Ever sinceCaptain Americawoke up in the 21st Century at the end ofCaptain America: The First Avenger, Cap and his costume have undergone quite a few changes. One of the most notable alterations was seen inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, with an electromagnet shield that always comes back to him. This new upgrade was most prominently on display inAvengers: Age of Ultron, where we can see two small electromagnets being activated, causing Cap’s shield to return promptly to his wrist, which were constructed by Tony Stark himself. These electromagnets are also on display in the current blockbusterCaptain America: Civil War, and just before the release, one industrious fan went on a mission to create a real working version of this shield, which you have to see for yourself.
This fan known as The Hacksmith didn’t actually create theshielditself, but he shows fans how to assemble this shield with powerful electromagnets, using wrist guards and shin pads as a base for this build. We don’t know how much he spent on this design, or how long it took him to make, but the results speak for themselves, as you can see in the videos below. Take a look at what he had to say about getting started with this project.
“Not being an actual superhero, my arm needs padding, lots and lots of padding. So we started with a pair shin / knee pads that happen to fit my arm pretty well, provide good padding, and good structure to mount to. Next, we welded up a frame around the bracer with a handle to hold onto. A good strong handle is essential for holding the 30lbs of magnets and shield. The handle is also a good place for the button so we cut out a pocket and dropped in a 50A momentary push button. A little bit of hockey tape and was good to go.”
The Hacksmith was also provided with areplicametal shield from the folks at Machina Props, while SleekHides provided him with aCaptain Americajacket to round out the look. He also posted abehind-the-scenesvideo which shows just how powerful this electromagnet shield really is. He even used the shield to break through slabs of wood, concrete and much more. However, he did add that, although these magnets can lift more than 260 pounds, they do overheat after extended use.
The Hacksmith also provided links to Machina Props and SleekHides on YouTube, if you want to create your ownCaptain Americaelectromagnet shield. Unfortunately, for those hoping to use this electromagnet for long-range use, like Cap himself in the movie, the technology is simply not here yet to make that possible, but this still could be an innovative addition to your very ownCaptain America costume. Check out the videos below, and let us know if you plan on building your ownCaptain Americaelectromagnet shield.
