What kind of shield am I making?

[Eventlessbox]

So I decided to make a shield out of the bottom of a salvaged pressure tank for a water system. Im liking how it’s going so far but don’t know what kind of shield it is. Approx 20” diameter. Peak of the dome is 3”. It’s looking like the weight will be just short of 10 lbs. The steel is approximately 1/8” thick. And the outer rim is cut to include an original seam so it is a bit over 1/4” thick. Still figuring out the straps. 

[JHCC]

A heavy one!

I'm not a shield expert by any means, but my understanding is that a shield of that size would typically be made of wood and leather, possibly with a metal boss over a  central handhold. All-metal shields tended to be a lot smaller and lighter, for the sake of mobility -- think a 2-3 lb buckler.

Also, consider smoothing out the edges before folding them all the way down next time. If you've got any rough spots or tiny barbs, they're going to be a lot harder to clean up.

[ThomasPowers]

Looks like you are going for a Captain America shield but a bit out of scale.  Round shields from the early medieval period were wood with a metal shield boss for grip protection and as mentioned made from wood.  The cross grip is typical of later shields; but not the shape.  The buckler has already been mentioned.    If you are wanting something historic; do your research *before* you do your construction!

[Eventlessbox]

Nope not historic aimed at all. Just an experiment with free scrap. Just wasn’t sure if it qualified as a specific type of sheild. It did turn out heavy. Though with the strapping and grip it’s not super bad. May add a shoulder strap to distribute some of the weight. 

[ThomasPowers]

A lot depends on fighting style, A heavy shield wont  get pushed out of the way as easily; on the other hand you can't punch with it very easily either.

[JHCC]

This in turn also affects/is affected by battlefield tactics. Something like a Roman scutum or a Greek aspis is great for fighting in close formations, while a buckler is much better for solo maneuvering.

[Nobody Special]

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

A lot depends on fighting style, A heavy shield wont  get pushed out of the way as easily; on the other hand you can't punch with it very easily either.

Heh heh...haven't played in a while, but still love how many people think of a shield as a strictly defensive weapon.  Even if you only bounce one off someone's toes, those things hurt.

[JHCC]

Tell that to Tarpeia!

[Eventlessbox]

Oh I’m sure if I sheild bashed with this it would do some real damage. Also with the strap/handle my hand is far enough back to jab with the rim. It is defiantly heavy but I don’t think it is so heavy as to be a hindrance with its mounting. 

[Frosty]

Perhaps you should join the SCA and take a lash at fighting with a shield. A heavy weapon is a slow and tiring weapon, a 3lb shield is amazingly slower than a 2lb. shield. For a while I made: helms, basket hilts and shield bosses with the occasional oddment like toasting forks, etc. An 18" x 1/2" plywood shield with a steel boss and 14 ga. rim was surprisingly heavy and hard to see around in a fight. Most of the fighters started using old highway signs for stock.

I won't go into why I stopped making armor.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Poor protection against birch trees?

[Eventlessbox]

Good to know. Lessons learned for next time.