Question about alu shield blanks

[freiman the minstrel]

Guys,

I am considering an aluminum shield blank. This is despite the fact that it is in no way correct for my anglo saxon impression. Availabilty of plywood is a big factor.

I have some questions. I am mostly considering a mandrake 6061 T-6, aircraft aluminum (.09 inch thickness). I don't really know what those terms mean. This one was just easy for me to find, and I pretty much trust mandrake to know what they are doing.

Here are my questions.

1) how long do these things last? I fight between one and three days a week. I wish it were more, but the car wont take it. if it only lasts a few months, screw it, I will make more wooden ones.

2) I want a 31" or 31 and 1/2 " sheild. That size isn't one of their standards. The next larger size is 36", which is $81 (US), plus the addition of the boss hole, it would come to $96 (US), plus shipping. Is this a pretty close to normal price?

3) is there anything that I am just to ignorant of alu shields to ask?

thanks
freiman

[Cet]

Shields made from that alloy and thickness will last for years and years.

That's a good price for an Al blank- there's a good deal of waste from cutting a circle from sheet and the 2' by 4' pieces I buy usually avg out to around $75 my cost. and I get a pretty good price.

[Euric Germanicus]

I have a mandrake shield. They made it about a year ago, and it has seen absurd abuse.

It looks exactly the same as the day I first picked it up. If I had to rate this shield, I would give it an A++.

[cadogan]

Freiman,

My first aluminum shield was bought from Illusion more than 10 years ago. About a year ago, after an airplane trip, I discovered it was cracked where the bolts held the shield basket together. I suspect the airplane ran over it! I bought a new one in case any over zealous marshals thought that crack made it unsafe. The original is still in use as a loaner shield, though!!

My point is - they last a really, really long time and take tons of abuse.

cadogan

[Koredono]

Guys,

I am considering an aluminum shield blank. This is despite the fact that it is in no way correct for my anglo saxon impression. Availabilty of plywood is a big factor.

I have some questions. I am mostly considering a mandrake 6061 T-6, aircraft aluminum (.09 inch thickness). I don't really know what those terms mean. This one was just easy for me to find, and I pretty much trust mandrake to know what they are doing.

Here are my questions.

1) how long do these things last? I fight between one and three days a week. I wish it were more, but the car wont take it. if it only lasts a few months, screw it, I will make more wooden ones.

It should easily last you years and years. About 20 years ago, someone in my local group had an 'in' with someone at Kaiser Aluminum, and got a dozen each of 24" x 48" wall shields and 24" x 30" heaters, ~3/8" thick T-6 aircraft auminum, pre-curved and drilled for attaching edging. People used them for upwards of a decade, every week, every tourney, and I don't think I ever saw one fail in any way or need to be replaced; some went to lighter shields (my heater weighs ~16 lbs), but that's not the same. Now, this is heavier gauge than yours will be, but that should give you some indication of how sturdy they are.

2) I want a 31" or 31 and 1/2 " sheild. That size isn't one of their standards. The next larger size is 36", which is $81 (US), plus the addition of the boss hole, it would come to $96 (US), plus shipping. Is this a pretty close to normal price?

3) is there anything that I am just to ignorant of alu shields to ask?

thanks
freiman

[Jean Richard Malcolmson]

I've used aircraft aluminum shields since I switched to lefty in 1990. In that time I have gone through one 6061 T-6, Two 2024 T-3, and am now using a 7075 T-6 all with a 0.625 thickness (16 gauge). The four digit number is the designation for the alloy and the T-6 is the method of heat treatment used. T-0 is annelled and too soft for shields (I've tried), T-3 is heat treated and is harder and T-6 is heat treated and artifically aged at an elevated temp and is the hardest, but can be a little brittle. My first aluminum shield was surplus from an air force base. Now I usually order a 12' by 4' sheet of aluminum from a metal supplier and have them cut it to the typical 2' by 3' blanks used in Ansteorra. The last time I did this was about 8 years ago and the blanks ended up costing about $45 each.

I get really good life out of these blanks. They are very tough and flexible. I can bend to top of my shield to touch the bottom without any permanent deformation. They eventually fail with a crack in center of the top, usually from a mace shot. Once the crack is more than an inch or so long, I just flip the shield upside down, rehang it and repaint it and it is good for a few more years.

At 0.625 inches thick a 2 x 3 blank weighs 5.5 lbs. Add the edging and hand guard and the weight is just above the 1 pound per square foot minimum in the armour regs.

Regards,
Richard
Ansteorra

[Robert P. Norwalt]

I have a mandrake 30 x 48 curved Gaulic oval,

covered the front in canvas, felt on the back, rimmed in black rubber hose. Holds up well.

[Robert P. Norwalt]

[quote="freiman the minstrel"]Guys,


2) I want a 31" or 31 and 1/2 " sheild. That size isn't one of their standards. The next larger size is 36", which is $81 (US), plus the addition of the boss hole, it would come to $96 (US), plus shipping. Is this a pretty close to normal price?

Damn Freiman. You gonna pay all that, why don't ya try one of Seans?