Attaching a shield boss

If you want a unique shield, you can purchase an unfinished shield base and customize it to your own design. If you want your shield to have a shield boss, it’s important that you attach it the right way. 

Always make sure you’re wearing the appropriate safety gear!

What do you need?

-pen or pencil

-drill

-jiggsaw

-rivets or nails

-sandpaper

-hammer (when using nails)

How to attach the shield boss

Step 1:

Find and mark the center on the back of the shield. Draw out the inner diameter of the shield boss around this center point. Don’t draw it too big, otherwise you won’t be able to secure the shield boss to the wood later.

Step 2:

Drill a hole through the shield within the circle you drew. Make sure the hole is big enough for the blade of the jigsaw to fit through it.

Step 3: 

Place the blade of the jigsaw in the drilled hole. Use that as your starting point to saw the marked circle. Again, don’t go too wide, as you do need enough wood to nail or rivet the shield boss to. Sand the edges of the hole, so they can’t give any splinters. 

Step 4:

Place the shield boss over the hole you sawed on the right side of the shield. Mark where the pre-drilled holes of the shield boss are on the shield. Remove the shield boss and drill holes through the shield on the marked spots.

Step 5:

Place the shield boss back on the shield, making sure the holes of the shield boss and the shield line up. Slide the rivets through the holes and secure them on the back with the tails, or by hammering the ends flat. 

If you prefer to use nails instead of rivets, skip drilling the holes on the shield. You can simply place the shield boss over the hole and hammer in the nails through the pre-drilled hole of the shield boss.

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