **tgimbert** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:01 pm

I may be able to help you out, in short time order.

I'm new to Rockford, IL and have only been to a few fighter practices. I may have seen you there. Work, family, and a current lack of functional armour are keeping me from practices, but that should all be resolved soon, I hope.

I've got a couple extra road sign blank shields in the garage that might work for you. I have at least one round - I'll look when I get home tonight and see. Maybe we can hook up and I can show you what I've got.

Pm or email me if you'd like to discuss further.

Tgimbert

*edited to remove personal info