[MR] curved shield construction.

[RIKKER]

I have made about 15 shields that held up very well.  First I start with cutting 7 to 9 pieces  of 2 x 8 at the radius desired (one every 3"-4" for even pressure).  It's important to cut the inside and outside radius of the shield leaving a consistant gap.  If you just cut the 2 x 8 and dont remove the thicknes of the shield you don't get even pressure across the full surface of the shield.  This can leave voids where the glue is not evenly compressed.  I use a good urethane glue like Gorilla glue.  They are completely waterproof and gap filling.  Normal wood glues are not.  I use a sheet of 1/8 in. mahogany plywood.  I cut it into 6 equal pieces approx 24" by 32" and layer them together all at once (lightly misting them with water and leaving them clamped without glue overnight makes the glueing and clamping them later much less of a struggle).  Glueing is a matter of misting the bottom sides very lightly with water and then spreading a
 thin even coat of glue on 5 of the pieces, the top piece doesn't need glue.  I leave the shield clamped for 24 hours.  If you want to reuse your 2x8's again you can cover them with some plastic sheet to keep the glue that squeezes out from glueing the clamps to the shield.  A friend of mine puts all of his shields in garbage bags before clamping.  I just put a layer over and under mine.   Cheap metal bar clamps available from harbor freight are sufficient for clamping.  You can fold a piece of paper in half and cut out your shield pattern then mark around it on your blank.  Cut out your blank, sand the edges smooth and then round them about an 1/8 th of an inch.  The difference in the ability to withstand abuse that the small round over makes is amazing.
A good coating of some waterproofing will strengthen the fibers in the edge of the shield to better withstand not only water but also impacts.  Paint, edge and hardware to suit your style and enjoy.

When all is said and done,the less said and the more done the better! 

Rikker
per pale counter ermine and ermine a Lion sejant efronte bearing a sheath of arrows a bag of coin a chief Or with three thistles proper.