How to make a Roman shield

My kids love reenacting their own version of famous battles after playing strategy games on the PC. Then they ask me to make them outfits and / or weapons to go with them.

So I made this Roman shield. Took me a few nights to do it but worthwhile.

To make your own you will need the following bits n pieces:
- shield decoration templates ie lightning bolts, wings, unicorn horn (or make your own)
- 1 x sheet of white padded foamboard (20 x 30 x 3/16 inch)
- 1 x sheet of red A1 coloured cardboard (bigger than foamboard)
- 1 x square of frosted silver cardboard (6 3/4 inches) for shield boss
- 4 x large split pins
- a long ruler or straight edge,
- a pencil,
- a black marker
- a sharp knife or scissors
- a cutting board
- some adhesive tape (clear or silver) preferably with a dispenser
- mettalic gold & silver paint (acrylic)
- 1 paintbrush (fingernail sized brush)
- 1 fine paint brush for detail
- some rubber (eg tyre inner tube) cutoffs for the arm straps or alternatively any material suitably strong enough to hold the shield to your arm.
 - a hammer (optional).

WARNING: this is a toy for kids to play with and does not provide any defence against real weapons.  This toy is not intended to be used in combat situations eg LARP, historical re-enactments, role playing, etc.

Should you wish to do so then I suggest that you make the shield body out of wood (light enough to carry, strong enough to withstand blows) and similar sturdier attachments.

Note: Roman shields had a curved face and were not flat as a board.

Step 1 Glue the shield together

1. Lay out a drop-sheet or newspapers on a flat surface in your work area.

2. Lay your red A1 card down on top.

3. Spray the red A1 card with glue, taking care not to overspray.

4. Centre the white foamboard on top of the A1 card and press down.  Use weights like phone books to lay on top to help apply even pressure.

5. Leave to dry.
 

Comments

[Aj Asian]

Where do you get the Red a1 cardboard????