Shield core what matierials?

[Orion Nomad]

Hello, I am so looking foward to getting started. I have Many Questions though. I will try to ask only one per POST.
Matierials for shield cores can be made of what ? and what thicknesses?
"I herd" from "they" that a Snow sauscer was a good start for a Hopolite shield. So off I went looking for a sauscer. I saw plenty of plastic ones but thought about matierial correctness. So I waited till the right garage sale came along $3.oo Way cool eh? Now I hear Plastic was the way to go all along. Which is cool cause I wanna be correct, and dont want t hurt anyone. But I would still like a second ruling on this befor I go buy somthing else.

[Kyrian]

First off, welcome!

Second, there's already someone named Orion so you may want to choose a different name to avoid any confusion.

Third, shields cores are primarily composed of wood, plastic, or rigid foam such as boogie boards. If you use wood, most people use 3/8" or 1/2" plywood.

I have a snow saucer that I've used for a shield for several years now. Make sure the saucer isn't too flexible. A quick test is to stand the saucer on its edge and then apply downward pressure along the top. If the saucer bends significantly without too much pressure, you should reinforce the shield to prevent it from tacoing too much. Tacoing is a safety issue because if the shield flexes too much, it could hurt the wearer. If you need any other tips on how to make this type of shield, don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck,

Kyrian