Captain America Shield - Metal

[dstlouis28]

This is my first post on this forum. After admiring the efx Captain America shield and not wanting to spend $600 to buy it I decided to embark on my own Captain America Shield build. My primary hope and goal was that I could make a quality product that comes close to the officially licensed replica prop made by efx. First of all I must give Valor most (or ALL) of the credit for what I deem a very successful build as his original 2011 shield build thread was my primary source, Additionally many others on this forum were great resources as well. While I feel I am very happy with what the finished product has become I believe I learned a great deal from the project and could do much better in the future by doing some things in slightly different ways. Additionally any advice or comments are welcome.

Unfortunately as I had not been able to locate my good camera for the past few weeks most photos were taken on an older Verizon flip phone that uses an awful file upload system to actually access any photos taken. As I am currently sitting in a Canadian hotel room for work purposes, due to high roaming charges I don't currently have access to many of the progress photos that help illustrate the process I went through on this project. However I have nothing better to do than start a tread to share the project I have spent the past 2 weeks doing.

I will attach a few progress and completion photos to this post as well as some drawings I created In a CAD program to aid my build. I will try to post better progress photos later this week after I return to the states and can get the rest of the images off of my phone.

As I stated earlier I started with information attained from Valor's 2011 post but made some slight modifications. My steps are listed below:

1. I began with the Flexible flyer Sled. I first found the centerpoint and then using a jig saw and a relatively steady hand I cut it to a 24” circle. I choose 24” because that is the size of the efx prop. Additionally the proportions were easy to get by overlaying an image of the efx prop in CAD and properly scaling it to get the proper proportions based on a 24” diameter.
2. I striped the paint with a paint stripper recommended by my local true value hardware store. The Front of the shield stripped almost effortlessly, I poured the stuff on the front of the sled and the paint basically bubbled up, I was able to effortlessly scrape off the re mainder of the paint. But the back side was a pain. The problem I had was using a cheaper stripping product the night before that did not completely strip all layers of the original paint leaving only a very thin layer on the metal that was very difficult to remove. The name of the stripper I used escapes me currently. However if anyone wants it I will post a more thorough listing of exact products and supplies used at a later date.
3. I created a template to etch some grooves into the metal with a nail. The template was constructed with a leather belt taped to a paint stick. I drilled holes at the necessary groove locations, front & back. I also used this same template to create the spinning effect with the metal stripping pad.
4. I used the stripping pad to give the metal I would cut the star from the brushed look and I then cut the star out. I started with Valor’s template initially but placed the image into the CAD program I used and resized as needed to fit my design. After cutting out the star I used ¼” painters tape and wrapped the perimeter. Then I scored in the “rivet” marks with a circle template, the backside of a drill bit, and an x-acto knife. Next I used the painters tape as a guide and with a steel ruler as a straight edge I scored the perimeter of the star.
5. Next I started the back strap bracket assemblies. The back strap bracket assemblies were designed to match the basic proportions of the efx prop with asymmetrical back strap assemblies to be held left handed. I cut the rear bracket/strap assemblies using a drill, some clamps, and a jig saw. This was a slow process but with some patience worked quite well. I decided to use 16 gauge sheet metal for the rear bracket components since it was getting clear coated and fastened to metal. I decided the advantage of aluminum was not significant enough when the rest of the shield was made from standard carbon steel anyway. If I make a spun aluminum shield in the future I would defiantly use aluminum for the brackets. I then bent the bracket assemblies to the contour of the shield and used ¼-20 T-nuts w/ S.S. washers to provide a 1/8” space between the main (2) main brackets and the (4) belt harnesses. I finished this off W/ ½” X 1/420 S.S. screws and matching S.S. finishing washers. Note: that rather than making (4) additional belt loops to connect to the bracket assemblies at the perimeter of the shield I choose to notch slotted holes at these locations to loop the belt to. I then provided a 15 degree bends in the bracket assemblies. This is in no-way screen accurate but was a simple solution to providing belt loops and minimizing extra parts.
6. The Leather strapping was made from (2) wrangler belts purchased at Wal-Mart that were cut into (6) parts and fastened together with #6-32 T-nuts W/. 3/8”x#6-32 S.S. screws and S.S. finishing washers.
7. I later began painting the shield with the metal cast paints. Here I made my first big mistake. I began with the Red. I should have started with the blue first. I later taped off the red and a area ¼” smaller than my star and painted the blue.
8. I then adhered the star I had cut out with JB weld per the manufactures recommendation. It worked great. However I feel I should not have done this until after clear coating as during my aggressive polishing I did later I caused a slight bending of one of the star edges where I had not quite gotten the JB Weld all the way to the tip of the star point. I was fortunately able to remove the bend so that it is not noticeable to anyone unless I point it out. I am still on the fence if this was a mistake in my JB Weld job or if I should have waited to adhere the star until after the clear coat and polish. Any advice on this would be appreciated.
9. Next mistake: I was worried that going over the metal with a gloss clear coat would cause it to be too shiny as I wanted a Matte finish similar to what was seen in CATWS and the Avengers, as well as on the efx replica, however I was wrong. I used Rustoleum clear coat matte over the bare metal to dull the shine for a few coats before starting with the Rustoleum clear gloss over the painted finish. It worked to dull the shine but I think it worked too well. I should have just used the gloss and I think it would have turned out better. It looks silver and the metal shine don’t show through quite as well as I had hoped.
10. I used the 3M mounting tape & jb weld to attach the back strap assemblies to the shield.
11. I adhered the Stark Industries placard purchased from Brother Foster on etsy to the center of the shield

As I stated earlier I have only limited photos to share at the moment but I do intend to add more later in the week. In particular I never took any photos of the rear of the shield that I can access at this time. In my opinion the majority of work and effort went into constructing the backside of the shield and I look forward to sharing the photos in a few days when I return home. I am very proud of the project despite the few flaws and would like to make an improved model in the near future as a majority of the cost of thisproject was tied up in tools and supplies.




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[TheFrankTurk]

That's a good build -- your tips about painting are valuable.

What did you use to turn your metal while buffing to get the brushed look?

 

[dstlouis28]

I used a 3M metal finishing pad. I had to tape (2) together because the pads are only 11" long, the shield radius was just over 12". The second pad lapped at the location of the last ring. This worked very well because it helped better define the rings. I would move a small piece of finishing pad along my buffing jig and locate it within each ring as needed and apply extra pressure to get a better brushed look. The Jig was actually screwed to the center of the shield to prevent it from skipping over the shield. This also helped me since it allowed me to place extra pressure on the finishing pad W/ (2) hands rather than (1). And to be honest I kind of went a little overboard, as in total I spent at least a few hours at my table doing this. But this part of the process in my opinion went nearly flawless and the extra work was worth it. Additionally when I did wet sand between coats and after my final clear coat I used a similar technique with the 1500 grit sand paper. I will try to post a photo of the jig. I believe not adding the star until after all buffing and clear coat would allow this same technique during the final wet sand I did after the clear coat and prior to buffing. I think it would help with the spun or brushed look on the final product.

Thank You

 

[TheFrankTurk]

I would love to see that jig. Thanks much for your help!

 

[dstlouis28]

View attachment JIG (1).pdf

Hi FrankTurk,

Perhaps I used the wrong word when I wrote "Buffing Jig". The buffing jig I referred to was what was referred to as a template in the first post. It was not at all complex or pretty but worked quite well. It was literally a paint stir stick, over a belt, over the stripping pad, over sand paper when needed at the final step when buffing. I bolted this thru the center of the shield as needed and taped it all together about a inch outside the shield. center line of bolt to edge of tape was about 13". It was rather crude. But was helpful. The small bolt really helped hold it in place. In the future I think cutting a curvature from a 2x4 and connecting the finishing pad to that with duct tape at each end and tacks at either side would be a better solution. I am attaching images of the jig used and a 1:1 SCALE pdf the jig I will use on my next shield build.

 

[TheFrankTurk]

That is such a home-made solution, I love it. It's exactly what I would do.

 

[dstlouis28]

As I am finally home I can now access all of the photos of the progress. I really wish I took more photos and with a better camera, but the basic idea is conveyed.

1) The spun shield unpainted W/ star set on:


The rear of the shield with brackets set on, and the data plate set in the center. Nothing mounted. Brackets not yet bent to contour of shield:


After I cut up the (2) wrangler belts, size 44, I bought the largest I could find. I had to check them on the brackets for proper fit:


Next I started painting the shield. Red first. This was a minor mistake, I should have done blue first, that way the layered effect from blue to red would have looked better but the grooving I did with the nails help it to still look layered:



I then completed the belt work and mounted them to the brackets. Please note that I made a change from the on screen brackets in how they fasten to the belt at what would be the outside perimeter of the shield, these are one piece brackets and the perimeter is bent 15 degrees up to attach the belt without interfering with how they connect to the shield. But I think they turned out great:



Here is a close up of the brackets that hold the handle & forearm straps, all of the nuts and finishing washers are stainless steel:



Next it was back to painting. This time I did the blue. Note that the star is still only set on. But this is a different star than the first one shown in the earlier photos. I was not happy with my original star because the hole in the center was just too large so I used the original star as a template to make this one. It only took about a hour this time and it turned out much better, I used a thumb tack and ground off the little flares from the point to make the point just a little sharper and the hole was very tiny this time:



Next I attached the star to the shield. Should have waited until after the clear & polish but to late for that:



Next up the clear. I should not have used the matte clear on the metal/white stripe but its done now. Too late to change without stripping the entire shield and starting over with paint:



Finally I was able to assemble the back side of the shield. In my opinion it looks awesome! This really was my favorite part of the whole project:



The final look of the front after a polish This photo really don't show the spinning effect very well, the camera I used has very little resolution, but I wanted to include it because I think that after a final polish I did get the color back to what I wanted it to look like:



Once again I really need to thank the many people on this forum whose previous threads were instrumental in the completion of this project, especially Valor, his first shield thread was my primary resource. What I did here was in no way ground breaking but it was really fun, even though my wife thought I was absolutely ridiculous to do this but she kind of came around after she saw the final product. I have literally have never had so much fun watching paint dry.

On a side note I have got an efx pre-order and after that arrives I am going to thoroughly examine it and do my best to replicate that a little better than I did this time with my next shield build by employing many of the lessons I learned on this project.

Thank you all for your interest.

 

[Malivice]

Hello! I've been reading the forums for a few months and about a month ago I came across Valor's amazing Capt America shield build and then several others which inspired me to try myself. Yours is fantastic too by the way! Anyway, my sled came in the mail a couple of days ago and I'm having some trouble finding the exact center to mark. I've used the holes originally for the rope handles to diagonally cross string, thinking that where they cross would be the exact center, but even with the string very tight they can still be moved which makes me nervous. I feel like finding exact center may be critical for the rest of the build. What did you do to find the exact center of your sled? Any advice would be appreciated and I hope my shield turns out half as great as yours. Also, I've bookmarked the Etsy store with those Stark Industry placards, they're awesome! Thanks![h=3][/h]

 

[dstlouis28]

It was really trial and error. I tried to use the the holes from the handles and found that it didn't work really well. start by placing some painters tape in the center of the sled. Run string across the sled perpendicular through the center. Mark a spot, you should be close. you can use some type of home made compass to make a 24" circle. I used a belt with holes drilled at 12" apart. Hold a nail in the center, a couple of layers of tape in the center will help the nail hold in place, and draw around the perimeter of the sled with a pencil or something fairly light. Measure up from the lip all the way around the circle. If the dimension is equal around perimeter of the shield you are good. if not readjust your center line as needed and try again until you have a perfect circle all the way around the sled. It is very critical that you hit the dead center of the sled for purposes of grooving and spinning the metal. I drilled a hole just big enough to fit the #6 screw in the center. I also used a jig saw with a guide to cut the shield down to size. I think it helped get a better cut.

Please note that you could also print out the pdf attached to my first post to assist you. The file was plotted at 1" = 1" so it can be used as a template if you wish. It needs to be printed on 30"x42" paper.

Decided to use this post to show a photo of shield on the guitar stand I just got to display it in my basement. Awesome display for about $25 on amazon.

 

[Malivice]

Thanks for the reply dstlouis28! I think I've got the centering figured out. What I did was use my existing string idea, mark a halfway point for each string and then force them to cross at their halfway points. I'm taking measurements to verify accuracy now but it appears to be exact center. I'm taking pictures and making notes as I go, I hope to do a write up when I get further along. Kinda redundant as so many others have already done such a great job but I want to share anyway. Thanks again for such great advice!

 

[dstlouis28]

I thought about the redundant, been there done that, factor as well prior to creating my post. However I came to the conclusion that I thought thought the project was cool and that I learned a few things that may help others with their shield project, so posting this, in my opinion was worth while. Additionally for myself, and I am sure it is the same for most people who may read this. I really do have relatively few opportunities to share this type of project in the real world, so adding yet another shield build thread to this forum really was my only way to show this to a lot of people. You should not hesitate to show your work.

 

[TheFrankTurk]

all shield posts were good shield posts.

 

[CaptainGreenBat]

Shield looks great! Thank you for posting! I'm currently on a similar path. I've cut the rim off the outer of the sled, stripped the paint, and used the stripping pad to create the swirls around the center point. Looks really good so far. However, I had so questions that your post didn't really clarify in detail and was hoping you could shed some light considering how nice yours came out. First off, how exactly did you etch the rings in the sled? I know you said you used a nail. I'm assuming you used a similar process by using the center hole as a pivot point? Secondly, How did you go about making the swirls in the star without making a hole in the star directly in the center? I don't want a hole in the star. Lastly, I think you said you used steel for the handle brackets instead of aluminum? What thickness steel was it and were you able to bend it easily to fit the curve inside the shield? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[dstlouis28]

Hey CaptainGreenBat Just noticed your post, I do apologize if this response is too late to help you, but my responses to your questions are below.

First off, how exactly did you etch the rings in the sled?
- Look at the holes drilled into the buffing jig in the post above. I used those as a guide and really just scored the surface with sharp nails while using the center hole as a pivot point. It ultimately is not much of a groove but it helps create a shadow line that helps create the look of the shield grooves even after painting.

Secondly, How did you go about making the swirls in the star without making a hole in the star directly in the center?
- I did make a hole in the center of the star but it was super small. I used the finest point thumbtack I could find for the center hole. I actually re-did the star because I was not happy with the size of the center hole in the first one, the one pictured is the second star I made. I understand you don't want a hole but if it is small enough it is virtually unnoticeable at the intersection of the 5 score lines that need to be etched into the star. Another note on this is that I used aluminum flashing material that is thinner that what is commonly sold for completed stars on this site. If you do use the flashing material for the star you just have to be careful with it as it can bend more easily that the thicker star material.

Lastly, I think you said you used steel for the handle brackets instead of aluminum? What thickness steel was it and were you able to bend it easily to fit the curve inside the shield?
- I used 16GA material, I was patient when working the material and it bent quite easily.

I hope this helps you in someway and good luck with your Shield!

 

[CaptainGreenBat]

Thanks for the great thread! It was a ton of help! I opted not to etch the circles, I was too scared to ruin the sled. Still came out great though! And decided to use aluminum for the brackets. Had a piece laying around at work.

 

[dstlouis28]

Thanks for the great thread! It was a ton of help! I opted not to etch the circles, I was too scared to ruin the sled. Still came out great though! And decided to use aluminum for the brackets. Had a piece laying around at work.

Your shield looks great! The back straps are quite impressive from the riveting to the leather work, the eagle fasteners are a good touch, they look kind of like SSR symbols. The paint looks great! Your shield looks as good as the best flexible flyer sled shield I have seen, and better than mine. I am happy I could be of some help.

I was wondering what you did for the star? did you use the lighter gauge flashing material? or the thicker material? (I believe 1/16") And did you etch the rivits and how? Any tips would help.

I still want to do another shield sometime in the near future, maybe a stealth version, I am not sure, but I need to make the time. I finally got my efx shield so I now have the exact dimensional information I wanted before starting this again.

 

[CaptainGreenBat]

Your shield looks great! The back straps are quite impressive from the riveting to the leather work, the eagle fasteners are a good touch, they look kind of like SSR symbols. The paint looks great! Your shield looks as good as the best flexible flyer sled shield I have seen, and better than mine. I am happy I could be of some help.

I was wondering what you did for the star? did you use the lighter gauge flashing material? or the thicker material? (I believe 1/16") And did you etch the rivits and how? Any tips would help.

I still want to do another shield sometime in the near future, maybe a stealth version, I am not sure, but I need to make the time. I finally got my efx shield so I now have the exact dimensional information I wanted before starting this again.

My star is made from a 2' x 1' piece of sheet aluminum I bought from Home Depot. Can't remember the exact thickness but I'm pretty sure it was the thinnest they had. It was like $10 or something. I etched the lines with just a screwdriver and a ruler and then went over the lines again with a file to clean them up a little. The circles on the star are not etched on. Believe it or not they are made from a small piece of very thin tin that I picked up at Ace Hardware and punched out with a standard hole puncher. Worked perfectly! They are then glued on with E6000. Came out great!

 

[dstlouis28]

Really good idea with the circles on the star. Judging by your pics I think they look better than the star circles on my efx shield. Good thinking. I hope to do another one this spring or summer. Plans may be delayed a little however as I am expecting another child. I already have the materials in hand, I just need to get my workshop properly set up and find the time.

 

[NoMaybeYes]

Where did you get the sled from? Ive been looking for decent sled saucers and couldnt find any that had a continuous dome shape, they all flatten out. The only thing ive found is a plastic sled.

 

[FreezerBurn14]

Where did you get the sled from? Ive been looking for decent sled saucers and couldnt find any that had a continuous dome shape, they all flatten out. The only thing ive found is a plastic sled.

If you search online for "Flexible Flyer steel saucer sled", you should find what most people in here are using. Most will be around $40-50 with shipping, though.