Viking Shield II

Poplar planks, 1/4", mild steel shield boss, stain.

Viking Shield Progress

After careful research, the viking shield project has turned out nicely. I opted for as much historical accuracy as possible. Shield body was constructed with 1/4" poplar planks, joined edge to edge with glue and dowels. The back was covered with canvas. Initial canvas placement caused a lot of bowing in the planks because I had forgot to varnish the wood first. I removed the canvas, wiped off the glue, waited for everything to dry, sanded, varnished and reapplied the canvas with glue. Bowing still resulted but I managed to remove most of distortion by pressing between two pieces of plywood for a few days. The shield should be completely straight after the handle is added. Tasks remaining: sew leather edging around interior and exterior rim, attach shield boss and handle, paint back canvas, paint design.