how did ancient greeks make aspis?

[gookbbong]

In Osprey, it says 'The core of the shield was made of wooden planks about 20~30cm wide, glued together into a block. This block was carefully turned on a lathe until its shape resembled a bowl'

But I can't understand what does this means.
Does it means a ring method?

Plus, does the quality of Aspis that made by dishing out whole aspis from an massive piece of wood is better than Aspis that made by ring method?

[Athena Areias]

Search this site for the topic "Turned Aspis Project in Progress". The photos showing the construction should still be attached. It is not a method I would recommend unless you know someone with a large wood lathe (accepts 36" or 91cm blanks). It is NOT the ring method.

[gookbbong]

Thanks a lot.
Does this kind of Aspis is closest ancient-method of construction of Aspis? Is it stronger than ring-method constructed Aspis?
And what are the difference between your method and carving one huge log to make an Aspis?

[Dan D'Silva]

I don't think many trees would produce single pieces of wood large enough to make an aspis. The log would have to be two and a half to three feet thick, not counting bark (and even thicker if you discarded the sapwood).

[gookbbong]

Hmmm. Maybe you are right. But if we could assumption that those 'large enough wood' exist, then it is a better choice to make Aspis than attaching several plank?

[gookbbong]

Does Aspis's rim and bowl part made seperatly?


According to Osprey's picture, It seems that bowl part of Aspis and rim part were made seperatly and combined later.

http://www.romanarmytalk.com/19-greek-mi...&start=120

But according to this Aspis-making, rim and bowl were made together.

Did ancient method of constructing Aspis made rim and bowl together? or seperatly?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

It is of no point to ask if it would be "better" to make it from a single block of wood, or ring method. It is proven that they were made with planks, in a way or another. At least three different methods of shield cores have been identified archeologically, and all of them involved planks. The planks varry between 20-30 cm in one shield, to 4-7cm oin some others. The width of the planks was not steady in the same shield, those in the middle usually being wider than those at the top and bottom. They were some times linked together with wooden pegs, wooden links, and in one case bronze links.

There are at least 10 shields from Greece and Italy that retain large enough partsof their cores to allow a complete or partial reconstruction of their construction method. Most of them are made with plain planks, but there are two that were laminated, and three that had crossing pices of wood in addition to planks, but unfortunately there are the most partially preserved.
Khairete
Giannis

[gookbbong]

Then those this method <http://www.romanarmytalk.com/19-greek-military-history-a-archaeology/199885-turned-aspis-project-in-progress.html?limitstart=0&start=105> fit in historical fact that made Aspis?

Could you show me Aspis that constructed with ancient method?

[Walter Model]

I can't imagine Aspis made with planks.....How does it constructed?

And is there no shield from Greece and Italy that made from single block of wood? How about Vatican shield?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

The rim was partially made in one piece with the body, and then reenforced with layers of planks over them.
The shield that was turned in that thread is made not exactly like the ancient ones, but the final result is great and probably you couldn't distinguish it from an ancient core.

The ancient planked shields were steam bent and then turned to refine the shape. Not turned from a solid block of planks glued together.

There is no shield made from a solid piece of wood. The Vatican shield is estimated to have been made from planks 20-30cm wide, and they are the largest planks. One other shield from Sicily wad planks about 10-15cm wide, and the examples from Greece were 4-7,2 cm wide.

[gookbbong]

Thanks for your kindness. Does wide of plank related to strength of Aspis?

[Robert Vermaat]

Add your real name mr gookbbong. Read your private messages.

[Arthur]

Hi, I'm brand new here and have been looking through this site for a couple of weeks now. I haven't decided if I'm going to put together a full panoply yet, but I am hoping to build a shield either way. I have been reading all sorts of competing ideas on this, and from what I can tell the community is very divided on a wide range of topics. I have a lot of questions on this, but I'll stick to the shield.

My apologies for necro thread by the way!

So how are you sure Giannis that these were steam shaped? I would agree with you wholeheartedly after looking around at this that that makes the most sense in terms of other woodworking technologies of the time. Have you tried making a shield this way? And how thick roughly would the plates be?

Also, if you guys happen to know of any owl designs on shield, that would be fantastic. I have only encountered one so far.

Thanks in advance!