Absolute Noob's guide to making a shield

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#12

Normally, the same place you get ADOS.

I’ve managed to purchase a large number of 500ml cans of non-brand contact adhesive. I can’t tell the difference between this stuff and ADOS F2 (maybe a very slight difference in translucency that makes no difference to the actual functioning of the glue).

ADOS F2 sells for $19.70/500ml at my local Mitre 10 Mega and I’ll be selling these tins for $10/500ml at Teonn (or 3 tins for $20).

I kind of like the 500ml cans because you don’t have to dip your whole hand inside to get the last of the glue out, which can be very messy :frowning:

#13

OK, so next stage. After talking with Bryn and Anna and others the next stage is getting straps on this thing. I bought a couple of $3.50 dog collars from a $2 and more type shop (50 and 55cm) and then got to it! First; lay my arm on the shield about where I want to hold it - apparently your elbow should be near the centre of balance of the shield, but if I put my elbow on there my hand extends past the edge of the shield, so I moved it back and down a little. Since there’s no straps on it at this point, I can’t take a pic of my arm and the shield at the same time, so here’s special stand-in arm:

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I marked the top and bottom of my palm (for the hand strap) and above and below about 2/3rds of the way down my forearm. Then I attacked my brand new shield with a hand-drill and a Stanley knife:
Shield14.jpg798×579

Front view:
Shield15.jpg800×635

Get the collars, I uh, mean, straps;

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Thread them through the holes:

Pull them tight so they’re as close to the front of the shield as possible:

Do 'em up, and stick your arm through:

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(hey look now I can hold my shield up with ONE HAND!!)

[size=150]Great Success!![/size]

When there’s someone else at home I’ll get them to take a pic of me front on, just to really scare ya :slight_smile:

Viperion

#14

This is where I tell you left handers should use center grip round shields and you weep :wink:

#15

Gimme a break :stuck_out_tongue: This is the one I figured out how to make. I plan to talk to you a lot (Anna and Jackie and Bryn all have great things to say about you) IC and OOC at Teonn :slight_smile:

Viperion

#16

Good work! Does it feel natural when you hold it?

#17

[quote=“amphigori”]Good work! Does it feel natural when you hold it?[/quote]I think so? I have literally zero experience with shields. I think maybe my hand grip could be a little higher than it is, but it seems fine to me. I can go up, down, in, out, and rotate the shield with pretty minimal effort, so all good I think. Despite what I said way back in the first post it’s actually turned out quite a big bigger than I thought it would - but that’s better than too small for a noob, right? :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve now glued the front face on (no pics) - next step cleaning up the edges and taping the thing. Stay tuned, gentle readers!

Viperion

#18

I’m fond of gluing on fabric (front and back) because it:

  1. covers a lot of sins
  2. doesn’t look like tape
  3. paints really well
#19

Oh absolutely. I’m going to cover it in fabric as well. The edges are kind of weak though, so I’m going to tape about an inch or an inch and a half all around the outside and then cover it in fabric (yes, the tape will probably leave a small “rise” in the fabric at the edge - I plan on that being the gold border (see first post)

I still have time, right???!

Viperion

#20

I can never sleep on the last couple of nights anyway, so I find I can usually get a costume done in the last two nights.

I once started a centaur costume on Monday for a game that started on Friday and managed to make the back half of a centaur, a helmet, and shield and a cloak :smiley:

#21

That’s because you’re you Derek. :smiley:

I’m curious now though - why can’t you sleep the few nights before game?

#22

Anticip…ation.

And plotting. Mostly plotting :smiling_imp:

#23

Next bit! Just a quick update:

After just the tiniest bit of trimming the edges:

Shield21.jpg700×601

To make them flat:

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I taped around the edge with Duct Tape:

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Shield25.jpg640×800

It’s amazing how much just doing that has stiffened up the shield! Next and last thing for tonight is get the tape edges even, by lightly running the knife blade over the tape, so as not to cut into the shield itself

Shield26.jpg488×598

Viperion

#24

Gettin’ near finishing time!!!

First I cut out a piece of fabric just a little bit smaller than the shield, then put it over the back of the shield, cut holes in it for the straps; then spray glued the back of the shield and the fabric, and stick it down:

Shield27.jpg497×598

Cut out a piece of fabric about 2 inches bigger than the shield and spray glue that to the front:

Shield28.jpg485×598

Fold the edge bits around and glue down (thanks once again to Heather for showing me how to do this :slight_smile: )

Shield29.jpg525×598

Shield30.jpg512×598

Wait for the glue to dry, then put on the first coat of paint!!!

Shield31.jpg507×598

The end, she is in sight :slight_smile:

Viperion

#25

Or, if you’re a fabric hoarder, you can just use some coloured cloth on the front, and save the painting for the bits that matter.

#26

I didn’t have anywhere near the right quantity of the right coloured cloth :slight_smile: It actually doesn’t look as bad as that photo makes it look, the flash shows up all sorts of bits that are quite hard to see. Definitely still putting on another coat though, then doing the trimmings :slight_smile:

Viperion

#27

I like to cover the back of the shield with fabric first. That way, the front fabric can wrap around and the nasty overlap is on the back. If you look at the larp photographs, you’re more likely to be photographed with the back of your shield showing than the front, so it’s important to give that equal treatment.

#28

I did do that :slight_smile: (Is that not clear from the pics? I was hoping it was.) The back has some nice pleats in it which make it look quite flat. I don’t know yet whether I’ll be painting the back of it or leaving it fabric-coloured. At this stage I’ll finish the front and see how much time I have :smiley:

Viperion

#29

I think Derek is getting words confused, and means, cover the front first, with the overlap as you have done, and then the “just fitting” back piece can be glued over the folded over bits of the front fabric. (Well, that’s what I thought he meant and what makes sense to me.)

#30

I’ve done both :smiley:

#31

[quote=“Hannah”]I think Derek is getting words confused, and means, cover the front first, with the overlap as you have done, and then the “just fitting” back piece can be glued over the folded over bits of the front fabric. (Well, that’s what I thought he meant and what makes sense to me.)[/quote]Ah this makes sense too :slight_smile: Didn’t think of that. Next time :smiley:

Viperion