How to Hand Carve an EPIC Wooden Shield!!

You go into battle soon, but you know you'll be ok. All you need are your trusty tools and the forest around you... or in this case, Cl3ver got excited about his new wood carving tools and carved a pretty EPIC wooden shield to learn them!
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[@QuinchGaming]

TIP: For the Round Shields I've made I've used wooden flooring. One pack is more than you need, they're thin wood so light, raw pine so can be carved if you want, fit together with pre-made side slots as well. All I've also done is cover the shield in fabric so I can paint it. Really easy!

[@Struthio_Camelus]

Great idea! If you laminate two layers of flooring with the joints at right angles you'd have a shield that a first-year karate student couldn't kick to soft, pine-y splinters.

[@velazquezarmouries]

You could also use mortised pine ceiling boards when glued together they are really fucking strong

[@Hyperguyver2]

I never did this, I just made sure to use pine, a good waterproof glue, linen, rawhide and polyurethane to seal and protect the whole thing. I did almost everything on mine according to the historical standard

[@velazquezarmouries]

@@Hyperguyver2 i kind of want to make one to try the whole pigment and egg yolk paint thing

[@Drakonaut]

I actually saved the hardwood flooring from a renovation at our house, if y'all can get a hand on that it'll be about as thick as what he has without reinforcement.

[@Hyperguyver2]

A couple of tips for the audience as an experienced shield maker: 1. The boards should always face horizontally so when you place the reinforcments/handle you increase the strength of the shield as well and prevent it from warping. 2. Don't use just any wood glue, use a waterproof/outdoor wood glue to keep it from failing due to weather exposure. 3. cut and taper the edge your shield first then cut and taper the hole for your boss. It is important to make sure the boss is larger than your hand for safety. 4. Large rawhide dog bones make a perfect low cost material for the rim as it will strengthen the edge and make it easier to repair.

[@AzraelThanatos]

Yep, I think that Skallagrim has a tutorial from a long while ago

[@petrschejbal8756]

Even in time of holiday's he won't take break. Thank you for entertainment you provide to us 😁

[@SkillTree]

Can't stop won't stop 😅

[@ChildOfChaos64]

Just a quick pointer, it might be worth tapering the edge of the boss section on the back out more, it looks VERY tight to your knuckle and won't be comfy to fight with *waves in personal experience with punch grip shields* but shaving the edge will give you move comfort to move around the grip in the centre whilst still being secure :) otherwise you run the risk of the SECOND you get ANY impact to that shield, pulled or not, you may end up splitting your knuckle open :)

[@neoaliphant]

linen makes a huge amount of protection, or calico to save money, also rawhide dog chew bones, soaked in hot water can form a good edge/rim as well.

[@WilliamWilson_org]

Raw Hide bones. They are cheap AF, and EXACTLY appropriate!

[@neoaliphant]

@@WilliamWilson_org yep, and dry tight, very robust against metal renactment weapons, we used tacks to hold in place but they came out and were sharp, rivets might be safer.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Recommend the extra long dog bones with the knoted ends (the ones that are shaped like "bones" not just the rolled sticks of rawhind). The knoted ends give you a surprising amount of additional hide.

[@Miss_Trillium]

You can just buy rawhide at tandy leather as well, since he loves tandy deeply lol

[@Mk1SpitfireGuy]

"Basically, I...glued it to my table." Pro tip: wax paper is your friend.

[@NotSoWittyNow]

That deserves a place of honour on the wall in the background!

[@bigspam22]

Dude im literally addicted to your videos they are like crack i just cant stop binge watching qll your stuff and your larp stuff got me interested in reconing

[@SkillTree]

Thank you! I hope to see you there!

[@allhenderson3573]

With wood carving just like with leather tooling it helps to dampen your project for cleaner and smoother cuts by using a spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol

[@gustaafdehaas]

Oh man, i just love the fox emblem. My wife and daughter are named "de Vos". This translates to "the Fox". 🤘🏻👍🏻

[@mikeselsor6740]

A broad carrying strap might make for a useful addition. Though your shield may be light, after carrying in around for a while, it is gonna get a little heavy. Also, when you don't want to set it down just allow the shield to hangover your back while your hands complete other tasks.

[@thedeaderer8791]

As some one who has cut or more tried to cut radius into wood I tip my hat to u sir that circle was nice

[@briannaedwards7851]

I’ve been watching your channel for a while but I finally got my wife to check it out and she loved it and now she is subscribed too! It’s so awesome to geek out together over these epic projects!

[@dragonobskuritas]

Awesome shield. You guys are so inspiring, I wish I had enough room for my own workshop. Big, strong and fluffy dragon hug for all of you.

[@EricaSalzman]

You are so right to be proud of that shield! Also, I have two crafting challenges for you if you want them. (But I'm only giving them to you one at a time.) Challenge 1: Make an LOTR LARP sword of either A. Gurthang: the blade with a tragic story. or B. Herugrim: the blade with a noble ending. If you do make a video of this challenge, I will leave the second challenge in the comments.

[@SnappedDuck4209]

This video is awesome, I love seeing you make stuff like this and how you do it with your comments is really different than everyone else. This is why I want to do a larp one day.

[@spectreranger8997]

That's really good for a first time carving. I'm sure your leather working skills helped.

[@Allofthemonkeys]

Another tip for flatcarving is to trace your lines over with a sharp carving knife, then your chisels will want to follow the scored line as you carve

[@333whiteraven]

Menards carries pine circles for $30-$40! I have a huge one I've been procrastinating on making a shield with. This is fantastic! Thank you for the video.

[@Johny_5]

You enthusiasm is infectious. Cheers! :D

[@LaineyBug2020]

Could double as a great table top too!

[@michaelhorton7684]

Very nice man! You should hang that on the wall in your background! Would make an excellent addition to you video setting!

[@000Krim]

Love that you are so happy

[@MachinatoVitae]

The bent over spike you're describing will be much stronger if you make two bends so the tip re-enters the wood. It's called Clinch Nailing and is a traditional technique.

[@redpeterpanda]

Just wanted to say to draw the circle, you could also use a nail, string and a pencil (love the creations)

[@tomicorevilak7710]

Another thing you could try is torching the wood and / or a wood burning kit. Wood is a very cool medium to work in.

[@Nathankinamorh]

Glue & press together a bunch of 2x4s can incorporate straps and cordage before beatuify, reinforce, and finish

[@andrewbutton2039]

I made a smallish, round strapped shield using some pallet wood. It's two layers, the slats go one way on the front and 90° offset on the back. Its about 2.5 cm thick and weighs about 3.5 kilos.

[@DonsArtnGames]

This has been out for an HOUR and I am JUST NOW finding it?! WTF?! That said... Thank you for the video. It's reignited my LARP/Cosplay/Anachronism in me again.

[@erikwulfrik1934]

Perfect tool for making the circle. A wire coat hanger.

[@firearmssanctuary2448]

awesome work. one thing you could do before you start carving is steam or boil the disc then bend it in to basically a shallow bowl shape parabolic is the term. like Captain America's vibranium shield the concave shape would make it much easier to get a comfortable handle system in as well.

[@velazquezarmouries]

Quick tip the boards in the shield should be horizontal not vertical so that when you put in the handle it would not split and so that when you get a blow it won't go through your entire shield also a linen or rawhide reinforcement will help

[@Hyperguyver2]

Historically you'd use both.

[@velazquezarmouries]

@@Hyperguyver2 i mean a linen or rawhide facing with a rawhide rim

[@ProfessorWowa]

A new video before the new year, awesome Cl3ver. If you need a way to make a shield out of plywood try a dremmel, they have good control and I've used them to carve stone before.

[@blaisebenoit-corey8172]

I've had a pallet lying around for a bit that I have been intending to turn into something, I think this is the perfect project

[@mcbdswoodheper9566]

awesome vid as always! tips of advice for ppl who want to attempt. 1. if you want to make it something u can wear for long periods, make an arm strap for it, it will get really heavy over time with just your hand holding it 2. if you dont have a airbrush but want the dark design like in the vid, try woodburning it in. 3. pockets are ironically dope on the insides of shields. Having little spots for ammo for slings/arrows is great for on the feild use (larp) awesome work cl3ver!

[@danielmchugh9386]

Really enjoyed this. Would love to see more of your engraving skills to create an Alchemists chest. See you in Germany. Daniel

[@gryphonprovenzano3156]

Not a minute in and it’s already the best ep don’t forget the yee oldy lablemaker!

[@winterknightwarden8543]

I like that you went for carving the wood rather than electrocution the way I did with a home made Fractal Burner and the staining and painting instead of charing looks really nice. One tip: if you add the nails all the way through, be sure and drill the holes first to avoid splitting. 😉

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

Rawhide edging and a proper boss would have pretty much made this a functional combat ready shield. Gorgeous work btw.

[@missourisavage7195]

Best part? When you were marveling over the carbon paper... Old tech in new hands is always great.

[@Wassel_]

This looks amazing. I'm proud of you, lad! :D

[@johnsullivan6560]

Very nice! Now I have to make a shield! Thanks

[@333whiteraven]

Your shield is AMAZING

[@racheed5383]

That looks pretty cool, nice!!

[@KaosCoin]

To reinforce get rid of the leather edge and tacks and replace with a rawhide bind.

[@Azelethros_OG]

A gorgeous shield!

[@Taurusus]

That cat dish boss is boss, Boss! Always wanted to make myself a shield, if only as a cool-ass wall hanging. Got some blades I don't know what to do with, why not mount it all Royal Crest style!

[@Tinmouser]

Great shield, and great points below from people as well. I just want to add my 2 bits. As mentioned by Hyperguyver2, the glue is important, I recommend Titebond 3. (long working time and as water resistant as can be) Its used for cuttingboards and other items where water may reactivate the glue. (BTW, the glue long grain to long grain will be more secure than any mechanical fastener you could add as its stronger than the wood it is in usually.) Now for decoration, yeah go for it, but I doubt your handle would need much more in the way of security if you have added enough glue when you attached it. Second, you probably want some edge treatment, especially on the outside. Chair legs have a small bevel on them to prevent splintering as you pull the chair out and and push it in. I expect that at certain angles, a sword blow is going to chip the edge (battle scars) but just leaning it against the wall and then pulling it up could peel the edge if it happens to be the wrong way up. Being a circle, there isn't just one way up.

[@nightfan1983]

Now that you dipped into carving, you could attempt carving a simple fox / raven (or is it a crow?) / tree figurine :)

[@rhysodunloe2463]

I love your design. Is the bird symbolising a falcon or a raven? Because my favourite knight's heraldic shield also shows a raven and a fox. The raven - always with a golden ring in his beak - is his family symbol and the fox stands for his own cunningness. Although his name was Hans von Trotha, he is better known as Hans Trapp. In the Northern France regions Alsace and Lorraine he is kind of a (Christmas) boogeyman who kidnaps and punishes naughty children. This folklore has a historic reason. During a feud with the abbot of Wissembourg over the "accesories" of Berwartstein Castle he dammed the nearby river, cutting off the towns main water supply and their way of transporting timber. After a long guerilla war and many complaints to the Vatican and the Principality, he teared down the dam and flooded most of the town. Although he was excommunicated and officially sanctioned by the Holy Roman Empire for those actions - and a not so nice letter he wrote to the pope after he was called to Rome to be inquisited - he was later sent as a diplomate to the court of the King of France, where he was knighted a Chevalier d'Or - a golden knight - for his strategic mastermind in the early Italian Wars. After his death he couldn't be laid to rest for two years until the church gave in to his widow's pleading and forgave him so he could be buried in a chapel nearby his castle. Ironically the chapel is right next to where the upper end of the dammed lake they excommunicated him for was.

[@SkillTree]

That is a really interesting bit of history! Thank you for sharing. It is specifically a crow actually. Madi says she has all the cunning of a raven but far less grace 🤣. I am the fox because I value cleverness and my name is Kit😁

[@dragonscaskentertainment5139]

Epic as always good sir! Love this!

[@vorpalsmithandforge4664]

Another way to transfer images like using the black paper, you can take a pencil and heavily shade the back of the picture and trace the image and get the same effect

[@scottymcm]

Really impressed with the handle side of the shield. Especially impressed with the lack of arm straps because that is more historically accurate and a lot of times cosplay stuff goes more for the aesthetics. This was a very cool build overall. Would love to see a vlog or something of you actually using your creations/field testing them.

[@diy_wizard]

Cool! The carving turned out Really Great, especially with the painting! Great job!

[@Renge43]

May I ask for a project? A flashlight that looks,s like a medieval torch. Like it wouldn't look out of place in a larp at night. For when you're returning to camp after a long adventure and there isn't enough moonlight but you rather not accidentally cause a Forrest fire

[@BattleZone-pu4xr]

I love making shields I've made a few historical viking shields (except for the design picture)

[@Glassman1998]

Respectfully, I would love to see some content on what you’re drinking there sir. As someone who partakes while crafting it tickles my fancy to see someone doing the same.

[@Mark-ki7ic]

Healers kit for the New Year ?

[@fyfedrum]

Very Cl3ver...but then, you knew that already! Nicely done indeed. I've done some carving, and also found that outlining with an Exacto knife helps with cleaner lines. Thanks for sharing your skills! Happy New Year!

[@duskstorm3560]

*Gluing wood to the table* *Pros:* You know the glue is working *Cons:* The table is now stuck to the wood

[@itsinthesystem2981]

Out of curiosity, how much did the shield end up weighing?

[@elricthebald]

Probably a lot. The 80cm shield (9mm at centre, 5mm at edge, metal boss) I made last year came it at roughly 3.9kg which is on the heavy side.

[@FIYARtv]

Great job! Love your tuts and energy, definitely subbing

[@danieltaylor5231]

@0:34 Clever realizes he's invented the Salty Old Fashioned.

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

Killer shield

[@mrkultra1655]

Awesome man; thanks

[@KaquolMeliReno]

It’s beautiful!

[@JarlHavi]

Would like to point out that to get dark highlights on wood, you would typically burn it ever so lightly with a red iron or red stick (red meaning burning from being in a fire but not actually on fire). Obviously this is more dangerous especially when working with chemicals or any kind of flammable material. That’s why always exercise safety precautions first.

[@CalliopePony]

I think I already suggested this on another video, but you could try making a Scottish targe. If you want to work on a shield that has a lot of detail work with the leather and tacks then you could have a lot of fun getting creative with a targe. Also, I believe that barrel lids are historically a popular choice to use as a base for making a shield. They're already strong, flat, circular, and a good size.

[@jeffp.5080]

Would love to see you carve a Kuksa style cup to match the shield

[@bclarkca9113]

Thanks for another great video! Happy holidays!

[@MakerCuisine]

Epic sheild kit! 👍

[@TheStraycat74]

2:15 "glued it to my table like a dipsh*t" lol... nice 5:15 a couple years ago I took up Spoon Carving and got a buncha tools for that. can't do it at work because I drive 18-wheelers all day, but I have made more than a few spoons. Which could be another project for you, making a dining set out of wood... Plates, bowls, Spoons, forks. Sporks? just an idea. 15:54 When I was Larping with phys-rep boffers I made an axe for a friend of mine and he carried it behind his shield. since the shield was strapped to his forearm, and had a handle he gripped, the axe Just Happened to fit in the groove of the handle. Loose your sword? Boom! Axe is already drawn! just grab the axe from behind your shield. also, a backup set of lock picks, flint and steel in a buttoned pouch, maybe a back-up dagger... but not too much stuff attached to your shield. just sayin.

[@michaelhickman1137]

Excellent!

[@donaldmcdaniel1773]

I think I would have tapered the whole shield towards the edge even just a few degrees < so that it doesn't look so flat. It does look nice though, especially the basic design. 😊

[@bokchoyjoyeux5004]

Very nice vid ! This shield look's amazing ! My only concern is the edge of the shield. Many LARP don't accept shield that don't have foam around the edge. I would be more safe to add someting like piping foam (the foam that we use for covering pipe) and a layer of light leather to cover up the foam 😉. It's still a very nice project and a very good vid ! Thanks ! (Sorry for my bad english haha ! I'm from Québec hehe)

[@colapundarn]

looks awsome! now try to make a sign :) and a larp safe shield :D

[@Cascadejackal]

A neat trick for mounting a proper boss to a shield is to use buttonhead screws (the ones with a large head), then clip the domes/heads off of uphosltery tacks or thumb tacks and hot glue them onto the heads of the screws. It looks just like the boss is riveted on without going through all the effort of actually riveting! Even better, it's quick and easy to remove for repairs! Even if a head does come off (my favorite shield has survived several years, numerous faires and being banged around in storage and transit without losing even a single faux rivet head), it would only take a few seconds to replace it. Just snip another tack, a dab of hot glue, and voila!

[@markusrae5597]

I wonder the result if you used a shou sugi ban method on the shield with the carvings. I feel like it would have made the wood grain and carvings dramatic. Take like a 150 grit to it lightly and stain it. Generally this method also helps waterproof, make rot resistant, and even can harden/strengthen depending on the wood used. If you create it... I'll watch it lol.

[@branchcore]

That's a pretty cool table top. Shields were measured shoulder to waist. Ugh more larp.

[@Don-Scrima]

Nice. If you’re taking requests, I think the Ultimate Rivlan Shield would be a cool idea for doing more of this specific kind of project.

[@jamesansell1872]

you can use those tools for leather carving too

[@geoffallert1921]

Try making a buckler. Awesome video, mate.

[@baileyotto6063]

Soo I was curious. Have you ever tried making a staff like Gandalf's that lights up? For larp maybe of course

[@nealjameson8490]

Apologies if these comments have already appeared, but (1) waxed paper will stop glued objects from sticking to workbenches, (2) clamping another board or two perpendicular to your boards in the glue up will stop it from racking, and (3) Zar stain is sooo much better than minwax. In my (professional) experience, minwax looks cool until you wipe it off, but Zar actually works the way you think stain should. Sadly, like you and Tandy, Zar does not sponsor me.

[@laurencesutton4736]

you have a Beautiful Herldic Shield. for combat use, a thick leather over a wooden frame or metal would be best. or a mix of the above. either way, you would need a few straps to hold the shield to your forearm. most like adjustable... either way... More please

[@DH-xw6jp]

For Scandinavian/Norse ("viking") style shields you don't use forearm straps, they are held by the center grip only. As are bucklers (small dinner plate sized shields). A greek or renaissance round shield however, uses the straps. (Think Captain America, or king Leonidas) Celtic round shields had either, depending on size. And this doesnt take into account the boatloads of other shields, of all sizes and shapes, from other parts of the world or time periods. They have a multitude of various types of attachments. Both strapped and single grip.

[@Chad-Dion]

So what was the point of the outlined rim ? How long did you have to set the glue for ?

[@Seiaeka]

I recommend that you tuck your hoodie strings into your shirt when doing work like this. That way they won't get wrecked or accidentally transfer anything they pick up to your shirt. The shield looks really great. My family gave my old shield away to a friend. It was made of scrap ply though. I suppose it's about time to make a new one with the Adventurers Association logo.

[@duskstorm3560]

I see someone else caught 11:08 too

[@Seiaeka]

@@duskstorm3560 I was watching those danglies and cringing. XD

[@noahrubiano2549]

Great job clever also I just started making Shields and I was using cooking bowls for the boss but they're not durable so does anyone have any ideas on how to make a boss cheaply

[@dextra9753]

woah, great video!!!!

[@abirzle4707]

And now please the LARP version 😆

[@tommo101able]

great video, just to let you know that the sheild was also used as a weapon

[@Jayden.87]

Hey skill I love ur videos u actually help build my first magic staff hope you have a great day man ❤️

[@bretlemieux2489]

Hey Cl3ver another awesome build nicely done it looks good my shield is going to be one of the disk sleds sanded down so it is aluminum. I’ll make a kite shield out of it.

[@adelineforbes]

I've also seen people use small metal mixing bowls for the boss. So if you figure you need something a little bigger/ deeper you could try that ?🤷🏻‍♀️

[@ericbetler8884]

What about making the Skill Tree logo out of wood and glowing resin runestones in the image of the skills you're leveling and place them on the tree with the real version to hold the runestones in place with those awesome creative spiritual guides on the side of the tree also made out of resin this idea just popped in my head after your glorious work on the shield

[@nitrokameli]

Probably some numberenth

[@carthius]

The only thing i would of liked to see more would of been if you used Fire to burn the Black on instead of paint. I do think it would of given a similar look but i think it would of given it a sort of je ne sais quoi

[@johnnydee6335]

Try carving a tiki dude out of wood, it's super fun!!!!

[@gregoriancatmonk6904]

Won't just having the handgrip make the shield turn in your hand if struck? Maybe put a forearm strap to secure the shield to your arm as well as a hand grip.

[@johnhardin8733]

i just did something similar for the wife for christmas lol 👍