How to Make a Viking Shield

In this Instructable I will show how to make a Viking-style round-shield out of just one scrap piece of plywood.

Supplies:

• 1 sheet of plywood
• 1 dollar store dog bowl
• Wood glue (I used Gorilla wood glue)
• Wood stain
• Screws
• Leather straps
• Metal buckle
• Acrylic paint and brushes

Tools:

• Saw (I used an battery-powered circular saw, but the best choice would probably be a jigsaw)
• Belt sander
• Dremel rotary tool
• Drill
• Hole saw drill bit

For this project I used a single 1" thick plywood board. Using a string and a marker, I marked out the biggest circle I could get out of it, which turned out to be about 28" in diameter. Using a saw, cut out the circle. Next, mark out the segments. Since the diameter was 28", I cut the circle into seven 4-inch sections. Using some more scraps from the same board, I cut two planks to be attached to the back.

First, I marked where the planks would go on the back with a marker, going horizontally while the front planks go vertically. Then I dumped glue inside the marks and spread it out. I also spread glue on the backs of the horizontal planks. It is a good idea to let the glue soak in for a few minutes, then add more glue and put the planks into place. After weighting it down, I let it dry for 24 hours.

When the glue had cured, I screwed the planks together for good measure, one screw for each of the seven segments. Tip: Make sure the screws are not too long BEFORE you screw them in! :)

After this I sanded the surface, front and back,really well to make it nice and smooth.

First I found the center of the shield and marked it. Then, using the dog bowl, I marked out a circle where it would go. I then made a smaller circle inside of that circle that would be cut out. Using a hole saw on a drill, I cut out the inner circle. I had to use a Dremel rotary tool to fix up the messy hole.

For the handle, I used another scrap from the same board. I cut it so that it would just fit between the two horizontal planks on the back of the shield, right in the middle of the center hole. I sanded the handle smooth, then screwed it into place.

Next I stained the front and back of the shield and let it dry for about 48 hours. When the wood stain was completely dry, I drew a design on the front with a pencil. Then I painted over it with white acrylic paint.

To attach the dog-bowl boss, I hammered some staples into the rim. You could just use nails or screws, but I liked the look of these.

Next up is the straps. I cut some 1" wide strips of leather, two shorter ones and two longer ones. The shorter ones I screwed on either side of the center handle. These will be for slipping your arm into for extra support. The next straps are optional. I attached an old belt buckle to one of them and cut holes for the prong to go through on the other. Then I screwed them on the back of the board as well. This one is for strapping it onto your back.

Finished! I hope you liked the project!