Making a rotella is probably the easiest thing you can do to save some money as a fencer. A rotella is a renaissance (ish) round shield made of steel with two straps. Historically they were highly decorated depending on what country they were found in. These shields were used both in the duel and in war, and with swords and spears.
Equipment needed
You’ll need a few pieces of equipment for this build:
- Drill and drill bit
- Carriage bolts x4 (make sure the drill bit fits the bolts)
- Round steel sled
- Capped nuts
- Wrench or socket and ratchet
- Two leather belts
- Washers
- Sandpaper and sander
- Filtering mask and goggles
- Sharpie
The build
Put on your mask and goggles and sand down the face of the sled so you can paint it later. Find the center of your shield on the concave side and make four dots about 9 inches apart. If you have a friend with a rotella, try theirs out and adjust as needed. 9 inches is perfect for my arm and I am 5’10”. Use the drill bit to drill out those holes and then put the carriage bolts through. Cut the buckle of the belt off with enough belt so that you can attach the strap onto the shield. Use the drill to drill through the leather. Cut the tail end down so that the strap will fit around your arm with your normal fencing gear on, as well as having extra holes for espansion. You will then want to thread all four strap pieces to each bolt. The stack needs to be rotella-belt-washer-cap nut. Use your wrench or ratchet to lock down the strap. If you want to be more period, use a rivet. Both of my straps have buckles so I can change based on what kind of hands I’m wearing.
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