Making a domed Late Roman shield

[jvrjenivs]

Well, I would also suggest you to look in the greek section were a couple of methods of making a reproduction Aspis are discussed.

Don't know if that method would work good enough. Well, just try I would say. You can also make the wood more flexible by heating it just before you place it into the mould. Get it soaked very well, heat the wood with a blow-torch (big one used for roofing), as the wood will get more and more flexible. (make sure you add enough water during heating so you will only heat the wood, not burn it!) After the process (the longer you heat, the more flexible the wood should become) you can bent it for about 10 minutes. Just enough to place it into the mould with a couple of people.

Let it dry for some time and the wood will stay bended and you can start finishing the shield. (Note that you should start with a set of wood slightly more thick as you want it to be, as the heating will blacken the outer layer of wood, which you have to grind away after the shield has its shape

Anyway, good luck with your project. It's good to see there are some more Late Romans comming in the US