How to Make a Wood Roman Shield
- 1). Cut three pieces of 1/4-inch plywood 4 feet long by 3 feet wide. The dimensions can be altered.
- 2). Round off the corners of the plywood using sandpaper. The corners do not need to be hugely curved, but the sharp corners do need to be removed.
- 3). Soak the plywood in water for a few hours. Bend the wood by hand to create an even curvature across the 3-foot side of the board. Continue until the wood looks like a panel from a barrel. Try not to bend the wood too much as this will damage it. Just a slight curvature is best. Leave to dry in a warm place overnight.
- 4). Glue each of the three curved plywood sheets using wood glue. This should leave a three-layered laminated piece of wood. Leave to dry overnight.
- 5). Paint the front and edges of the shield red and leave to dry for a few hours. Attaching leather using staples or nails is more authentic, but makes the final design harder to achieve.
- 6). Apply yellow patterns to the shield with paint. Lightning bolts, arrows and other designs were regularly applied to Roman armor.
- 7). Cut out a 6-inch square piece of plywood and glue a small, upturned plastic bowl to it and leave to dry. This forms the domed embossed part that goes in the center of the shield.
- 8). Paint the bowl and wood silver, leave to dry and glue onto the center of the shield.
- 9). Make two canvas strips about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide and attach to the back of the shield using nails or staples. This will act as the handle for the shield.
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