Planked shield without reenforcement

[cmmcgarr]

It looked to me like the oval shields from Dura Europos were made just from butted planks without a reenforcement to hold the planks together (such as how viking shields are supposed to have three strips of iron across the back). How would the shield be held together without these reenforcements? Does anyone have any experience making a shield like this, or have idea as to how I could do this?

[cmmcgarr]

I've also noticed that some of the Hjortspring Bog shields look like they are made the same way, although I haven't been able to find a good enough image to confirm with much certainty.

[Crispianus]

The shield boards are glued together, this applies to Viking age shields as well, although some shields may have been reinforcing its not the primary method.
The bigger problem is getting the right wood as you need the rings to be at right angles to the face of the shield, otherwise it warps, modern sawn timber doesn't really work but by carefully selecting the wood you might get away with it, radially split air dried timber is best.
You'd need some large clamps and a decent large wood plane to prepare the edges before gluing.

Details on Dura Shields can be found in this book: english: Recommended:

http://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/the-exca...t-vii.html

Other useful books include:

Early Anglo Saxon Shields: a study english: Free:

https://www.academia.edu/477692/Early_An...ondon_1992

Illerup Adal Die Schilde: german text: many well preserved examples in detail: Recommended:

http://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/illerup-adal-9-10.html

A catalogue of roman shields a good source of reference: german text: Best from a library:

Ansgar Nabbefeld, Römische Schilde. Studien zu Funden und bildlichen Überlieferungen vom Ende der Republik bis in die späte Kaiserzeit. ISBN-13: 978-3-89646-138-4

[Medicus matt]

The bigger problem is getting the right wood as you need the rings to be at right angles to the face of the shield, otherwise it warps, modern sawn timber doesn't really work but by carefully selecting the wood you might get away with it, radially split air dried timber is best.
You'd need some large clamps and a decent large wood plane to prepare the edges before gluing.

I'm guessing that I've always been lucky then.

Although I've built one flat shield using radially split planks, most of them have been from modern sawn timbers and only one has suffered from warping and that was because I used different thicknesses of hide for facing.
I don't use clamps, just wedges in a board and I leave the butted edges sawn, figuring that some unevenness in the butting faces would allow for a bit of keying when glued.

Now, making a planked lenticular shield...that's a considerably larger pain in the bum.

[Crispianus]

I would guess that would depend on the type of wood, width of plank used, and whether or not every other plank was reversed in relation to its neighbour, the wider the plank the more likely warping will occur on sawn timber, its just the nature of wood... if you cut say a ten inch sawn plank down the centre and flip one half over ///////\\\\\\\\\\\\//////\\\\\\\\\\ it should counteract the tendency to warp in one direction and if you pay attention to the orientation of the growth rings that should also help, in other words select out wood where the rings are as close to vertical on the end of the board IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII as possible....
I'm talking about plain shield board by the way not covered, reinforced or stiffened.....

Lenticular shape, use thicker timber and carve out the inside and plane the outside to shape, make up a simple outside calliper to check the thickness overall if necessary... you can do most of the work with power tools... and finish with hand tools.

[Medicus matt]

Lenticular shape, use thicker timber and carve out the inside and plane the outside to shape, make up a simple outside calliper to check the thickness overall if necessary... you can do most of the work with power tools... and finish with hand tools.

I just make mine from planks of the right thickness and shape and bend them over a form.

[cmmcgarr]

I just make mine from planks of the right thickness and shape and bend them over a form.

Did you just steam/wet the shield over a large dished object ot hole? And I would you use a completed shield (after covered in linen and leather) or just the wood?
In essence, I'd lovd more information on how you did that!