How to Make a Boffing Shield

"Boffing" is a nickname for medieval combat using foam-padded weapons or "Boffers." There are many organizations that use foam weapons for combat, including Belegarth, Dagorhir and Amtgard. In addition to foam swords and axes, an important piece of equipment is a shield. There are many types of shields, but the most commonly used is a strap shield. A strap shield is worn on the forearm, having two straps on the back, one of which goes around the arm near the elbow, while the other is gripped in the hand.

Things You'll Need

  • 3/4-inch plywood or ¼-inch ABS plastic
  • Leather straps
  • Four 1/4-inch by 1-inch bolts; washers and t-nuts
  • 2 to 3 rolls of blue camp pad
  • Contact cement
  • Duct tape
  • 1 to 2 yards of fabric
  • Jigsaw
  • Drill
  • Utility knife
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the shape of shield you prefer. Cut the shield core from plywood or ABS plastic to the desired shape and size, using the jigsaw.

    • 2

      Mark the core where you want to place your straps. Drill corresponding holes in both the core and the straps. Attach leather straps to the core the using bolts and t-nuts. Place the bolt heads on the backside of the shield core, with t-nuts on the face of the shield. Place duct tape over the ends of the t-nuts to ensure they will not cut into the foam you will apply in later steps.

    • 3

      Cut out blue camp foam to the exact size and shape of your shield core, using the utility knife. If the foam you are using is too narrow, tape two pieces of foam together side by side. Three layers of foam are required to achieve a safe thickness. Attach the foam pieces one at a time to the face of the core, using contact cement. Cut out a square piece of foam to fit between the straps of the shield. Attach this to the back of the core between the straps for forearm padding.

    • 4

      Cut three strips of blue foam to the width of the edge of the shield. These strips need to be wide enough to cover the core edge as well as the foam glued to the face of the shield. Cut a sufficient number of these strips enough to wrap the entire outside edge of the shield. Attach these pieces one at a time to the shield edge, using contact cement. Secure the exposed seams of the shield edge foam to the face of the shield with duct tape. Repeat this for the back of the shield.

    • 5

      Cover the face of the shield with cloth so that no foam is exposed. Tape the edges of the cloth cover to the back of the shield to hold it securely in place. For a higher quality shield cover, use a sewing machine to sew a drawstring around the edge of the cover. Once sewn, the cover can be fitted over the front of the shield and the drawstring pulled tight to secure the cover in place.