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making an aspis - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: making an aspis (/showthread.php?tid=8966)

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making an aspis - Chuck Russell - 04-07-2007

who here has made their own besides matt amt? any other pointers or ways do make it? i'm putting some ideas together on how to build and shape mine etc.


thanks,


Re: making an aspis - Matthew Amt - 04-08-2007

Madman! Tom Kolb started one and sold it to Mark Hanna, but it never got finished. Or was it Mark who started it and sold it to Tom? Anyway, ask Mark, I'll be he'd sell it to you if he still has it. Save a ton of work.

Other than that, if you go by the cross-section on my site, MAKE THE EDGE AND RIM THINNER THAN I DID! I carried mine in the Baltimore Greek Independence Day parade a couple weeks ago, and 18 pounds is simply too much! Don't let the wood get more than 3/8" thick anywhere. My bowl is a full inch at the edge, and the rim is about the same (tapering towards the outer edge, though).

And pad the hell out of your greaves!! (Nothing to do with the shield, just trust me...)

Have fun!

Matthew


Re - Johnny Shumate - 04-08-2007

I made one several years ago following Matthew's instructions. The inside was torture to get smooth and even. If I remember correctly, I used mostly a router bit for a drill to grind out the inside edges. The outside was smoothed with a wood chisel first and then a belt sander.
Good luck!
Johnny


I have worked on a few of them - zugislander - 04-08-2007

A wide open space, a sunny day and every type of sander you can think of are all handy. There are so many angles! Just grab whatever looks like it will do the job and try it. I think you can not make it too thin in a general sense. If you are a glutton for punishment and want a metal face, then dish it out before you put anything else on the bowl. The guy who used to do my metal work informed me in no uncertain terms that it is best to dish the bowl using the interior of the bowl as a general guide, then finish it off on the actual face. It did not make sense to me, but he was the expert so I followed his advice on the matter. But whatever you do remember Inner liner, then Inner hardware, then outer hardware/coverings. Oh and predrill all holes you plan on making in the wood. It leaves much more hair on your head.

Good luck.

Cordially,

Michael


Re: making an aspis - Steve Lenz - 04-08-2007

I work actually on 3 Aspis (1 covered with linnen, one with leather front and linnen inside and one covered with handhammered brass and leather inside) - here the finished one with linnen:

http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbil ... aspis6.jpg
http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbil ... aspis7.jpg

I use a Flex (need 2 40-discs) to make the "rough" shape, then finish it with an belt-sander (120-belt). The first one was nasty and it was 3 days trial & error to become "the hand for it".

The second and the third one i´ve finished in 2 days, now i´m hammering the brass cover...

A lot of fun, a lot of dust!


Re: making an aspis - Chuck Russell - 04-08-2007

thanks guys, this is really helping.


Re: making an aspis - Tarbicus - 04-08-2007

Quote:http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbilder/steve/aspis6.jpg
http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbil ... aspis7.jpg
Links are broken?


Re: making an aspis - Anonymous - 04-08-2007

The links work for me, Tarbicus, but that could beas a result of your post!

Steve, I'm impressed! How the hell did you finish them so quickly? Are you working the brass directly on the shield? And what's a Flex?

I've made three shields by Matt Amt's method and restructured a fourth which I got from India and found too flat in the face. I have two more Indian shields which are also too flat in the face and slope too shallowly at the shoulder. If anyone would like to buy one with a view to doing a conversion, let me know.


Re: making an aspis - Arthes - 04-08-2007

Quote:
Steve Lenz:1iiljxv6 Wrote:http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbilder/steve/aspis6.jpg
http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbil ... aspis7.jpg
Links are broken?
They are ok now...!


Re: making an aspis - Steve Lenz - 04-08-2007

Quote:How the hell did you finish them so quickly?

Only the woodwork! Idea The other components will need a few days more! (For a brass cover i need 3 or 4 days, then comes the grinding and sanding....)

All in all i need 2-4 weeks for 1 aspis.

[Image: 0601854F32.jpg]

That´s a flex...(hrr-hrr-hrr)


Re: making an aspis - Anonymous - 04-08-2007

Ah! We call that an angle-grinder in English (don't know what effect it's supposed to have on Saxons or Jutes! :lol: ). Can you post more pictures of your work in progress, please? I'm thinking of doing more shields and I'd really love to be that bit more authentic and face one in metal.


Re: making an aspis - Steve Lenz - 04-08-2007

Saxones and Jutes? In Bavaria??????????????? :lol:

Germany is not soooo small....

It will be difficult to make pics when i work (i have only 2 hands), the "dusty" phase is over, the next week my girl is in Munich and with her the digicam, when she will come back next weekend it will be done.... :roll:


Re: making an aspis - Dan Diffendale - 04-09-2007

Quote:Links are broken?
I think the site is down, I can't access it at all...


Re: making an aspis - Steve Lenz - 04-09-2007

That´s a some-day-problem of "my" no-cost-pic-server. :roll: Click a few times "refresh this site". Should work then. (I hope so! :evil: )

Sorry!


Re: making an aspis - Chris B - 04-09-2007

I made one earlier this year in linen and also made a Boeotian. I found the shaping to be easy once you got the hang of it. I used a Porter Cable variable speed hand held belt sander for ALL the shaping. I used 60 grit paper to start and then moved to 120 grit for finishing. I found it easiest to stand on the back of the shield opposite the side your sanding. Then I sanded perpendicular to the edge allowing the sander to glide around the shield's circular shape being careful to stay perpendicular to the edge. I sanded about a quarter of the shield at a time allowing the sander to glide back and forth within the area so that the curvature stayed consistent and smooth. Then when the outside was done, I flipped it over and attacked the inside. I rolled up a large towel into a donut and placed it under the shield to keep the outside edge from scratching. Then I set a 35 dumbbell weight on the side opposite from the side I was sanding. That way my hands were free to work instead of keeping the shield from moving. I simply attacked the inside curves at varying angles using the front roller of the sander for the steep angles and the flat side for the flat angles once again perpendicular to the edge and allowing it to coast back and forth a bit to keep it consistent. Hope that helps some. Here are pictures of the two shields.