This build is about the Legend of Zelda-inspired sword that goes with the shield from the previous post! Same rules apply, the description would basically be the same. So let's get started, shall we?
So this is already a few steps into the process, but I again drew up blue prints of the sword first. After doing that, I cut out the main blade and traced that onto pieces of poplar wood. I used this after seeing how Harrison Krix (Volpin Props) assembled some of his swords. I won't be molding or casting either the sword or shield (as of right now anyway, this is a one-off unless I get requests/orders otherwise), so I want both to be fairly light. After cutting the shapes out on my band saw I routed out an area for a threaded steel rod to go. This will serve as reinforcement in both the blade and handle. It also helps to have something to apply epoxy to for gluing purposes rather than just gluing ends together.
"Gee, ya think? Ya think that maybe I should use these clamps that I use everyday, at every opportunity?" Gluin' and clampin'.
The blade got some belt sander treatment and then was placed on the blue prints to make sure everything checked out. So far so good!
This picture skipped some steps, but I cut the "wings" of the sword out of the same foam that I used for the shield and were sanded down the belt sander, my rotary tool, and hand sanding. The handle was pvc, and the decorative top piece was cut with the rotary tool as well.
Here's a close up of the handle. The end piece was constructed at a later time and was made with a pvc pipe end cap with apoxie sculpt as the pieces that pointed out.
This picture is actually landscape on my computer, but uploading it here made it vertical. I'm not really sure why. In any case, both sides of the wings have inlaid details. I achieved these by carving about .25-.5 inches out of both sides of the foam and then making the details out of apoxie sculpt. In this picture, the blue prints are on the cutting mat, then I placed wax paper on top of that. This let me sculpt the details on top of the blue prints and match the sizes accordingly. As the clay dried I was able to remove it from the wax paper with minimal tearing of the paper and only a small amount sticking to the clay which wasn't too difficult to remove.
The original goal was to turn the middle piece on my lathe. Unfortunately, it's an old lathe and is missing the back piece that holds your material against the rotating bits. So while I was searching for that part, I decided to go ahead and make this piece out of layered mdf which I sanded down and rounded off with my rotary tool.
Testing sizes and placement to make sure everything will fit together. Not too shabby! ... So far...
Gotta love when things start working out and coming together. The details on the sword were made out of foam here, but will be replaced with plastic later (lesson learned from the shield ordeal).
I placed painter's tape on my drill to mark how far into the middle part to drill. The tape matched the length of the exposed threaded rod so I would know how far to drill. This was done for both the blade and the handle of the sword.
Assembled and primed! Getting closer to the end!
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