Cheap targe revisited

[Caradoc]

The wooden cores of originals were "plywood" - two layers of planking glued and pegged together with the grains at right angles.

The piece that I remember the documentation for had three layers of planking - very thin - at sixty degree angles, not right angles.

Of course, I may be misremembering another shield type instead of a targe. I can't find the reference to that at the moment.

[Brasilikilt]

I had an idea for a couple minutes to possibly use wood flooring glued to a very thin 1/8" piece of plywood, but then decided to go with regular 3/4" (crappy) plywood. I have a rough circle of it cut out in my shop right now and will rasp the edges up a little more evenly.

I cut mine out at 24" which seems like a good size for me, but after reading some of your posts it seems that slightly smaller might be more historically accurate. I'm guessing it might be because most people were built a little smaller than we are today.

What thickness of leather is best for the front? I'm guessing that a thicker saddle weight leather would be ideal.

What is best to use for padding on the back? I already have a piece of leather salvaged from an abandoned couch, but it doesn't offer much comfort or protection for my arm.

Thanks for any help

Iain

[Bob C]

What is best to use for padding on the back? I already have a piece of leather salvaged from an abandoned couch, but it doesn't offer much comfort or protection for my arm.

Thanks for any help

Iain

Steal some of the filler material from the same couch, if you can.

[Brasilikilt]

Steal some of the filler material from the same couch, if you can.

No can do, the couch is long gone, and even then I don't think I would want 4" thick foam in my targe.
I was wondering what had been used originally, and what our modern targe makers on the forum use for padding.

I took a look around my store room and saw PLENTY of 1/2" plywood to use. After reading your reccomendations, I might just use that.

Woodsheal, if you're reading this, how many brass tacks did you use for your targe? Would 350-400 be enough for a simpler design ya think?

[Andrew Green]

Brasilikilt:
I would use some kind of fur on the back. I am thinking I might try and dig up rabbit pelts, since when they are found, they are cheap, and just stictch a couple together and tack them on (provided that I do not go with the precuts...but if I haven't found a source by next payday, precuts it is).

I was also thinking of maybe layering in some wool for padding, and then tacking in some red wool over the top of that (I read somewhere that redcoat pieces were used for such things sometimes). Thoughts from the more experienced crowd?

[MacWage]

Brasilikilt:
I would use some kind of fur on the back. I am thinking I might try and dig up rabbit pelts, since when they are found, they are cheap, and just stictch a couple together and tack them on (provided that I do not go with the precuts...but if I haven't found a source by next payday, precuts it is).

I was also thinking of maybe layering in some wool for padding, and then tacking in some red wool over the top of that (I read somewhere that redcoat pieces were used for such things sometimes). Thoughts from the more experienced crowd?

For rabbit pelts-> craft stores have them (I KNOW Hobby Lobby does)
How would the thicker fake fur do? My store is clearancing some right now.

Now, that wool padding sounds like a good idea (PLEASE, some of the experts enlighten us as to the historical accuracy of it).

[Alan H]

The plywood base for my uber-cheap pseudo-targe was an 18 inch circle of 3/4 inch plywood. It literally cost $7.29 at Orchard Supply hardware, and Home Depot carries them, too. If I'd have actually used leather and stretched it over the edge of the targe, that would have resulted in about a 19-incher, which is roughly "in there" with the historical ones.

[Woodsheal]

- definitely go with the half-inch plywood instead of the 3/4", otherwise you'll have a heavy, awkward son-of-a-gun!
- I use wool padding, from pieces left around the house from previous projects. I glue a circle or two of wool directly to the wood, then add extra strips across where one's arm will be positioned. The color doesn't matter; it won't show once the back covering of leather is nailed in place over it.
- targes with longish, wavy fur on the back look terrible IMO, and not at all like originals, which generally had deerskin or thin cowhide with quite short hair/fur as the back leather. Rabbit wouln't work, I don't think.
- 300-400 tacks is plenty for a simple to moderately complex design.
- 19" to 20" is the most common diameter seen on original targes. Why? Measure the distance from your elbow to your finger-tips, and you have the answer! I belive that is what is known as a "cubit"....