Weapons Crafting
A Foam Smith Speaks by Brad Weaver
So, you want to have a weapon to protect yourself or to threaten others into obeying your will. Well, that's the spirit! Over the last 20 years or so, I have been the target of just about every weapon brought to the adventure. Some suggest it is my charming personality, but I think it is merely coincidental. Whatever the reasons, I have as a result taken a serious interest in creating weapons that will last through the weekend (and beyond,) look good, and will not inflict actual harm upon our fellow players. I'd like to share some tips for those wishing to build their own weapons, and provide some basic plans that have worked in the past. (Hint #1- Give yourself plenty of time to build your weapon.)
Tools and Materials
To create foam weapons that meet the safety requirements of the game designers, you will find the following tools and materials make the job easier. A clear workspace is important, as well.
TOOLS:- A pipe cutter makes the job of cutting the pvc pipe easy.
- A sharp knife for cutting tape.
- A hot glue gun and low temperature glue sticks. (Other adhesives may be used, but they should be flexible when dry, and not cause the foam to dissolve.)
- A tape measure.
- Marker or pen.
- CPVC 4120 Pipe - 1/2 inch exterior diameter pipe (No larger!)
- Noodle-type foam pool float toy with interior opening of 5/8"
- Duct tape - Cloth, NOT metal, various colors
- Trim tape - cloth tapes, various colors
- Pipe insulation - to pad the grip
Swords are the basic weapons of choice for the fantasy swashbuckler, fighter, mercenary, pirate, thug, knight, paladin, etc. Bear in mind that all players are not as tough or resigned to pain and discomfort as you might be. And, they may very well resent your thwopping them or a loved one with abandon using a weapon that actually hurts. So, if you are going to construct your own weapon, be prepared to have it rejected if the Weapons Master judges it to be unsafe for our play. To avoid that event, follow these directions. If you have any questions or concerns, ask well ahead of time (upon arrival at the site is right out). If you have doubts, order a weapon from the design team. Play Nice, Be Considerate, and Have Fun!
Instructions
- Cut your blade blank (foam piece) with the serrated
knife. Keep the ends flat.
- Standard lengths:
- Long Sword - 30" blade length
- Short Sword - 23" blade length
- Great Sword - 40"-42" blade length
- Cut your cross guard. Simple cross guards can be made from a bisected section of left over blade blank, or from a "recycled" sword blade segment.
- Cut your CPVC pipe with pipe cutter. If you choose to use a knife to cut the pipe, be sure to make the edges smooth, no jagged edges. The pipe core should be cut to a length that leaves six inches (6") of unsupported foam at the end of the sword, and you with adequate space for your grip. Do not forget to take into account the depth of the cross guard and whether you intend to wear gloves or gauntlets in determining the length of the grip.
- Mark the handle end of the CPVC with a pen or marker so you will know how far to insert the pipe leaving six inches (6") of unsupported blade at the point of the sword. Do not score the pipe. This could cause catastrophic blade failure.
- If your pipe and blade blank have the appropriate diameters, after sliding the pipe into the blade there should be no free movement of the blade around the pipe. Move the pipe back, and apply adhesive to the last inch before the crossguard and re-insert to the mark. The pipe and blade should require no further internal adhesive. Let adhesive dry. If you have purchased a "noodle" with a larger diameter opening, do not despair. Simply use tape at regular intervals from blade end of the pipe to where the cross guard will be. You may apply adhesive to the tape rings to reduce slippage. There should be no rattle of the pipe within the blade.
- Mark your crosspiece, and carefully "drill" the CPVC pipe through the crosspiece. Some adhesive should be applied here before final assembly. You may wish to "seat the blade" in the cross-guard by trimming the guard to allow a flush joint between blade and guard, in effect recessing the blade somewhat into the guard. Adhesive may be applied at this joint before final assembly.
- At this point you must make a decision on blade shape. The blank is round, and this shape is perfectly acceptable. If you wish to trim the blade to denote the cutting edge(s), carefully follow these instructions. This is a more difficult and time consuming approach. This design may shorten the life expectancy of your sword. If round is good for you, then skip down to the next bullet.
- Measure in 1/4 " from the outside of the blade blank on an imaginary line running straight through the center of the blank. Repeat the measurement on the opposite side of the blank. Draw two parallel chords. These lines represent the 'flat' sides of the blade. The rounded edges above and below will represent the cutting edges of the sword.
- Measure 60% the blade length towards the crossguard. Mark this distance with the pen. Carefully trim from the point end back to the marked point on the blade at an angle that begins at 1/4" from the edge and ends at the rounded surface at the marked point. You now have a tapered blade. Note: The crossguard should be parallel to the cutting edges of your sword.
- Tape the blade length-wise. Start under the base of the blade, smooth the tape up the blade, wrap the tape across the point of the blade, and back down the other side to the base. At the point, you will want to make small cuts in the tape to keep the wrap smooth around the edges. Eliminate any wrinkles or folds in the tape! When the tape is smooth, repeat the process on the untaped sides, slightly overlapping the tape as you go. Take your time. Make sure the tape is stuck to the foam everywhere on the surface of the blade, and that the tape is as smooth as the surface permits.
- Apply adhesive to the CPVC pipe, and slide the pipe insulation over the bare CPVC until it is seated in the cross guard. Use two strips of tape to secure the grip to the cross guard. Let the adhesive dry.
- At the end of the grip is approximately one inch (1") of unsupported pipe insulation. Use foam scraps to fill this space, and you may create a pommel if you desire.
- You may tape the grip and the cross guard. Feel free to be as decorative as you desire. Two Rules: (1) no rigid material (pipe, wire, etc.) should be used on/in the cross guard or pommel (2) avoid metal tapes. (Metallic colored, or mylar tapes are fine.)
- Test the weapon on yourself (friends are usually obliging).
Important tips from the Master Foam Smith
Things to keep in mind when building a sword:
The greater the mass of the sword, the more potential damage you may do to other players. This is bad! So, how do we deal with this problem?
One important factor is tape. The heavier the tape, the more mass. The more tape you use, the greater the mass. See point #1. Tape the blade forms length-wise, to minimize the amount of tape you use. Also, when applying tape to the blade form, it must be smooth! Edges in the tape will draw blood from your fellow players if drawn across unprotected skin. This is bad, as well. [A flexible tape is desirable. A lighter weight duct tape is advisable. DO NOT USE METALLIC DUCT JOINT TAPE, they will cut for real. Bad, Bad, Bad.]
The blade form is another matter. I find that the children's float toys found under variants of the name 'noodles' provide the best raw material for sword blades readily available. The foam is light, yet rigid enough to parry (though you don't often see much of that going on.) It may also be "trimmed" to give a more blade-like appearance. [ Do not trim the blade to an edge or point. Edges and points cut and poke. These are bad things!] A single noodle can produce two standard long swords, A long sword and a short sword, plus two cross pieces , or a Great Sword. (Hint #2--Choose your noodle carefully, to make construction easier. One with a core aperture of 5/8 of an inch will allow for greater adhesion to the PVC pipe core. Too large an aperture, and your noodle wobbles. Bad form!)
If you decide to make a Great Sword, leave at least 10"-12" of unsupported foam at the point. You may stuff the open space with foam trimmed from the blade or cross guard, or you may use the expanding insulation foam to fill the space. If you choose this option, trim and recess the hard button of foam that will extrude from the point of the sword. It's also messy.
Katana style guards may be constructed using the cores from duct tape as the support.
Do not use 3/4" pvc pipe. It makes the weapon too heavy and the weapon will not be allowed in the game.
