Making a Medieval Knight Shield

Hey, old friend, and well met. Welcome to my workshop. As a woodworker and a medieval enthusiast, I don't know why I've never built a proper medieval shield before. In this video, I will show making my first one. The style of shield I'll be making is a 12th century heater shield, which is what most people think of as the classic knight shield. However, before anyone says something in the comments, I'm not trying to be a hundred percent historically accurate. This particular shield will be for mainly decorative purposes, but if a customer requested one that is combat ready, I could make that as well. Before starting on the actual shield, I first have to make the frame for gluing the layers together, which will give the shield that curved surface for deflecting blows better. I cut a cardboard template with a rounded edge having an 18 inch radius trace that onto several pieces of plywood and cut them out on the bandsaw then i sanded one down to the traced line and used it as a guide to match the rest with the router next i screwed those pieces at even intervals to a longer board on either side which gives me a ribbed frame that i can use to give the shield its form lastly i added some metal brackets that I can use to keep the shield pieces centered during the glue up. Now I can start working on the actual shield. I start by cutting some sheets of 1/8 inch plywood into 2 by 3 foot pieces. 1/8 inch plywood can be a little harder to find, but it is much easier to bend around the shield form than 1 quarter inch. I know that in medieval times they didn't have modern plywood, but they did make their own by gluing criss-crossing layers of boards together to provide maximum strength over a wide flat surface. Once all the sheets are cut out, I drill a small hole at the top and bottom of each, which I can bolt to the corner brackets on the frame to keep the pieces perfectly aligned. Next it is time to apply the glue, which is just your standard PVA wood glue. I cut tiny notches along the edge of this plastic putty knife to make spreading the glue evenly easier. Because this glue has a 25 minute dry time, I only glue two layers together at a time because it takes a couple minutes to spread the glue and then clamp the sheets together. After bolting the plywood to those central brackets, I use ratchet straps to clamp the sheets down, bending them over the frame, making sure that each strap is positioned over one of the ribs. Once the glue has dried, I can remove the straps and see the result. I was very pleased that even with just two layers, the plywood held a smooth curve quite nicely. However, two layers is only a quarter of an inch thick and quite flimsy for a shield. So now I'll glue on another. You could glue together as many layers as you want, depending on the thickness and weight of shield you're looking for. For this particular shield, three layers will be sufficient for the kind of shield I want and to show you how it's done. Now that the After the plywood is all glued up, I can cut out the shield's shape. I start by tracing the outline of this paper template that I prepared earlier. I just used a bolt of cloth to weigh down the paper and prevent it from slipping as I traced. Then, I cut out the shape with a jigsaw. Next, I clean up the edge on the belt sander. Now I need to drill holes for all the attachments and parts I will be adding to the shield later. This will include some padding under the arm straps, and some trim going around the tire rim of the shield. Later you will see why this requires drilling holes through the shield. The back of the shield has this beautiful oak veneer, and I wanted to keep some of that wood grain, so rather than covering it, I decided to stain and finish that wood instead. Once the finish is dry, I can attach the padding that will go under the arm straps. This will be some foam inside a canvas sleeve. You could attach this using rivets, nails, or staples. I decided to sew the canvas onto the wood. Call me crazy, but I simply like the look and process of hand stitching. Now you know why I drilled so many holes in the shield. I also cut tiny grooves in between each hole, so that the cord would sit flush with the rest of the shield's front surface. After sewing most of the canvas, I stuff in a piece of upholstery foam. Then I sew up the opening. Now I can work on the front face of the shield. I coat the surface in glue again, and then cover it with some natural cotton canvas, smoothing it out to remove any wrinkles or air bubbles. Once the glue has dried, I can trim off most of the excess canvas. Then I fold and glue it over the edge. After waiting for the glue to dry again, I cut the canvas flush with the back surface. Next I'll install these D-ring anchors for attaching the arm straps. I tried making the rivets out of some nails, but I couldn't peen them well enough. Probably they were not the right steel hardness. So I just resorted to using bolts and nuts. Now I get to painting the shield. I start with a base coat of white. I've seen some shield makers that mix their own paint. I'm not that particular, so I just use this can of white primer slash paint I had on hand at the time. After a couple coats of white, I need to add the stencils for the design I'll be adding. I divide the shield into quarters with masking tape. Then I stick on the stencils, which I printed on label paper and cut out beforehand. I don't know how to read proper heraldry, but the design for this shield was to serve as a sort of banner for my shop. I incorporated the elements of my shop logo, which has a shield with red and white quadrants, a handsaw to symbolize craftsmanship, and a paintbrush to symbolize artistry. In the top quadrants, I added a maple leaf for my country, and a cross for my Christian faith. After covering all the parts that will remain white, I sprayed on two coats of red. Once that has dried, I can peel off the stencils and tape, and reveal what the shield will look like. I was very pleased with how clean the lines were, and the bright contrast between the red and white. And now I am back to more sewing. I wanted to add a trim around the edge of the shield, but I don't possess the tools or skill to do that with metal. So I'll attach a strip of black leather around it, using thread and some glue at the corners. I've seen some makers use rawhide for the rims of their shields, and if it is being made for combat, sometimes rope is glued inside to help cushion the shield edge against blunt weapons. While I sit here and sew, I wanted to share some thoughts about why I make shields, swords, and things from fantasy worlds. It ultimately comes down to the fact that there is so much evil in the world, and we as humans need hope. And as G.K. Chesterton writes in his book, Tremendous Trifles, fairy tales don't tell children that dragons exist. They already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed. That is why I love stories like Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, and why it is my desire to make things that remind us of such stories, the ones that inspire nobility and plant seeds of hope. After sewing on the leather rim, I next made the straps for carrying the shield. I cut two strips of leather, trimmed them to length, and then punched the stitching holes. Then I sewed them onto the ring anchors I had already attached to the shield. I realized that this would have been much easier to do if I had made the straps before bolting the anchors to the shield. That's part of learning. Doing something, then seeing how it could be done better the next time. Now the shield is finished. Except that I think it's a little too perfect. Too clean. So I'll add some weathering. The first step I'll do is adding some dents on the surface using this axe which is mostly blunt. I was a little hesitant to do this and afraid of gashing too deeply, but you have to trust the process. Next, I'll do some dry brushing with black paint. Just dabbing and wiping in random spots. Lastly, I'll use some dark brown stain and just flick the brush bristles at the shield to give some light spatters. I hope you enjoyed watching this project. If you did, you know what to do. Subscribe if you want to see what I build next. If I reach a thousand subscribers from this video I'll do a proper damage test on one of my shields if you'd like to commission a shield of your own or see what other items I have for sale there's a link to my shop in the description and thank you very much for watching