I know this is a project several folks have tackled. After enjoying great success with my setup this at DragonCon this year I wanted make a post showing my solution.
There are probably dozens of ways to make this work out, but I needed a solution that could hold a heavy metal shield. I have one of the extra thick shields from a run earlier this year on this forum with full back hardware. I used a MagSwitch magnet, a T-Bracket, and a stainless steel harness bracket (mostly called the Big Back Buckle on this forum). The back harness is all custom work, so there's no place I can point anyone to in order to acquire one. However, if there is interest in the stainless buckles, I can put together a run of them if around 20 people are interested. (The buckle in the picture was made of scrap metal and was never polished or cleaned, so if I did a run they'd come out looking much better)
The first problem when approaching a magnet setup is to get a magnet that is strong enough to hold without having to carry a crowbar and a three man crew to get your shield off of your back. Initially, I thought an electro-magnet would be the best option, but they are crazy expensive and, of course, require batteries. I didn't want to have to rig a battery or worry about what level of charge was remaining throughout the madness that is DragonCon.
So I went with an actuating magnet. These turn on and off just like electro-magnets, but do not require electricity. I bought a 150lb pull model from MagSwitch for about $70. This is a perfect piece for a Cap setup because the housing of the magnet is already tapped so that it can be attached to anything with just a couple of screws. I went to the local hardware store and bought a T-Bracket, drilled some holes in it so I could affix it to the shield using the existing chicago style screws that hold the leather handles on. I attached the magnet to the T-Bracket by drilling 2 more holes in it.
This particular handle setup with the T-Bracket is perfect for a magnet because it winds up holding the shield at the perfect height. The T-Bracket itself is firmly held by the two handle screws but the 3rd leg of the bracket is not affixes. This is perfect because it allows this 3rd leg to flex so that when you walk the magnet can maintain a firm grab on your harness bracket and any front and back force from your stride can be dissipated through the flex of the T-Bracket. This is a little hard to explain, but when most folks walk their torso will not remain perfectly square, your shoulders shift back and forth along with your hips. This causes the shield to rotate some too. With a magnet that is too weak or a setup that is too rigid, this will cause the face of the magnet to be slightly pried off of the surface of your back bracket and the shield will slide down little by little -OR- just come off completely if your torso rotates too much. The T-Bracket allows some give here and keeps you secure.
This particular problem is something that may not sound like something you would have to worry about with a magnet setup, but if you have a heavy shield it is something you really want to consider. The heavier your shield, the tighter you will want your back harness to be so that the shield remains high enough on your back in the proper place. A loose back harness will just sag down (and drag your shirt/jacket with it).
Now even a perfectly flush and uninterrupted magnetic connection will not be enough if you have a heavy shield. Gravity will still cause the magnet to slowly slide down the bracket. This is why you can see a couple of socket head cap screws at the bottom of the bracket. This gives the magnet a little shelf to sit on.
So, the actual function of the on/off switch is very easy. The magnet can be actuated off with one finger. So it is quite easy to turn the magnet on and place the shield on one's own back. Removal was actually easier for me. I would grab the shield from the top with one hand, flick the switch with the other and then whip the shield around. It was simple enough for me to repeatedly do when folks requested photos and even at the after parties we attended on the crowded dance floors.
Sorry for the TLDR, but this project took a couple of cons to work out completely. The harness pictured is adjustable and both my wife and I wore the shield with our respective Cap outfits throughout DragonCon and we had no drops, no near drops, and were both able to confidently walk around all 3 days.
There are probably dozens of ways to make this work out, but I needed a solution that could hold a heavy metal shield. I have one of the extra thick shields from a run earlier this year on this forum with full back hardware. I used a MagSwitch magnet, a T-Bracket, and a stainless steel harness bracket (mostly called the Big Back Buckle on this forum). The back harness is all custom work, so there's no place I can point anyone to in order to acquire one. However, if there is interest in the stainless buckles, I can put together a run of them if around 20 people are interested. (The buckle in the picture was made of scrap metal and was never polished or cleaned, so if I did a run they'd come out looking much better)
The first problem when approaching a magnet setup is to get a magnet that is strong enough to hold without having to carry a crowbar and a three man crew to get your shield off of your back. Initially, I thought an electro-magnet would be the best option, but they are crazy expensive and, of course, require batteries. I didn't want to have to rig a battery or worry about what level of charge was remaining throughout the madness that is DragonCon.
So I went with an actuating magnet. These turn on and off just like electro-magnets, but do not require electricity. I bought a 150lb pull model from MagSwitch for about $70. This is a perfect piece for a Cap setup because the housing of the magnet is already tapped so that it can be attached to anything with just a couple of screws. I went to the local hardware store and bought a T-Bracket, drilled some holes in it so I could affix it to the shield using the existing chicago style screws that hold the leather handles on. I attached the magnet to the T-Bracket by drilling 2 more holes in it.
This particular handle setup with the T-Bracket is perfect for a magnet because it winds up holding the shield at the perfect height. The T-Bracket itself is firmly held by the two handle screws but the 3rd leg of the bracket is not affixes. This is perfect because it allows this 3rd leg to flex so that when you walk the magnet can maintain a firm grab on your harness bracket and any front and back force from your stride can be dissipated through the flex of the T-Bracket. This is a little hard to explain, but when most folks walk their torso will not remain perfectly square, your shoulders shift back and forth along with your hips. This causes the shield to rotate some too. With a magnet that is too weak or a setup that is too rigid, this will cause the face of the magnet to be slightly pried off of the surface of your back bracket and the shield will slide down little by little -OR- just come off completely if your torso rotates too much. The T-Bracket allows some give here and keeps you secure.
This particular problem is something that may not sound like something you would have to worry about with a magnet setup, but if you have a heavy shield it is something you really want to consider. The heavier your shield, the tighter you will want your back harness to be so that the shield remains high enough on your back in the proper place. A loose back harness will just sag down (and drag your shirt/jacket with it).
Now even a perfectly flush and uninterrupted magnetic connection will not be enough if you have a heavy shield. Gravity will still cause the magnet to slowly slide down the bracket. This is why you can see a couple of socket head cap screws at the bottom of the bracket. This gives the magnet a little shelf to sit on.
So, the actual function of the on/off switch is very easy. The magnet can be actuated off with one finger. So it is quite easy to turn the magnet on and place the shield on one's own back. Removal was actually easier for me. I would grab the shield from the top with one hand, flick the switch with the other and then whip the shield around. It was simple enough for me to repeatedly do when folks requested photos and even at the after parties we attended on the crowded dance floors.
Sorry for the TLDR, but this project took a couple of cons to work out completely. The harness pictured is adjustable and both my wife and I wore the shield with our respective Cap outfits throughout DragonCon and we had no drops, no near drops, and were both able to confidently walk around all 3 days.
