Since more people seem to be here...
- Thread starter Golanth
- Start date
Eadar
Artisan
I'd personally say no - too many pointy things and holes that can catch weapons. However, the points could prolly be brought down and the holes made less weapon-trappy. You're also screwing yourself size wise if they count the space between the points as counting towards your maximum area.
Give Jesse, Trace, or Zach a few to respond and give their official response tho.
Give Jesse, Trace, or Zach a few to respond and give their official response tho.
Traceroo
Rogue
Hi Golanth,
I am a Weapons Marshal for Alliance Denver. Every boffer weapon, including shields, gets checked by a Weapons Marshal every single event for safety. Together with Zach Brooks, I do these checks before we start play every time.
In that capacity, my official answer is that I think your design could be produced safely. I'd want to see that the points are more "rounded" than super pointy -- but you'd have had to shave down the foam to make them super pointy in any case. So - it's possible to make this shield safely. Naturally, official approval relies solely on examination of your finished product. I will tell you that oftentimes, avant-garde weapon designs do not pass safety inspection in the end, which totally hugs it.
I build lots of boffer weapons. I've built easily more than a hundred. Therefore, speaking through the voice of that experience, my advice to you is: RUN SCREAMING FROM THIS DESIGN AND FORGET YOU EVER CONCEIVED OF IT! Couple reasons:
1. Shields have a maximum size determined by their surface area. When you calculate this, you include the space in the cut-outs. So if you had a cut-out like the letter U, for example, you draw an invisible line across the top of the U and count that space for calculation of the surface area. That means that with all the cool looking cut outs you have in mind, you'll be losing a lot of space to the calculation of max size that isn't actually physically present to protect you. Does that make sense? If not, please tell me, and I'll try to explain it a different way.
Also on this point: Math. Unless you're an engineering major at college, save the SAN Points here, and go with a heater or a coffin shape.
2. Foaming points on a shield is the work of the devil! Trust me. I just did this last night, actually, as my spare heater has a few points on its top sort of like you'd draw a simple crown. Trimming the foam and getting it to match up in those spots is a real pain even for someone who's very experienced with making boffer weapons. If this is your first shield, again, take my word for it: simple heater or coffin.
3. Points are the place where the foam wears down the most quickly. This is especially true if you don't have a flat surface on which you can stand up the shield for storage. That means the foam will wear down quickly over the points -- and therefore need to be replaced much more often. See #2 about how annoying that is.
4. This shield design LOOKS wicked cool, no doubt! I can see how you might catch a few extra shots through the cut-outs that you might have been able to block had those areas been solid, however. I think a shield with a more traditional design may afford superior coverage as a defensive fighting style.
If you've got any further detailed questions, and - heaven help you - if you decide to push forward with this design anyhow, please feel free to hit me up any time with construction questions or for advice. I'm always happy to help. Zach Brooks, also a Weapons Marshal, is in the same boat. Bobby Chapin and Porch ("Eadar," above) also make beautiful, lightweight shields (and I believe they do commissions for cash), and I'm sure they'd be delighted to give you advice as well.
Take care,
Trace Moriarty
Weapons Marshal
Alliance LARP Denver
I am a Weapons Marshal for Alliance Denver. Every boffer weapon, including shields, gets checked by a Weapons Marshal every single event for safety. Together with Zach Brooks, I do these checks before we start play every time.
In that capacity, my official answer is that I think your design could be produced safely. I'd want to see that the points are more "rounded" than super pointy -- but you'd have had to shave down the foam to make them super pointy in any case. So - it's possible to make this shield safely. Naturally, official approval relies solely on examination of your finished product. I will tell you that oftentimes, avant-garde weapon designs do not pass safety inspection in the end, which totally hugs it.
I build lots of boffer weapons. I've built easily more than a hundred. Therefore, speaking through the voice of that experience, my advice to you is: RUN SCREAMING FROM THIS DESIGN AND FORGET YOU EVER CONCEIVED OF IT!
Couple reasons:1. Shields have a maximum size determined by their surface area. When you calculate this, you include the space in the cut-outs. So if you had a cut-out like the letter U, for example, you draw an invisible line across the top of the U and count that space for calculation of the surface area. That means that with all the cool looking cut outs you have in mind, you'll be losing a lot of space to the calculation of max size that isn't actually physically present to protect you. Does that make sense? If not, please tell me, and I'll try to explain it a different way.
Also on this point: Math. Unless you're an engineering major at college, save the SAN Points here, and go with a heater or a coffin shape.
2. Foaming points on a shield is the work of the devil! Trust me. I just did this last night, actually, as my spare heater has a few points on its top sort of like you'd draw a simple crown. Trimming the foam and getting it to match up in those spots is a real pain even for someone who's very experienced with making boffer weapons. If this is your first shield, again, take my word for it: simple heater or coffin.
3. Points are the place where the foam wears down the most quickly. This is especially true if you don't have a flat surface on which you can stand up the shield for storage. That means the foam will wear down quickly over the points -- and therefore need to be replaced much more often. See #2 about how annoying that is.
4. This shield design LOOKS wicked cool, no doubt! I can see how you might catch a few extra shots through the cut-outs that you might have been able to block had those areas been solid, however. I think a shield with a more traditional design may afford superior coverage as a defensive fighting style.
If you've got any further detailed questions, and - heaven help you - if you decide to push forward with this design anyhow, please feel free to hit me up any time with construction questions or for advice. I'm always happy to help. Zach Brooks, also a Weapons Marshal, is in the same boat. Bobby Chapin and Porch ("Eadar," above) also make beautiful, lightweight shields (and I believe they do commissions for cash), and I'm sure they'd be delighted to give you advice as well.
Take care,
Trace Moriarty
Weapons Marshal
Alliance LARP Denver
A suggestion might be to use the plank foam that we use for our shields for a design such as this? That would help at least the aspect of repairing it. That does not fix the issues of area that you mention.
Either the 2" 1.7 lb stuff or you could go for the 2.2 lb plank (maybe even doing it as thin as 1.5") - http://www.foambymail.com/PE17-_2/polyethylene-foam-sheets-1-7lb-blue.html
Either the 2" 1.7 lb stuff or you could go for the 2.2 lb plank (maybe even doing it as thin as 1.5") - http://www.foambymail.com/PE17-_2/polyethylene-foam-sheets-1-7lb-blue.html