This is an article intended to give detailed instructions on how to make a basic shield for rebated steel combat. This article is written with the assumption that you have basic woodworking, and tools use skills. To see enlargements of any of the pictures just click on th small images.
First decide what diameter you would like your sheild to be. An ideal size for most people (use your own discression) is to make a fist with your hand, bend your elbow 90 degrees, have a friend (anyone but yourself) measure from the tip of your elbow to your first knuckle on your clenched fist, add one or two inches to this measurement, and that would be the ideal radius of your shield (multiply this number by two for the diameter).
Using the compass (or whatever tool you have on hand) draw a circle the full diameter of your intended shield size, please remember to mark your center point for future reference (you will need it again!). If you don't have a compass, a rough circle can be drawn using a pencil with a length of string tied around it. After your circle is drawn, cut the sheild shape out using the jigsaw. A coping saw can do this job as well, but a coping saw would be far more awkward and take a lot longer. Alternatively, you could also use a scroll saw to cut the shield out.
Measure the inside diameter of your shield boss. Using the compass, find the center point of your last circle, and draw a circle of the diamter of the inside measurement of your shield boss. Drill a hole big enough to fit the blade of your jigsaw into the center part of the wood, and proceed to cut the center hole out. You should now have a shield blank that looks something like the image to the right hand side of this paragraph. One suggestion that has been made to me by someone who has made a number of these types of shields, is to round off the inner edge of the hole for the shield boss using a router. From experience, I know that when a shield gets hit in combat, the inner edge will often be knocked onto the back of the hand, which is fairly uncomfortable, if not down-right painful. It would definately stand to reason that a rounded edge would reduce the amount of discomfort or pain involved in this.
At this point you should (if you have opted to, glue the canvas to the front face of your sheild. Trim the canvas to the edge of the wood using good sharp scissors, or a utility knife. Wait for the glue to dry thoroughly (overnight is best, but see the directions on your glue for best results). When the glue is dries, you can then paint your sheild. It is best to use simple geometic designs as it is likely is you plan to use your shield regularily, it will not last long. At this point your sheild should look similar to the picture at the beginning of this paragraph.
You might be asking yourself "Why glue canvas to your shield?" The answer is pretty simple. The canvas will hold the wood together better while under stress, prolonging the shields life. Also, when the shield does eventually give out, the splinters of wood will remain more intact, and be less likely to fly all over the place, and possible prevent splinter injuries. (I don't imagine that a splinter to the eye would be a pleasant thing).
At this point you should rim or edge your shield.
Using the carpet tacks, nail the strips of the leather or rawhide to the edge of your sheild. The nails should only be driven in directly from the front and back of the shield. The tacks should never be driven in on the side edge of the wood. The reason that rawhide or leather edging is used on shields for rebated steel combat (rather than metal or other materials) is that a metal edge would cause a risk of injury, or damaged the edge of your oponents weapon, which could cause sharp 'burrs" to form in your oponents weapon, making that weapon semi-sharp (rather than the dull edge it is supposed to have) and dangerous to yourself and others. The photo on the right side displys a shield in the process of being edged. This sample has been edged (only partially so far) with rawhide/dog chew. I have used hot coffee instead of boiling water to soften the rawhide, which has given the rawhide a darker brown colour, giving the illusion of real leather. This is an optional step, but if you can tolerate the mess that this causes, it is well worth the extra effort. Also note, that this is a used sheild (hence all the scratches and the rust stain in the center from where the boss used to be).
You will now need to drill the holes in the edge of your shield boss and drill holes into the handle. The holes drilled should be about the same size as the shafts of the bolts or rivets that you are using (if anything a hair bigger), usually 6mm or 7 mm (about 1/4") is a good size for the holes. At this point cut the handle down to the correct size for your shield, an ideal length for the handle is about 2/3 to 3/4 of the diameter of the shield. For example, if your sheild is 75cm (30"), the handle should be about 56cm (23"). You should then use the holes in the edge of the boss as guides to drill the holes in the handle, two more holes should be drilled into the handle near each end. To the left of this paragraph is an image of a sheild boss and handle that has been drilled, I have used metal bar stock for the handle in this example, and wrapped the middle in leather (which is glued to the metal with wood glue) for a more comfortable grip.
Now you will need to drill holes into the wood again using the holes you dilled into the shield boss and handle as guides. Once the holes are drilled attach the handle and boss to the shield using the carriage bolts or rivets. If using rivets, youi should also add washers before peening the rivets. To the right is a picture of the front of a complete shield, to the left is a picture of the back of a completed shield. Both of these pictures are of my current shield (at the date of this writing), and as is very apparent, much of the metal is discouloured with mild rust. Steel wool, or fine sandpaper can easily take of rust like this, regular oiling of the metal parts of your shield and good care of your shield will also prolong the shields life.
What happens when the wood on the shield is full of holes or otherwise damaged beyond use or repair? You can re-use the metal parts of your shield, and if you are lucky, possibly re-use the leather or rawhide trim as well, so that you should only ever need to cut and replace the plywood and the canvas of your shield.
To buy a sheild boss, check out any of the following links...
Or for an article on how to make a shield boss...
A similar article on how to make shields can be found at the below two links... The samples used in the below links have used a shaped wooden handle rather than a metal handle.
By: Michael S. Bagley