Top 17 How To Make An Sca Shield 5992 Good Rating This Answer

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What is the best wood for a shield?

How can I make shield at home?

What were Viking shield made of?

The Vikings used round shields made of wood. be as large as 95cm or as small as 70cm. Shields were often custom made to be the perfect size for the warrior who was going to be using it. planks of wood butted together, but written evidence states that the shields were constructed from two layers of linden wood.

How thick was a Viking shield?

Bosses were typically 15cm (6in) in diameter and had a thickness of 3 to 5mm (about 0.1 to 0.2in, or between 6 and 10 gauge). The boss must be large enough to comfortably admit the hand and allow the shield to shift freely around the hand as the combatant moves the shield from one side to the other.

What wood is a Viking shield made of?

The most common wood that was used was pine, but there are many surviving shields that were made out of spruce and fir. Along the way, Vikings realized that it is much more effective to make their shields out of plywood than the whole pieces of a tree.

What were Anglo-Saxon shields made of?

Anglo-Saxon shields comprised a circular piece of wood constructed from planks which had been glued together; at the center of the shield, an iron boss was attached. It was common for shields to be covered in leather, so as to hold the planks together, and they were often decorated with fittings of bronze or iron.

How do you make a medieval cardboard shield?

Did Saxons use shield walls?

They were in fact famous for using their shields very well, by creating a shield wall. Read on to learn more about Saxon battle tactics. A shield wall is a military tactic. Soldiers line up, shoulder to shoulder and hold their shields in front of them.

How I Make My Shields | Medieval banner, Shield, Science art

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• Summary of article content: Articles about How I Make My Shields | Medieval banner, Shield, Science art Aug 1, 2014 – I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat. I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos … …
• Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How I Make My Shields | Medieval banner, Shield, Science art Aug 1, 2014 – I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat. I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos … Aug 1, 2014 – I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat.  I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos while doing my most recent shield, so here we go… First, and most important, is preparing the blank.  I’m using an aluminum blank, not wood, and…
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how to make an sca shield

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• Summary of article content: Articles about how to make an sca shield Step 1 – Determine the Size and Shape: You’ll be protecting your body from above your knees to the top of your head, and from shoulder to shoulder, … …
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House Brandenberg

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• Summary of article content: Articles about House Brandenberg Basically choose your wth, dive it into thirds, drop down 1/3 on each se as vertical edge, then use the full wth as radius and draw a circle segment … …
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How to make a Medieval Round Shield DIY Build Viking Saxon Knights suitable for SCA, LARP Cosplay – YouTube

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• Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to make a Medieval Round Shield DIY Build Viking Saxon Knights suitable for SCA, LARP Cosplay – YouTube Updating I hope you enjoy this video.I have no training or qualifications in history or wood work. I am self taught.You will need;PlywoodRawhideLinen or cotton cloth,…Medieval, Viking, LARP, SCA, Hack, LOTR, cosplay, Lord of the Rings, Live Action Role Play, Medieval Garb, Medieval cosplay, Viking Costume, Medieval DIY, COSPLAY Tutorial, DIY medieval costume, LARP DIY, LARP Costume, Medieval Craft, SCA Hack, Halloween costume, Skjoldr, ren-faire, middle ages, medieval times, how to make a medieval shield, how to make a viking shield, DIY viking shield, DIY medieval shield, Vikings tv, last kingdom, tlk, norse shield, boromir, boromir shield
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Making Medieval Shields – Prop Build – YouTube

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• Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Making Medieval Shields – Prop Build – YouTube Updating Building a Medieval Shield using planks. My construction of plank shields for theatrical and movie use. I show off some advanced tips and tricks and showing …medieval shield, build, how to, tutorial, asmr, drawbridge, diresta, movie, props, diy, warcraft, man at arms, viking, warcraft movie trailer, techniques, cosplay, costume, how to make armor, how its made, how it’s made, do it yourself, knight, blacksmith, cosplay armour, technical, entertainment, behind the scenes, make, create, combat, shield, heater, plank, sword
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Making a Viking Round Shield – YouTube

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Shield – Cunnan

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Contents

Shield Styles

Shield Construction

Shields and Heraldry (SCA)

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How I Make My Shields « DiverseArts

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• Summary of article content: Articles about How I Make My Shields « DiverseArts I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat. I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos … …
• Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How I Make My Shields « DiverseArts I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat. I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos … I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat.  I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos while doing my most recent shield, so here we go… First, and most important, is preparing the blank.  I’m using an aluminum blank, not wood, and…
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Sca Combat Shield – Etsy

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Triangle shield for reenactors and SCA

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  Triangle shield for reenactors and SCA Triangle shield or heater shield is a type of medieval knight shield, which was wespread in the XII-XV centuries among European warriors. …
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  Triangle shield for reenactors and SCA Triangle shield or heater shield is a type of medieval knight shield, which was wespread in the XII-XV centuries among European warriors. Triangle shield for reenactors and SCA – WS-08 (). If you want this product with default options and in a standard size, you can buy it at a considerably lower price from Armory World, our recently launched brand of made-to-stock medieval products.Triangle shield for reenactors and SCA Shields
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House Brandenberg

nstructions on how to make a shield for SCA combat

Basic indredients

Construction

Graphic (Download the GIF version or the Freehand version)

General Shield Requirements

1. Shields shall be constructed of materials equivalent or superior to 12.5 mm plywood in terms of strength and must not give any unfair advantages to their user ( chrome polished shields ).

2. Shields shall be edged with leather, rubber hose, or other padding in such a way as to minimize the damage to rattan.

3. No shield may ever be used as a weapon.

Basic ingredients:

Shield material, as listed above. My recommendation is to use 1/2 inch plywood, constructed of two pieces of 1/4 inch plywood.

For shield edging I like to use a sturdy, natural fiber rope of 7/8″ diameter in combination with pneumatic (high pressure) tubing. The tubing is generally soft and has fibers woven into it which you see when you cut the tubing.

For strapping I use a wide, buckled strap for my left forearm and either a shield basket or a homemade, comfortable handle with heavy leather covering.

I recommend making a curved shield, which is why you should two pieces of plywood.The resulting curvature should be no more than 2 to 3 inches depth at the apex.

Dimensions

This is very much dependent on your body size, but a good general measure is to measure from the top of your shoulder, just below your crotch.

The width should be roughly from shoulder to shoulder, perhaps a bit less.

A large shield will feel safe and some people have put it to good use, but in general it leads to a very stationary fighting style. I would not recommend a large shield.

Building the shield

Cut the overall shield out as a rectangle. Do not cut out the shield shape at this point or your curvature will be uneven. Leave about 1 inch extra space on all sides.

Use regular woodglue and glue the pieces together immediately, while the glue is still fresh. Use wood screws to screw the to pieces together at one long edge.

Now use either a shieldpress (a type of mould you build with a positive and a negative part to strap or screw together) or use a tree and some ratchet straps or similar method to make the two pieces of plywood curve. Once you have achieved your desired depth of curve, use more wood screws and join the other three sides together. It doesn’t hurt to put a few screws down the long axis to help the wood glue together in the middle of the shield. Let it dry for a couple of days.

Reinforce the upper edge and the straight parts of the side edges (see below) with metal strips (no more than 1/8 inch in thickness, but perhaps 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide) Use nuts and bolts to secure this, place the nuts on the inside of the shield.

Take you tubing, slice it long ways and lay it around your shield, overlapping the joint by about 3 inches. Using the upper right hand corner for this joint is a good idea because this is the most stressed part of the shield and this way you’re placing double the tubing there.

Take your rope, cut it to length and shove it up into the tubing to fill the hollow and make the rope ride on the shield edge.

Use either leather straps and bolts or lace the tubing to the shield. For lacing you will have to drill small holes just inside the tubing.

Grab your shield by the upper right hand corner, let it dangle and draw a vertical line from the corner through the middle of the shield. This is the line on which you will place your arm and straps. It may not be the right angle for you, but it’s a good general purpose start.

Attache the wide, buckled strap (I use a piece about 4 inches wide to wrap my forearm and have a beltsized strap with buckle attached to that) such that your arms fits comfortably and, when strapped will more or less hold the shield by itself.

Attach the handle in such a fashion that you can get a gloved hand with a demi-gauntlet underneath the strap. Cover the whole hand with a heavy leather construction to prevent hits directly on your fingers or hand.

Re-hanging your shield

As I mentioned earlier the 45 degree line on your shield is a good start, but may not work for your in the end. Ask a friend to help you adjust your shield. For this purpose, get into your guard position.

Hold the shield roughly in a 30 degree angle to your body.

The right corner of your shield should be just to the right of your nose, such that you look across the 1/3 mark of the width of your shield….roughly.

The bottom tip will be just above your knee.

In this postion, your friend should have great diffculty to get you, with your moving your shield only slightly. Have him examine his angles of attack and adjust your position such that you can cover best. Then have your friend draw the outline of your arm on the shield.

If it differs from where you were, reattach the strap for your forearm accordingly. You may also have to reattach your handle.

Basically choose your width, divide it into thirds, drop down 1/3 on each side as vertical edge, then use the full width as radius and draw a circle segment until you cross the center line. Do this from each side and you have yourself a fairly decent shield.

Shield

A Shield is a small, portable barrier carried into combat for protection. Beyond that, shields vary greatly in style and handling. Most shields were carried in the left hand, strapped to the left arm, or both. For much of period shields were an essential part of the soldier’s equipment, and only stopped being used when armour construction allowed for full plate covering, thus reducing the necessity of a shield.

Since they were large, flattish surfaces, shields were almost always decorated, and by the middle of the medieval era an elaborate system of rules around this decoration had developed, known as heraldry.

The shield itself could be large or small, but the primary requirement for European shields was that it be extremely sturdy and light enough to be handled nimbly.

Shield Styles

There are a large number of shield styles, and most are appropriate for SCA combat. Shield styles were often impacted by technological considerations, as well as regional preferences. It should be noted that specific cultures and periods would have a specific style, and using a style not suitable for your persona is a little twee.

Shield Construction

Shield Construction (Period)

A great deal of effort went into period shield construction. While differences in local style and technological levels did occur, there are some basic points that apply to most shields.

Medieval shields could have been made of a sort of plywood, that is, of a series of laminated strips made of thin wood, layered together and glued with the wood-grain of each layer perpendicular to the layers above and below, adding strength. Planked shields are very common throughout history. Linden-wood along with other woods such as willow and poplar were all used for shields. Woods were chosen based on varying amounts of strength, lightness and resistance to splitting.

The face of the shield could have been covered in rawhide and were often cover with leather to add tensile strength to the shield. These materials could have been glued to the surface (and several glue recipes survive from the period, including one made from cheese) and fastened down by the edging of the shield and the centre-boss (if any). Some shields included a layer of grass between wood and facing.

The shield would have been edged in either rawhide (early period shields) or iron (mid- to late period shields), or a mixture of the two; this would adding a stiffening factor to the shield’s strength and providing protection for the edges of the wood-grain, thus preventing splitting. Since the edge of the shield would take a large number of blows (as the enemy tried to get around it), strong edging may have been very important.

Some late period shields (especially jousting shields) would have been faced in sheet steel, making them extremely durable. Steel was expensive and heavy, however, and not typically used for combat shields. Regardless of the style of the shield, it could be flat or curved. Curved shields were much more difficult to make, but superior in strength, since they added structural strength to the existing strength of the wood and rawhide. A warrior would have bought the very best shield he could afford, since it was his life on the line.

Shield Construction (SCA)

Construction standards for SCA shields are little more lax than in period, but there are safety standards in place. SCA shields are normally made of plywood of 3/8 to 1/2 an inch thickness. This is the absolute minimum — chipboard and particle board are not sufficient. Many SCA shields are made of metal (aircraft aluminum is popular) with minimum thickness of 16-gauge. Other SCA shields are made from plastic, of the same type that makes as plastic-barrel armour (puck-board is also popular), but these are ugly and look very “plasticky”, so effort should be made to disguise them. For safety reasons, all shields are required to be edged, usually with plastic hose or closed-cell foam.

Another required safety feature is protection for the fingers on the shield-hand, as the shield only protects the back of the hand leaving the fingers exposed to sword blows, shield hooks or even being against one’s own armor, possibly resulting in broken fingers. Centre-boss shields provide adequate protection as the fingers are protected inside the boss itself; a full gauntlet worn on the hand likewise provides enough protection. However, if a fighter is using a demi-gauntlet and an open grip, the shield grip must be covered with a protective enclosure. While not historically accurate, “cages” are a very common sight on SCA shields owing to the rules of the list.

There is great debate on shield style and weight in the SCA. A shield must be sturdy enough to absorb the impact of blows from weapons, but beyond that there is considerable variation. Some people believe the shield should be as heavy as you can handle so it has more resistance to your opponents’ blows, although some may find this less maneuverable. Others say it should be as light as you can get away with, although this means your shield can be more easily moved by your opponent, and that it will break more quickly. Shield shape, strapping, and handling are all topics of rousing debate in any gathering of stickjocks.

Few SCA shields are curved owing to the difficulty of construction, but those heavy fighters who use them are often quite enthusiastic about them.

Beginning SCA fighters are advised to experiment with several kinds of shield before settling on one particular type.

Shield Construction (Other Re-enactment Groups)

Shields for other re-enactment groups (i.e. live steel) combat tend to hold more emphasis on strict historical accuracy than their SCA equivalents. Ideally, re-enactment shields are shaped according to available evidence and will match the time frame chosen for the individual group, although there is variety as individual research and commitment can result in differing ideas.

Generally, for re-enactment combat, shields are constructed of plywood with thicknesses varying between 9mm and 12mm on average. They will generally have a canvas covering to add a level of extra resilience to the face and thus reduce splintering. Compared to the SCA, material substitutions are more limited in re-enactment and tends to be restricted to substituting a variation of the same material for another (i.e. one type of wood for another).

Edging of shields (where appropriate) is generally done in leather or rawhide as metal burrs under the impact of the steel weapons producing an edge that may cut exposed skin if it hits an opponent (although this was obviously not a concern for real warfare).

Some re-enactors use shields constructed wholly of period materials in the same style as the original, and some of these shields become part of living history displays and/or are used in combat.

Shields and Heraldry (SCA)

A shield is a good place to show off your device. One can either paint it directly onto the shield, or cover the shield in canvas and then paint it (this has the advantage of protecting your wood, but it’ll weigh down your shield a lot). Another idea is that you can make a slip that goes over your shield (think of your ironing board cover. That sort of thing.) You can paint your device, your household’s device, your barony’s device, or whoever you’re fighting for.

How I Make My Shields

I was asked a few times recently how I make my shields for SCA combat. I had already been thinking of this, and had taken a number of photos while doing my most recent shield, so here we go…

First, and most important, is preparing the blank. I’m using an aluminum blank, not wood, and since this is a re-covering job all the holes are already in place. I strongly recommend making the holes for handle, strap, and edging first so that if you put a hole in the wrong place you can cover it later with the canvas. When I made my first heater, I made a wooden blank the same size as the aluminium one and used it to figure out where I wanted the strap and handle. Once I was happy, I transferred the pattern to the aluminum one.

What do I need?

shield blank

heavy duty garage door handle

piece of 1″ wooden dowel, or old broom handle, 4-5″ long

hockey tape

1/4″ mild steel bolts with washers and lock nuts, two for the strap and enough for your door handle (2 or 4)

1/8″ and 1/4″ drill bits and a power drill

sharpie marker and a pencil

piece of canvas slightly larger than your shield

contact cement and disposable brush

rubbing alcohol and paper towels

artist’s gesso or white acrylic paint, plus whatever your heraldic colours are

8 oz leather, 4″ wide and long enough to go around the shield

2-3 spring clamps

fake sinew or heavy twine and heavy needles

heavy duty harness needles

awl

Where does the handle go?

On a round shield that is easy, draw a line along the centreline of the shield, mark where your hand goes, put on the handle, mark where your elbow is, go 2-3″ closer to your hand, add the strap.

A heater style is a little trickier as the angle of your arm and the angle of the shield don’t necessarily match. While in my base guard position, I want my arm in a position that I find comfortable while the shield is in a good defensive position. As a start, I marked a spot 6″ down and in from the front top corner of the shield. This is approximately where the centre of my hand will be. I use heavy garage door handles as my shield handles, I fit a chunk of dowel or old broom handle into the groove and wrap it with hockey tape. Now, with my hand centred on the spot, and with the handle in hand, I mark the bottom bolt hole, drill and put in a bolt just tight enough to not slop around. Here is the slightly tricky bit – hold the shield up in the position where you want your arm to be and then adjust the blank until the shield is where you want it to be. This will be your final hand position. Now mark where your elbow is. Remember that your grip angle is not necessarily at 90 degrees to your arm, so if the handle seems to be a little cock-eyed, that’s ok. I like to put my elbow strap 2-3″ from my elbow so it doesn’t jam on my elbow cop or vanbrace. Finally, I mark out the holes for the hockey face mask I use as a hand guard.

Leather edging?

I like leather edging on my shields, it protects the edge, catches thrusts, and makes a soft thump noise when it hits my head helping me to distinguish shield from sword. I use chrome tanned leather for this so I don’t have to worry about it getting wet, and I like to put a strip of car-door edging under the leather on the forward top and edge where it takes the most abuse. Using the sharpie, mark a line 1″ in from the edge of the shield all the way around. Now mark the holes about every 1″ along that line, making sure that holes are in each of the corners and the bottom point where you have to make the leather turn the corner. Drill each hole with the 1/8″ drill. Yes, it’s a lot of holes. I also go back and touch up each side of each hole with the 1/4″ drill to get rid of any rough edges and burrs. Rub a finger over the hole, if it catches, you have a burr which can cut the thread.

Canvas cover for an aluminum shield:

Covering an aluminum shield blank with canvas is time consuming, but looks awesome when it’s done. The covers on mine have lasted for years and small repairs are easy to do with a little 5 minute epoxy. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, preparation is the key. Wash the canvas 2-3 times to remove any sizing and loose fluff. Wash the aluminum with the rubbing alcohol to remove any grease and dirt – I keep wiping it down until the paper towels are no longer black. Lay the blank on the canvas and pencil the outline on the canvas. Lay the blank face up beside the canvas. Brush a layer of contact cement on the canvas, go about 2″ past the outline. Now brush the contact cement on the shield. By the time you’ve finished the coat on the shield, the canvas should be ready for a second coat (the cement will soak into the fabric). Brush a second coat on the fabric and let both cure according to the directions on the can.

canvas and shield all glued up:

If you have never worked with contact cement, be prepared, when it sticks it does not want to let go. It is important to make sure that when you place the shield on the canvas it is in the right spot. Since my shield is curved, I aligned the top and the point with the canvas and slowly lowered the shield onto the canvas. Once I was sure I was in the right spot, I slowly rolled it left, then right, to contact all of the canvas. I then turned it all over, face up, and smoothed the wrinkles out, working from the centre of the shield towards the edges:

Now, you’ll notice that there are still lots of small wrinkles. Here is a cool trick that Duke Edouard taught me; take the handle of an old paintbrush or toothbrush, anything smooth, and working from the centre out, rub the canvas hard. You’ll see the canvas get a little shiny as you work:

This will get rid of the little wrinkles and make sure there is a good tight bond between the cement and the canvas. The cement will work up into the fabric of the canvas, binding together the threads and reducing the chances of it tearing when in use. Again, it is time consuming but it makes a big difference in the durability of the cover. In this photo, the left side has been rubbed out, the right is still loose:

Finally, brush a little contact cement on the back of the shield and roll the canvas over the edge. Trim the fabric so it is just short of the edging holes so that it is covered by the leather edging when it’s all done.

Painting:

I like to use acrylic paint; it’s easy to clean up, is waterproof, dries quickly, and is flexible enough to take a beating. Artist’s gesso is really just white paint that has been designed to prepare canvas for painting. (true gesso is made from rabbit skin glue and is very expensive, you don’t need this) I had it so I used it. I put down two or three layers, until the canvas is smooth enough for painting my heraldry. I layout any straight lines, my gyronny field for example, using painter’s tape. I outline everything with black to give it a little pop. When it’s all done, I like to use a coat of marine (spar) varnish to protect the paint. It gives a yellow tinge, which I like.

The final step is to punch through the canvas over all the holes. I use an old ice pick.

Edging:

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of my edging techniques so I’ll try to describe it here. First, I soak the leather in water. Chrome tanned leather needs to be soaked longer than veg tanned. I’ll leave it for a few hours, then hang it up for another hour or so that it’s not dripping wet when I’m working with it. I line up the face side of the leather so that the holes are about 1/2″ in from the edge. The front corner takes the biggest beating so I like to have some car door edging under the leather for added protection. I start in the middle of the top edge and work clockwise around the shield. If the leather edging is long enough, I go from the middle of the top to the bottom point in one piece. Why? Because this piece will need to be replaced at some point and it’ll be easier if it is all one piece.

Using the awl, poke a hole in the leather about 1/2″ in from the edge, line up the leather with the hole in the shield and wrap the leather around the shield, clamping it in place. With the awl, find the opposite side of the edging and punch a hole. Thread the sinew through all three holes (edge, shield, edge) and repeat for the next hole. I use a harness stitch for this. (I really should have some pictures for this, or maybe a video…) Take your time, make sure the outside lines up with the the shield holes as this is the pretty side, you can trim off the excess on the inside later. At the corners, I cut the leather at an angle just on the outside and inside faces, leave the edge intact, and overlap the leather at the corner.

Notes:

Arm straps; never use commercial belts. They are often made from light leather, or fake leather, over a cardboard stiffener. Also, the buckles are cheap white metal castings which break at exactly the wrong time. I use leather from the scrap bin at my local Tandy outlet. I get my buckles from a saddle shop.

Bolts; I use 3/16″ or 1/4″ mild steel bolts with lock washers and/or lock nuts. Lock nuts have a nylon insert to help stop the nut from loosening over time. They shouldn’t be reused as the nylon “sets” itself on the first use. Make sure to use a large washer over leather to stop the nut from pulling through the leather. You do not need bigger bolts than 1/4″, you are just adding weight for no reason; the bolts are already stronger than anything else on your shield. I also don’t use stainless steel bolts – the first time you try to remove a seized stainless bolt you will understand why. If you are using a wooden blank, don’t use screws, they will pull out.

Sewing; I use a harness stitch, which uses two needles threading back and forth. Sometimes the needle, especially the second needle, is hard to pull through. I’ll take a pair of pliers, wrap the jaws with hockey tape to protect the needle, and use them to pull them through. The needles I use for shields are very beaten up! To measure the thread length, I take the length of the seam and triple it. To end a stitch line, I backtrack one needle one hole and tie it off on the inside of the shield.

Why do I wear an elbow cop and vanbrace behind my shield? Simple, when I have to drop my shield to switch to off-hand, like I might need to do in Crown Tourney, I want the armour already in place. I also don’t want to only wear them for Crown as I don’t want anything feeling “weird” on the day.

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