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Shields!
#1
I am starting my own group and I have a little trouble arming all my men with shields I have seen the post on how to bend a shield which is what i wana do partially but i never got what they were saying so can anyone tell me how to bend a shield in a simpilar way. Before that i would like to know what i need to preform the task of bending and just makeing a flat shield.
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John Jenkins

A little man with a big imagination
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#2
Hi John,

Did you see this page of Matts website:
link from old RAT

Also, I would advise you to read this topic
link from old RAT

It's not that hard to bend a plywood layered scutum blank, but you need some experience. My first was very bad, but now I've done already 5 and the last 3 are almost perfect.
________________________________________
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#3
I found how to make a sctum bender or whatever its called on.www.larp.com/legioxx/bad.html
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John Jenkins

A little man with a big imagination
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#4
Quote:I found how to make a sctum bender or whatever its called on.www.larp.com/legioxx/bad.html

John, hopefully you did understand that that page is about stuff you must NOT spend your money on. It's just crap!
________________________________________
Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#5
John,

These directions are liberally stolen from Matt Amt, any mistakes are my own.

Look in your yellow pages for a wood supply stores. Call around and find one that sells 1/8 inch luan ply. At one local shop here in Metro Detroit is was $15 for a four foot by eight foot sheet. They have very large saws at these places and most will give you a certain number of cuts for free. All you need is three. If you do not want to be really accurate just have them cut the board in half, and then cut each half in half again. If yo want to get something a little closer to the toughness of the Roman design have them cut the second cuts one with, and one against the grain. In any event you will end up with four 2'x4' sheets each 1/8 inch thick.

Next obtain two "come alongs" (sorry I have no other idea on what these might be called) the ratcheting nylon belts. Also obtain a gallon of wood glue (what you do not use forming the shield you will use getting the felt glued on later). You will also need the assistance of two 2x4's or even 2x2's will do, but they need to be about four feet long each (basically the same length as the cut down pieces of luan ply and at least one friend/assistant. Finally find a big tree, aim for at least four feet around, either in your own yard, or that someone who will let you use their tree for a few days.

Take one piece of Luan and lay it down. Lay on a heavy coat of the glue on this sheet. Lay a second piece of the Luan over the first. Note if you bothered to have two pieces that are cut with the grain and two that are cut against the grain take one of these pieces from each group. Now just lay the 2x4 or 2x2's on the two pieces of luan with the glue between them. DO NOT GLUE THE 2x4/2x2 TO THE LUAN, just lay them on top and on either side. Have your assistance pick up the sandwich of luan and glue and hold it against the tree selected. Take the first "come along" and place it around the tree and over the glued Luan and 2x4's and tighten the "come along", not really tight, but tight enough to hold the entire operation to the tree. Now repeat the above with the second "come along". Next, you are almost done have you and your assistant make sure theat the two come alongs are seperated, put the first about a third of the way down the luan from the top, and the second about two thirds of the way down. Now, each of you tighten a "come along" Work together and do them more or less at the same time, it is not likely, but you can split the luan if you tighten it too fast. Once you have it tightened up snug to the curve of the tree all you have to do is go away and leave it alone for two or three days to dry. After the glue dries the luan will be the right depth and basically the right shape. If you use the same tree all of your shields will take the same basic shape.

Now it is just: inner liner, outer liner, center grip, umbo, paint and design and you have your shield. Oh yeah, and maybe edging too.

Enjoy,

Cordially,

Michael
Mediocris Ventvs Qvod Seqvax Maris

Michael
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#6
One thing we (Legio XX) found out that makes this press a bit easier, is that you can buy bendable plywoods, usually birch, that bend on either axis. This stuff can almost be bent into a 1 foot radius for some types. More expensive than the usual 1/8" luan, but so much easier you almost don't need the shield press.
Locally, we buy ours from a hardwood supplier, Colonial Hardwoods, Virginia, who stock a few types in the usual 4'x8'.
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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#7
last time i bought luan the glue did not hold and it blew apart when i got it out of the clamps
Tiberius Claudius Lupus

Chuck Russell
Keyser,WV, USA
[url:em57ti3w]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/flonzy/Roman/index.htm[/url]
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#8
You can also make a scutum from 1/4" sanded plywood available at any lumber store, and forego the glueing up process. A soak tank is helpful, because a bathtub is usually not big enough for a full sized scutum to be wetted for a couple of days. Besides, you might have to take a shower or something...

I made a soak tank from scrap wood, built a box, and lined it with black plastic sheeting. Also, I bend my wet wood, up to 2 at a time around an oil drum. Works ok. The purists don't think much of the process, I suppose, but in the end, the look is good enough for most of the folks around here, so we don't have any trouble with it. You also have to soak and bend the horizontal wood braces. You can soak both at the same time, and they will be ready when you are.

It takes a lot of space to do all that, though, and it probably ought to be done outside (when it's above freezing, of course) rather than in. You'll have at least 20-30 gallons of water in your soak tank, odds are, and you don't want that getting loose in your home. :wink:
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#9
I have great difficulty in getting decent wood supplies in the UK so we use 3mm marine ply :roll: . This isn't the easiest thing to bend and needs a lot of encouragment.
To help I soak both pieces with boiling water and use a steam wallpaper stripper to apply heat and steam to soften things up a bit. The real secret is using cascamite glue (a pain to mix but amazingly strong). Unlike Matt A ,I use only a half press and use the 'come alongs' (what I refer to as a cargo strap). I place batons between the scutum face and the straps, otherwise they bite in and chew the ply.
Apart from drying time the process takes about 30 mins provided your ply is pre cut. Big Grin lol:
Mark Downes/Mummius

Cent Gittus, COH X. LEG XX. VV. Deva Victrix

____________________________________________
"Don\'\'\'\'t threaten me with a dead fish!" - Withnail
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#10
Quote:The real secret is using cascamite glue

I didn't think you could still get Cascamite??? Where do you get yours Mark?
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#11
I got my hands on possibly the last supplies of Humbrol from a local art shop. Now closed down unfortunately. Sad BUT.

Screwfix did something called Antel - Resin wood adhesive one shot. As far as I can tell, it is, or is identical to Cascamite. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/93511/Sea ... Shot-1-5kg
However on just checking I noticed it is unavailable. I hope this isn't the end of it :!: :!:
Mark Downes/Mummius

Cent Gittus, COH X. LEG XX. VV. Deva Victrix

____________________________________________
"Don\'\'\'\'t threaten me with a dead fish!" - Withnail
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#12
Quote:However on just checking I noticed it is unavailable. I hope this isn't the end of it :!: :!:
Maybe not:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cascamite-Powde ... B0001OZI98
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#13
And here:
http://www.quicksarchery.co.uk/superbas ... roduct=551
http://browse.uk-plc.net/Companies/Elli ... PVASBR.htm
http://www.agwoodcare.co.uk/gbu0-prodsh ... nmite.html

Here's an interesting page on wood glues:
http://www.bullar.co.uk/ashchairpics/ash.htm
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#14
How is your group doing?
DO you have a shield painting pattern yet?
John Kaler MSG, USA Retired
Member Legio V (Tenn, USA)
Staff Member Ludus Militus https://www.facebook.com/groups/671041919589478/
Owner Vicus and Village: https://www.facebook.com/groups/361968853851510/
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#15
Greetings!

I am currently experimenting making a curved auxillary shield using Matt's design for a shield press. Between starting a business, working and raising a family, I can't spend as much time on the project as I'd like.

So just a few thoughts based on said experiments: When making a curved aux shield, DOUBLE the number of shaped cross pieces so one will not get a "wavy" edge to the shield. A bit more work, but initial results are promising. Good Luck Tiberius.

Vitruvius
a.k.a. Larry Mager
Larry A. Mager
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