By: Michael L. Armajo

If you need to make a cheap shield with products easily found at your local Salvation Army and/or Savers take advantage of your Second Hand stores This Idea is for you. You will enjoy this cheap but effective shield that can be used for Larping and Fantasy Cosplay. It is also useful in a Zombie Apocalypse or battling Orcs. Some of these parts I found in the trash and didn't cost me anything. However some costed less than 20$.

Key Words: Larping, Cosplay, Fantasy Shield, Medieval Shield, Recycle, Reuse, Cheap.

Step 1: Gather Materials / Tools

Materials:

1. 1 X Solid metal Plate about 18” inches in diameter.

2. 1 X Bronze decorative Plate about 24” inches in diameter.

3. 1 X Wooden Handle from wooden Jump Rope.

4. 2 X Metal Coat Hanger Wire

5. 10 X Grocery Bags Plastic.

6. 1 X Roll of Black Duct tape.

Tools:

1. Heavy Duty Pliers.

2. Rubber Hammer

3. Drill w/ Tungsten Bit.

Step 2: Drill the Solid Metal Plate.

Carefully measure the sides of the Plate so that you can make an accurate measurement that will best suit your arm. For me it was 4” inches.

Once you had found where you need to make your holes drill them.

Careful as it is solid metal and take safety precautions with safety goggles and adult supervision. Or have an adult help you.

Step 3: Shape the Bronze Plate.

Take the bronze plate and start hammering away at the center but not the edges we need them flat. So here is an example.

Take the brass plate and hit it with the Rubber Mallet to make it more concave. The hammer worked best on the grass on the lawn.

Be gentle it doesn't need heavy blows just tap it into shape. It should leave you with a nice shape.

Step 4: Drill the Bronze Plate.

I found that it was just a little more further from the edge about an inch and a half. 1.5”inches from the edge.

If you layered them one on top of the other they should match up. You get a nice little gap between them.

Step 5: Fill It and Tie It.

Note: this step was tricky because you have to tie the whole thing up tight and put the plastic bags inside the Shield.

Straiten the two hangers.

Tie It.

I had to tie up one side first and work on the second side to do it. I love recycling things and keeping waist out of the dumps and landfills. So I used Plastic bags to hold other plastic bags stuffing the shield. I managed to put in 10 of them. made the bronze really bouncy.

Fill it.

The plastic bags work as a shock absorber for blunt force trauma and blows. Being plastic it doesn’t mold or deteriorate but keeps the soft bronze shape a nice concave and pushes it back to its original shape after hitting something.

You use the hangers as wire to hold the two halves together and pull them tight together and loop them around twice. This holds them together.

Step 6: Making the Loop.

Wrap the wires around each other.

After you were able to close up the shield and tighten it you can now start adjusting it to the size of your arm. you will then make sure it fits your arm and wrap the wires around each other. Hide the ends with duct tape so it doesn't have any sharp edges.

Wrap it up with duck tape. I found that black duct tape looks good on this project.

Note: Make sure it is snug on your arm if you are wearing a bracer then adjust it to fit for armor. Just think ahead and plan on it being a little bit longer.

Step 7: Making the Handle.

I rescued the handle from a broken antique jump rope. It was free for me but I am sure you guys can find one at your second hand store or make one out of wood.

Thread it.

This hand you can adjust to what is comfortable by the threading both sides of the wooden handle. then after you know bend them around the wire to something similar to this example.

Shape it.

Make sure your gauntlet works with it or just the size of your hand.

Wrap it.

It is similar to the previous step. Wrap it with duct tape.

Step 8: What Is Should Look Like.

This is an example of what it should look like. Yours may come out different if you find different types and shapes of plates. Results may vary. Have fun creating your own shield for cheap.

Step 9: Enjoy!

Now you have successfully made an awesome shield and you will have your own originality. You can use it to ward off the hordes of orcs and zombies. I use mine for fantasy con.

Leave comments if you liked my work. Share with your friends.