Yesterday me and a friend built a shield press based on the design by Ye Olde Gaffer. It took us about five hours to build, including shopping for materials. The total cost, including straps and material for two shields was about US$ 100. Immediately after we loaded it up with the first shield blank. It's quite a scary thing when loaded. Not just because it looks like a coffin, but there is a lot of tension on the straps.

I left it to dry for 24 hours and today I took it out and cut out the shield. As you can see in the third photo the shield did spring back a bit, but overall I am still happy with the results. But if you have any tips on how to make a blank that doesn't spring back so much then I would love to hear it!

The shield itself is made from two layers of birch plywood, 4 millimeter thick. The glue I used is Bison wood glue, unthinned and applied liberally with a brush. The blanks are 61x122 centimeter (the standard plywood size here in The Netherlands). The shield itself came out at 57x100 centimeter (I'll post the exact design in my other thread).

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The shield press. I put some oven paper in the slot to prevent gluing the shield blank to the press.

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The press loaded, waiting to dry.

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The shield after drying 24 hours. Notice how it springs back a bit.

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The shield after cutting it out.

Sander,
Nice shield press/ former! I think making a shield would be a fun project, and the end result would be nice to addition to a homes decor. I think the best part would be painting the front with a cool design. I do not know much about shields. Do you intend to cover this with many layers of fabric? What do you intend to paint onto the shield?

As I looked through the pictures I noticed the small modular work bench made by Black and Decker if I recall correctly. I have contemplated getting that work bench due to my limited space, and was wondering if you liked it as a tool.

Nice job, Sander! I recently made one using Gaffer's shield press, and you're right, all that tension is a bit unnerving as you're ratcheting down those straps! I used Titebond II glue and left mine in the press a few days. I ended up with a little less spring back that way, so you might give that a shot. I faced mine with heavy duck canvas, then spread a second layer of glue over that. Paint and three layers of polyurethane hardened it up even more. Are you going to edge it before you take it to practice?

Man, I've gotta make me one of these shield press', maybe with a slightly steeper curve.
With regards to edging and looks, what I did with one of mine (it was 5 or 6mm thick) was do all the enarmes and strapping and padding, then I put some cheap bright green el-crappy leather around the edge (have yet to try with either decent veg tanned leather or hardened rawhide) that cost me about a $1, then I simply put two layers of linen over the thing (didn't have canvas, though that would be better) and did the whole 'add more glue' thing then primer coat, then design. I must try that hardening agent everyone keeps mentioning, but I hate the 'gloss' finish I've seen similar things give.
I think that the fact that these are going to be used and probably destroyed in anything from training to fighting, to use sweet historically accurate things to make it with would be a tad annoying. Spend weeks making something, then it get trashed, no thanks :lol:

Hmm, so in your shield, the edging goes under the canvas facing? Do you have any pictures? I'd like to see how that looks.

I can go one better; how about a video :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDq9ios69OA
Not the best out there, but hopefully it gives you an idea...
Edit: No wait! Not that one, this one is the one you might want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg8ejfh1c8o&feature=related
Yeah, I tend to digress alot. :arrow:

That looks quite good. Thanks for the video and the images.

Quote:

btw Sander, it seems we are reenacting the very same thing =)

It appears so, yes :) Please let me know about your red pigments when you find them. I probably won't be mixing my own paint like you are going to do, but I am very interested in which colours were available back then.

To avoid excessive springback you might try and steam the shield blank first. It takes extra work but it may solve your problem.

I made my shield without a shield press. Without a press you can get as deep a curvature as you like.

Nice press Sander! I made my kite shield by tying it around two poles, but it turned out a bit crooked. Not too bad for training, but not really nice either.

Bjorn Hagstrom wrote:

I now have to hide-glue/gesso the front and find some period red pigment to paint it with, since I lean towards the red/white design for the hospitaller shield. I do plan on making my own linseedoil based paint for this.

Here's a supplier of a lot of old-fashioned painting materials (pigments, oils, glues etc.):
http://www.verfmolendekat.com/en/home.html

Not everything they sell belongs to the middle ages, but some of it does.

They do have a lot of variety in colours and materials.

They have quite a few distributors in the Netherlands, so if you are able it might be worthwhile to check it out. See the Dutch-language page for details. They also have an English language webshop.

Thanks for the compliments and tips!

Ron Reuter wrote:

I have found that the Birch plywood springs back much more then using fir or pine plywood.

Any idea if a shield made out of fir or pine is as strong as one made from birch? When I was in the hardware store I mainly chose the birch plywood because it had nice, even layers. The fir plywood and a very thick and light coloured inner layer and two very thin outer layers. Almost as if it was veneer instead of plywood.

Paul Hansen wrote:

Here's a supplier of a lot of old-fashioned painting materials (pigments, oils, glues etc.): http://www.verfmolendekat.com/en/home.html

Great resource, thanks!

I really wish I had a shield press. I have attempted to make one but the press cracked and was basically worthless. I have not tried to make one since but I really would like to as I am trying to get some shields together for some friends.

Felix,

How did you make your shield. If you do not want to take this post over shoot me a PM. I tried using a log and it worked just barely. Still thinking over ways to do this.

RPM