In this blog I’m going to explain how to make a metal shield.  The shields are lightweight and flexible, and they can block areas of the wood from turning color when using a torch or heat gun.  They can be made in under an hour, and the design possibilities are limitless. Todd has made me a number of them.  For this blog he will demonstrate how to make one with assorted squares and triangles.

I prefer to use a heat gun instead of a torch because I can get a wider variety of tonal values.   Also, there isn’t an open flame with the heat gun, so I’m a lot less likely to catch anything on fire.  

I recently did a product review on a heat gun made by ProStormer.  Here’s a link to the product review blog on the ProStormer heat gun if you missed it:  https://wp.me/p8j0lZ-6Lm

There is a video version of this tutorial.  Click on the image to the left to watch the video.

As I mentioned before, this blog will cover how to create this shield I designed that has a straight edge, assorted sized squares, and triangles.

Here’s the pattern for the shield:  Metal Shield pattern

Below are assorted product links.  During the course of the blog, I will explain the purpose of the items.

Harbor Freight

Needle Files:  https://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-precision-needle-file-set-4614.html

Pittsburgh 5 pc set:  https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-file-set-5-pc-60368.html

Home Depot

.019” 12×12:   https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Building-Products-12-in-x-12-in-Plain-Aluminum-Sheet-in-Silver-56040/100293264

My Home depot was out of the 12×24, but yours may have it.

Husky 10pc metal file Set: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Multi-Purpose-File-Set-10-Piece-H10PCFS/206313272

Husky 3pc metal file set: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Multi-Purpose-File-Set-3-Piece-H3PCFS/206313271

Amazon

ProStormer heat gun: https://amzn.to/3uGxrwH

.019” Aluminum Sheet Metal 24×36:   https://amzn.to/3CHMT04

.02 12×12 sheet:  https://amzn.to/3MkL641

25pc Metal file Set:  https://amzn.to/3CKEUPO

Full disclosure.  The above provided links are affiliate links, so if you purchase any of the items using the link, I get some small amount of money from the sale.    Please, do not take that as a plea to purchase something.  I just wanted to be fully transparent about the links. 

About the metal

Todd uses plain aluminum sheet metal that is 0.019 inches (0.48mm) thick.

The sheet is very thin.

It is also very flexible, so it’s easy to work with. 

 

As of October 6, 2022, the sheets can be found at home improvement stores like Home Depot.  

There are also many options available online including Amazon.  Some of the listings will display the thickness as 0.02 inches (0.51mm).  I’m pretty that these listings are just rounding .019 to the hundredth decimal place versus being a different thickness.

Don’t use sheets thinner than .019 because they are too flimsy, and won’t perform well.  Also, I wouldn’t use anything thicker than .025 inches (.64mm) because it gets harder to work with; especially if cutting by hand!

Designing a shield

Almost all of the shields Todd made for me are copies of stencils I have.  

Some are stencils flexible plastic, and are designed for airbrushing.  In the photo these stencils are white.   The blue-hued stencil is made out of hard plastic and is called a French curve.  This type of stencil is rigid and is designed more for crafting or design work versus airbrushing. 

Over the years I have amassed a lot of stencils, and Todd made a metal copy of almost all of them. 

I’m not going to give you copies of these stencils, so don’t ask.  The reason is that I personally feel it’s not honest or ethical to give away someone else’s design. 

I can understand that you might not want to purchase a stencil, just so you can make a metal version of it.  What I’d recommend is checking the internet to see if there are printable designs available.

With the stencils I first arrange them on the aluminum sheet, and then trace around them with a permanent marker.  

You can easily make your own design by either drawing a freehand design or using stencils.  In the photo I’m using one of my craft stencils to create a design on card stock. 

I use card stock because it’s thicker, and the thicker paper is easier to trace around.    That said, be aware that you can use any paper for this.

I had started out making a curving design similar to the large stencil in the first picture in this section.  I erased it and started a new design featuring squares.   The reason is that all of my current stencils feature curves.

I wanted something with an assortment of straight edges and sharp corners. 

I’ve often wished for something I could use on inside corners.  This isn’t something I’ve seen in store bought stencils.

Once the design is done, then it needs to be cut out.   

Where possible I used a straight edge and sharp knife to cut out the design.

On round shapes I use scissors.  

Design Transfer

I began by making a loop of tape and placed it on the pattern.   Basically this is a cheap and easy way to create double-sided tape.  🙂

Then I placed the pattern onto the metal tape-side-down.

This keeps the pattern in place on the metal, so it’s easier to trace around.

If you have an uncut edge on the metal sheet, you can use it for any straight edges your design has.   Assuming, of course, that your pattern will fit.   

The piece of sheet metal I’m using was left over from the larger sheet.  It had one edge that was uncut. but I couldn’t position the design in a way to fit and take advantage of that edge.

After the design is positioned and secured on the metal, then use a dark colored permanent marker to trace around the design. 

I’m using black fine-tipped permanent metal marker.

Here’s how the it looked once I was done.   

Cutting the shield – method 1

Todd uses a scroll saw equipped with a #2 jewelers’ blade to cut the aluminum.   He is NOT cutting on the design line!  Instead, he is cutting along the outside edge of the design near the line.  

The edges of the cut metal are sharp, so they will need to be sanded.  During the sanding process he will remove the excess metal as he softens the edge.

Todd’s package of blades is very old, so I can’t be sure the brand still exists.  There are other brands available, and you just want something that can cut soft metals.

This composite photo shows the teeth on the blades.  You can see how fine or small the teeth are.  The fine teeth cut the metal versus ripping it, so you have nice clean lines.

Note: I did not provide links to the scroll saw blades because what size and connection type you should buy depends on your scroll saw.   If you own a scroll saw, you already know this.  😊

Todd cuts rounded soft circles on the corners.  This is because it is easier than trying to create 90-degree angles; especially on the inside corners.

Here’s how the shield looked once he was done.

There are two things I want to point out.  First the arrow on the upper left is pointing to a triangle that got bent.  Secondly, the arrow on the right is pointing to the excess metal that extends past the design line.

One last tip for this section.  Lightly sand over the surface of the sheet metal before you trace on the design.  This reduces the sheen and makes it easier to see the design lines when cutting with a scroll saw.

Cutting the shield – method 2

Here are some scraps of metal that I will use to demo the second cutting method.  While this is not a method Todd uses, I wanted to present something than anyone could do.

The aluminum sheeting is thin enough that you can cut it using heavy duty scissors. 

Make sure to cut adjacent to the design line, so that you have enough extra metal for sanding.

 

You can use regular scissors that you’d use for paper, but the metal will dull the blades.  I do recommend using heavy duty scissors.

If you are cutting the metal by hand using scissors, be careful!  The edges of the cut metal are very sharp and I don’t want you cutting yourself!

Sanding and shaping

The first thing Todd does is use a hammer to gently flatten the bent triangle.  This allows the shield to lay flat.

Next, Todd uses fine grit metal smoothing files to remove the excess metal and soften the edges.

 

Because the metal is thin and flexible, it helps to place it on a flat surface and have the edge stick out just a little past the flat surface.

On the long straight edges, you can use long metal files to file the entire edge at once.  

Todd is rather meticulous, so he checks the edge against a straight edge.  He made little adjustments here and there until the edge was perfect.   

He claims I’m picky, but he’s just as bad in his own way. 🙂

You can use flat files on outside edges of the round shapes. 

On inside edges you’ll most likely need either round or half round files.  All of the file sets I provided links to include at least one round file.

When possible, Todd likes to use a round file that matches the size of the curve.

 

 

Make sure to flip the shield over and use a metal file along the edges on the back side.  This will remove the large burrs that form here and there.

Lastly, Todd uses 220 grit sandpaper sand over the shield.

He lightly sands over the front and back of the shield.  This removes scuff marks and any small remaining burrs.

Here’s how the shield looked once he was done with the filing and sanding. 

About the files

Todd has an assortment of metal files.  He picks up sets from various places, and none of them are very expensive.

One of his favorite places to get files is Harbor Freight.  This set are longer files that are similar to what Todd uses.

The reason he likes Harbor Freight is that they usually have the lowest in prices.  

For example, this set of needle files is under 5 dollars at Harbor Freight.  I found the exact same set on Amazon, but it was $10.  

Needle files are small, so they are great for small places and reshaping pen tips.   In my review of the Goodcrafter pyrography burner, I explained how I created a micro writer pen tip using one of the files from this set.  If you missed that product review, here’s a link to the blog: https://wp.me/p8j0lZ-6M2

Home improvement stores like Home Depot also carry sets of metal files.  Some sets have more files than others.

There are numerous sets available online, including this set on Amazon that has a carrying pouch.

Hanging

I like to hang my shields on the wall next to my work area.

Todd drills a hole 1-2 inches (2.5-5.1cm) from the edge.

 

 

Make sure the hole is large enough to fit over the nail or whatever you are using to hang the shield with.  

Use a metal file around the drill hole to remove any large burrs.

 

As an added precaution, lightly sand over the hole with 220 grit sandpaper.

 

 

 

Here’s how it looks.

Washing

After all of the sanding is done, there is a layer of silvery dust on the shield.

Washing with soap and water to remove the dust.  Be careful around the triangular points as they are sharp!

Rinse off the soap.

Then you can let the shield air dry or towel dry it.  Once dry it is ready for use.

Using

In this photo I’m using a heat gun with the shield.  You can see I’m create bit of a geometric design with the triangular points.

The shield works pretty well, but the edges aren’t crisp.  That’s because the heat gun generates a considerable amount of air, so it blows under the edges a bit.  

I will admit that I haven’t tried one of the shields with an open flame torch to see if you can get crisp edges with that.  It is on my todo list.

This photo shows a project I’m working on that features a dog.  I have been using a heat gun on the background.   It gives it a softer, slightly out-of-focus look which helps push it further into the background.   Another bonus benefit is that on this particular piece of wood, the heat gun creates grey-hued burns.  This contrasts nicely with the warm brown hues the pyrography pens create.   

My issue is that I can’t get extremely close to the dog because of overburn.  

That’s where the shields come in.  I use one of the shields to block the dog from the heat of the gun.

This allows me to burn very close to the edge of the dog.  I’m sure that I could get even closer, but I’m still learning how to use the shield and heat gun.

IN CONCLUSION

That’s it for this blog.  I hope I presented the information in an easy to follow format, and answered any questions you had on the subject.

Until the next blog,

Brenda

Oct 18, 2022

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