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Making a Re-Enactment Viking Shield

This is a basic everyday re-enactment shield, for use in re-enactment. As a result, it in NOT how Viking shields were made, but rather a simulacrum of they appeared and how they can be made to stand up to the rigours of re-enactment combat.

I will add hints on how to make a more accurate shield than one that appears here, during the construction notes.

And, to amuse myself, I have decided to write it up using the procedural text type. I initially thought of doing it through the medium of dance, but had to reject that notion.

Some of the photos for the later stages are missing due to a missing film, but I will add some later on.

Aim:

To construct a Viking shield suitable for use in re-enactment combat.

Materials:

• plywood (9 to 12 mm thick and at least 900 x 900 mm across)1.

• a beaten metal shield boss domed so as to be wider than your clenched fist.

• coach bolts with at least 7mm longer than the width of the shield, boss rim and depth of solid wood/metal, and washers, nuts 2

• a length of solid wood (700 x 20 x 15 mm) or metal bar (700 x 20 x 3-4 mm)3

• calico/canvas/leather 1 metre square (optional)4

• leather/rawhide strips approximately 100 to 120 mm wide. Large dog chews are a good option here, even if their quality does vary 5

• 9 mm tacks

• brushes and paint 6

• jigsaw

• drill with bits that are as wide as the bolt/rivet and another that is wider than the jigsaw bit

• angle grinder

• ball peen hammer

• centre punch

• bucket of water (if using rawhide).

• pencil and large compass (or nail and piece of string if compass does not spread to 450 mm)

• piece of wood or dowel not wider than about 40 mm

• sandpaper

• PVA glue or similar

Method:

1. Put the rawhide in the water making sure that it is all submerged.

2. Sand the edges of the solid wood/metal bar with the sandpaper and taper the edges down of the wood on one side of both ends. This will be your grip or handle. I

3. Trace two circles onto the plywood, one 900 mm in diameter, the other a little larger than the diameter of your clenched fist when holding the handle. You might also want to trace a circle around your shield boss to get an idea of how much room you have.

4. Drill a hole inside the smaller hole using the bit that is larger than the jigsaw's blade.

5. .Cut out the two circles using the jigsaw, using the hole previously drilled as a starting point for the smaller hole.

6. Glue the covering down over the shield if using calico or canvas making sure that you glue over the edges. If you are using leather you may do this but it is not as necessary. If you intend to stuff padding under the shield, then do not glue down the covering. If you don't intend to use a covering, you might want to use a router to mark lines to imitate planks.

7. Cut out the material covering the smaller hole.

8. Paint your design onto the shield at this point if you intend to have any colours, apart from white, extend to the edge of your shield.

9. Tack the rawhide/leather strips onto the edge of the shield making sure that you have plenty of overlap, using about 1 tack every 25 to 30 mm.

10. Mark the rim of the boss with the centre punch.

11. Drill holes in the boss using these holes as guides.

12. Place the boss in place covering the hole.

13. Drill holes into the shield that match these hole. If using four holes in your boss, you might want to put the handle in place, and mark the spots where these holes fall on the handle and drill them now as well.

14. Stuff grass etc behind the facing, if leather. This step is optional.7

15. Drill a hole as deep into the piece of wood or dowel as the shaft of the coach bolt.

16. Slide the bolt into the hole and using the hammer bash the head with the ball peen side of the hammer until you have removed the galvanised material from the head and have bashed away any logo etc. The head should have a 'hand made' look now. Repeat until you have done all the bolts that you are going to use.

17. Affix the boss to the shield using the bolts, passing through the handle where appropriate.

18. Grind off the excess thread of the bolt.

19. Affix secondary bolts near to the ends of the handle from the front of the shield. 8

20. Tack extra pieces of rawhide/leather perpendicular to the previous lot to cover the gaps that are in the edging.

21. Use you shield to deflect blows coming towards your person. Repeat.

The same shield after a bit of use.

1. The dimensions of a shield vary. This measurement was taken from the excellent article produced by Peter Beatson of the Miklgard New Varangian Guard. Dimensions vary and this particular width was chosen based on one of the larger shields. The thickness of a shield also varies. This is chosen purely based on how heavy a shield I could comfortably carry. I also wanted the shield to last a while. 

2. Coach bolts are used here as they are easily found and replaced, particularly if you intend to swap the same boss between shields. To be more accurate, rivets should be used to hold on the boss and handle.

3. You could also buy a nice, professionally made handle. If you do so, don't use coach bolts as you will ruin the effect totally.

4. I don't know of any references to the use of canvas or calico as a shield facing, but they do hold the surface together better than wood alone, cover the plywood (which has never been found on Viking shields) and give a surface that takes a little better.

5. There is evidence that some shields have metal edges, but for us that material would become jagged and potentially dangerous, thus it is not used by us on our shields.

6. Paint, of varying colours, has been found on Viking shields. The design is up to you but simple quartering and windmill designs are common.

7. The 9th century shield from the Tirskom Bog was found with a wooden boss and grass stuffed behind it's leather facing, possibly to act as a shock absorbing material. Article also by Peter Beatson.

8. These 'secondary' attachment points would be used to affix the individual planks into the shield. There should be strengthening bars above and below the handle, but as we have used plywood this is not necessary. If you are trying to hide the ply or have used planks of wood. These will not only look good but will give the shield added strength.