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Champion
 
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I've recently started making weapons. I'm currently sticking to hafted weapons for the most part and using a method where I wrap a sheet of foam around the core in a spiral - going round until its a reasonable thickness. At each end of the core I glue an extra length of foam with approximately the same cross section as the core at either end and wrap these in cloth to reinforce it. As well as this I glue 2 rectangle of foam to the sheet of foam in the same location as the tips, so that once the foam gets wrapped around the core it is doubly reinforced. Once the glue is dry it gets cut down so that its more of a circular shape
I dont know if anybody else uses this method. I've made some shorter (just under 36") weapons with it that seem to be ok - my first finished one has passed safety checks - but before I try anything bigger I'd like to know if anybody has had any problems with this method, or can see any possible issues with it?
Shven
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PD - Machupa Kivull - Sandy coloured great-coated Gnoll
Shards/Ascendancy - Crew
FOIP is short for 'torture me for more info'
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Prodigal
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| It's a fairly standard method- the main potential problems are 1: if one of the internal layers comes unstuck, you have a virtual rebuild on your hands 2: the multiple layers of glue can make the weapon very hard. I prefer to use one layer of the thickness I want the haft to have, but for the last few years I've been using square section core and boxing it in, then carving the corners off- it's quicker, stronger(less pressure on glue joints) and doesn't leave you covered in impact adhesive.
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Devil's Advocate
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I guess though the square section core only comes in 12x8mm though? surely that's likely to get a big woobly over a certian length?
Plus if you want a cylindrical haft, the carvings got to be a bitch?
If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing.
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Prodigal
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RBJ in rickmansworth do a whole range of square and rectangular section bar. The stuff I use for hafts doesnt bend unless I apply my full weight to it.
As for cutting all your doing is taking off corners really,then I use a sander to finish it off.
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Devil's Advocate
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| Out of interest: What type of sander do you use? I've tried a belt sander which is a)far too heavy to use for long times at funny angles and b) eats through foam far far too quick to be useful. I've also tried a vibrating type (B&D Mouse thingy) which seemed to do sod all. I've been told an oribital sander (ie like a drill attachment) is good, not tried it yet though.
If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing.
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Prodigal
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| At the moment I've got an orbital sander and a mouse- they work fine at this level of production. When I was making kit for a living I had an industrial belt sander, it was great once I got used to it.(sanded a lot of foam to nothing getting used to it though)
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Heroic Knight
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I usually sand by hand for fine finishes, but I have used a belt sander to start off with. Best way I have found is to use it upside down, clamped if you can (or in my case held in between my feet), lock on the trigger and use both hands to control whatever I'm sanding. Seems to work well for me.
Liverpool Vamp - Richard Ballengate - Clan Tremere
Maelstrom - Malachi Dante - Now an Independant Trader
IRL - Matt Jenkins
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