Captain America shield assembly sequence?

v137a

Well-Known Member

• Jun 6, 2012

• #1

About to start building my own, with thanks to several folks on this board for parts and advice, but I'm curious about the sequence.

For those of you who have made a Cap shield, did you do the strap assembly and attachment first, and then paint the front, or reverse that and paint first then attach the straps and brackets on the back?

Which is the bigger risk - overspray onto the stuff on the back during painting, or screwing up the paintjob on the front? I'm leaning towards assembly then paint, because I can always mask off the back.

 

TheFrankTurk

Active Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #2

I think the bigger question is which material and which build-type are you doing? If you are doing one of those classy Aluminum shields, you don't have to paint the back, obviously.

In this build, you paint all the parts before assembly: http://shieldlab.blogspot.com

If you are making some version of a modeled material shield (filler over wood, moulded rubber or resin, etc.) my suggestion is that you assembly the handle after you have painted the front and back of the shield, and install all your parts painted prior to installation. You definitely should paint the silver parts before the colored parts as you can mask the back before setting it backside down on your painting work bench and painting the blue or red parts. You can't get overspray when the open side is against the floor.

 

Valor

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Jul 17, 2014

• #3

Here's my order of operations, assuming you are completing a standard spun aluminum shield. This is oversimplifying many smaller steps in between, but you'll get the gist.

• Clean and prep from and back of shield
• Mask the area your star will attach and your brackets will attach (so that you are glueing metal to metal)
• Tape and paint the Blue circle
• Tape and paint the Red rIngs
•*Clearcoat the front and back of the shield
•*Clearcoat the star and metal bracket pieces
• Glue the star to the front
•*Assemble the brackets and attach to the back
• Save the world

 

TheFrankTurk

Active Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #4

I definitely forgot "save the world." That's a great point.

:thumbsup

- - - Updated - - -

Hey Valor -- on a completely related and unrelated note, your replica shield is fantastic -- obviously a spun aluminum job. On your silver/white stripe, did you only clear coat the aluminum, or did you use some kind of white semi-clear varnish before the final coat? I ask because every kind of metal I have tried to polish up turns gray-ish when I clear coat it.

 

Valor

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Jul 18, 2014

• #5

Nope, on my steel saucer shield and my spun aluminum build I only clear coated it. They trick really is adding the spun lines with a ScotchBrite pad. I creates a reflective surface that kicks light back at you.

 

TheFrankTurk

Active Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #6

About that scotch brite pad ...

I'd be eternally grateful to get more detail on that. You're talking about a green scotch brite pad? What scouring motion should I use? I'm actually working on a build with real aluminum not a spun body -- It's an assembled piece which has had the sheet aluminum buffed to a really decent sheen, but I just can't get the buffer metal to pop like yours.

 

Valor

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Jul 19, 2014

• #7

There's many great threads here on building Cap shields. Spend some time using the search function to find them. Here's the thread that details the build I did out of a steel saucer sled. It shows the ScotchBrite technique I mentioned.

 

dstlouis28

Member

• Jul 29, 2014

• #8

I made a metal shield out of the flexible flyer sled. I choose to paint then assemble. After the front of my shield was painted I clear coated the back. After the paint was cured buffed & polished I placed it face down on a soft cotton cloth draped over a foam doughnut I made from a piece of plumbing pipe insulation. I was then able to attach the rear brackets with the 3M outdoor adhesive. I had no issues with scratching the finish.