LARP- EVA Foam Punch Shield

This is a simple EVA Foam/ Plastidip base shield compatible with LARP/foam fighting games like Belegarth and Amtgard. The goal of this project was to make a simple, Plastidip punch shield en masse. Use this construction to outfit your entire realm so you can siege with style!

The project might not be too cost-effective unless you plan on making more than four shields. To start, this project was made using a laser cutter and 3D printer, which helps make each shield reproducible and reliable.

Materials:

$16.99: Gym Rubber - Black, 1/8in thick, Half Sheet 96" x 27": https://www.thefoamfactory.com/closedcellfoam/gymnasticrubber.html

$13.95: 12x12in EVA foam Interlocking tiles (need 5 per shield): https://tinyurl.com/2nhetqp8

$19.95: DAP Contact Cement: https://tinyurl.com/2r3qqcsk

$18.99: Plastidip: https://tinyurl.com/2pnbkef2

$13.99: Aluminum rod for handle core: https://tinyurl.com/2zdxvult

(Optional) Z-fold sitting mat: https://tinyurl.com/2ozwo426

E6000 Adhesive

Cloth tape

Acrylic paint, silver spray paint'

Tools:

3D printer

Laser cutter

Saw (cutting the aluminum rod)

Paint brush

Popsicle stick/ disposable brush x2 (for DAP and plastidip)

Razer blade

Scissors

(Optional): Soldering Iron

STEP 1:

• Use a laser cutter to make x1 "Face", x3 "Hand gap", and x1 "Handle"
• Using the 1/8" foam and the laser cutter, you can cut intricate designs for the face of the shield
• Use scissors to cut a rectangle of 1/8" Gym rubber that is 35x3in. This will line the outside edge of the shield to hide each layer
• (Optional): You may cut the bumps off of a Z-fold camp mat to add a rivet design to the shield

STEP 2:

• Use the .stl files to print x2 "PunchShieldHandle_half". I used PLA with a MakerBot Replicator 2.

STEP 3:

• Cut a couple of inches of the aluminum rod to use as the core of the handle. The 3D printed material is usually pretty robust, so you only need to span the two halves of the handle.

STEP 4:

• Glue the aluminum core inside the 2 handle halves using E6000 (DAP or hot glue could also work)
• Use cloth tape to wrap the handle
• Use E6000 to glue the handle into the EVA foam layer "handle"

STEP 5:

• Glue each layer of the shield using DAP as follows: face -> handgrip -> handgrip -> handgrip -> handle. When using DAP, apply to each face being attached using your disposable brush/popsicle stick, allow it to dry for 10 minutes until tacky, then press the two layers firmly together. Once all layers are together in a stack, you may leave a weight on top of the stack and allow it to dry overnight.

STEP 6:

• Glue the intricate design to the face of your shield. Another option is to use a soldering iron to carve a design in the front.

STEP 7:

• Lather the entire shield in plastidip, be sure to get the edges and cracks. Black is preferred to give the shield a more rustic look after painting.

STEP 8:

• Paint as desired. One trick is to spray silver spray paint into a Tupperware, dip a paper towel in it, then rub the paint over the raised surfaces of the shield. This gives it a brushed metal look. Finish it all off with a spray clear coat!