Post by greybeardabbot on Apr 10, 2007 18:16:57 GMT -5
I'm building a new shield.
My old sheild ABRAM
Has seen better days. I don't know if I'll canabolize the open cell foam for the new shield... which would mean that Abram would be no-more, or if I'll spare Abram and simply repair it as a community sheild.
But I need a new sheild for three reasons...
(1) Abram has a hard time passing weapons check.
(2) It's a heavy sheild. Great for sheild bashing... but too heavy for a long day of fighting.
(3) I've changed my fighting style. More often, I find I like the agressive use of a "punch" shield to the more passive (limited?)use of a strap shield.
What I intend to build (and chronical) is a lightweight shiled that I can use BOTH as a punch shield and as a strap-shield.
In order to make an effective Punch shield, it needs to be light weight and solid.
To be a safe and effective strap sheild, it needs to be soft on the outside but with a solid (hard) core --hard, because I use it for sheild bashing. --Solid, because it should not break when 300+ lbs of running force collides with 300+ lbs of running force. In my experience this means a hard core of 5/8 to 3/4 inch plywood. Which is heavy in a kite or tower sheild.
I came across what I think might be a workable solution in the concept of a "Stress-skin-pannel" like they use in buildig construction. Lightweight and very strong. It consists of rigid foam (6"to 8") glued underpressure between two 3/4" plywood pannels.
Why not try the same concept with 1 1/2" rigid foam glued between 1/4" hardboard?
At Menards today I pondered the success of a shield 'platform' made in this style... glued up it would be a rigid deck 2" thick. solid, hard, possibly inflexable? but very light. even lighter if one used "Peg-board" rather than solid hard-board, becuase the holes would further lighten the deck, without (I think) decreasing the strength of it.
Comparing weight:
Two pieces of hardboard actually weight slightly more than one peice of 3/4" plywood of the same size.
I thought about using two peices of 1/8" hard-board... but that seems TOO flexable. A combination of 1/8" inch and 1/4" seems likely to fail... NOT as a PUNCH shield deck, but as a strap-shield deck.
I think the solution is 5/8" MDO (Medium Densidy Overlay). This is plywood with 5 layers, two being a smooth face.
It's light and stronger than 5/8" plywood, which only has three laminations... and 5/8" ply is also weak in one direction, making it likely to snap in two along that axis
I intend to use 5/8' MDO and glue 1/1/2' rigid foam to the face of the MDO, under slight pressure for good contact...
This will give me a platform more than 2" thick... very strong and quite light.
to this I will glue two layers of camping foam and a 2" layer of open cell foam.
I will edge the shield with a large pool noodle and extend the open cell foam over the top of it.
I should end up with a larger kite shield, strong enough to sheild bash with, but light enough to use as a punch shield as well.
In theory... the best of both worlds.
My old sheild ABRAM
Has seen better days. I don't know if I'll canabolize the open cell foam for the new shield... which would mean that Abram would be no-more, or if I'll spare Abram and simply repair it as a community sheild.
But I need a new sheild for three reasons...
(1) Abram has a hard time passing weapons check.
(2) It's a heavy sheild. Great for sheild bashing... but too heavy for a long day of fighting.
(3) I've changed my fighting style. More often, I find I like the agressive use of a "punch" shield to the more passive (limited?)use of a strap shield.
What I intend to build (and chronical) is a lightweight shiled that I can use BOTH as a punch shield and as a strap-shield.
In order to make an effective Punch shield, it needs to be light weight and solid.
To be a safe and effective strap sheild, it needs to be soft on the outside but with a solid (hard) core --hard, because I use it for sheild bashing. --Solid, because it should not break when 300+ lbs of running force collides with 300+ lbs of running force. In my experience this means a hard core of 5/8 to 3/4 inch plywood. Which is heavy in a kite or tower sheild.
I came across what I think might be a workable solution in the concept of a "Stress-skin-pannel" like they use in buildig construction. Lightweight and very strong. It consists of rigid foam (6"to 8") glued underpressure between two 3/4" plywood pannels.
Why not try the same concept with 1 1/2" rigid foam glued between 1/4" hardboard?
At Menards today I pondered the success of a shield 'platform' made in this style... glued up it would be a rigid deck 2" thick. solid, hard, possibly inflexable? but very light. even lighter if one used "Peg-board" rather than solid hard-board, becuase the holes would further lighten the deck, without (I think) decreasing the strength of it.
Comparing weight:
Two pieces of hardboard actually weight slightly more than one peice of 3/4" plywood of the same size.
I thought about using two peices of 1/8" hard-board... but that seems TOO flexable. A combination of 1/8" inch and 1/4" seems likely to fail... NOT as a PUNCH shield deck, but as a strap-shield deck.
I think the solution is 5/8" MDO (Medium Densidy Overlay). This is plywood with 5 layers, two being a smooth face.
It's light and stronger than 5/8" plywood, which only has three laminations... and 5/8" ply is also weak in one direction, making it likely to snap in two along that axis
I intend to use 5/8' MDO and glue 1/1/2' rigid foam to the face of the MDO, under slight pressure for good contact...
This will give me a platform more than 2" thick... very strong and quite light.
to this I will glue two layers of camping foam and a 2" layer of open cell foam.
I will edge the shield with a large pool noodle and extend the open cell foam over the top of it.
I should end up with a larger kite shield, strong enough to sheild bash with, but light enough to use as a punch shield as well.
In theory... the best of both worlds.
