Dagger 3.0 Spear 1.0
This was not my hardest project, but you could think about it as switching to an entirely new programming language. For one, this was my first try in latex (ish) foam. The entire thing was also made in two parts. I hadn't planned for it to be a spear, just a big knife, maybe dagger. A day later, I was thinking about how to make a spear, and looking at the dagger when I decided that I'd combine the idea and the dagger together. The dagger is removable. In any case, this entire thing resulted in the largest amount of pictures I've ever taken for a single suggestable.
The first 3.0 blade, aka 3.0 beta (a sort-of-gladius that I will be posting a suggestable of soon) was based off of retail foam swords and homemade boffers. If you're looking for a LARP sword the 3.0 is the way to go. It's not as hard as the 2.0, and it looks way better then the 1.0. And it's all better then the original beta. These blades are very sturdy, quite easy to make, and made of foam, no cardboard included. This type of blade is great because you can carve designs into the foam and carve the blade into different shapes.
This is the first spear I've ever made. I usually release the first-evers as Beta, but coupled with the 3.0 blade, I figured it was good enough to call a 1.0 and snap a ton of pictures. It's not the kind of shaft that you can hit someone with, though - it's PVC. Sometime I'll get around to making a fully padded spear.
Here's what it's made of (divided into two lists, one for the dagger and one for) (Once again, only the wooden rod was recycled. It came from left over sword materials. I try to use as much recycled material as I can, but that often doesn't happen):
The dagger:
1) A flat wooden rod. I used one that was probably about five millimeters thick and a half an inch wide.
2) Any regular foam pad you'd get in an art store - same thickness as your rod
3) Any thin foam pad from an art store (Michael's and stores like that)
4) A decorative foam pad (from an art store), or foil tape - this will be the surface of the blade
4) Masking tape
5) Double sided tape
The spear shaft:
1) A half inch PVC rod - this will be the shaft
2) Wire
3) Double sided tape
4) Electrical tape
5) Duct tape
6) Decorative foam
7) Thin foam
8) Decorations: I used rhinestone stickers
9) A power drill and somebody who knows how to use it (unless you can think of an alternative)
WARNING: If you want the decorative foam (used on the surface of the blade and elsewhere) to be sparkly black, be prepared for everything to be covered in black sparkles for the next few days and to run into them all over the place for the next few weeks.
UPDATE: There is now an I'ble explaining my latest weapon making methods here.
The first 3.0 blade, aka 3.0 beta (a sort-of-gladius that I will be posting a suggestable of soon) was based off of retail foam swords and homemade boffers. If you're looking for a LARP sword the 3.0 is the way to go. It's not as hard as the 2.0, and it looks way better then the 1.0. And it's all better then the original beta. These blades are very sturdy, quite easy to make, and made of foam, no cardboard included. This type of blade is great because you can carve designs into the foam and carve the blade into different shapes.
This is the first spear I've ever made. I usually release the first-evers as Beta, but coupled with the 3.0 blade, I figured it was good enough to call a 1.0 and snap a ton of pictures. It's not the kind of shaft that you can hit someone with, though - it's PVC. Sometime I'll get around to making a fully padded spear.
Here's what it's made of (divided into two lists, one for the dagger and one for) (Once again, only the wooden rod was recycled. It came from left over sword materials. I try to use as much recycled material as I can, but that often doesn't happen):
The dagger:
1) A flat wooden rod. I used one that was probably about five millimeters thick and a half an inch wide.
2) Any regular foam pad you'd get in an art store - same thickness as your rod
3) Any thin foam pad from an art store (Michael's and stores like that)
4) A decorative foam pad (from an art store), or foil tape - this will be the surface of the blade
4) Masking tape
5) Double sided tape
The spear shaft:
1) A half inch PVC rod - this will be the shaft
2) Wire
3) Double sided tape
4) Electrical tape
5) Duct tape
6) Decorative foam
7) Thin foam
8) Decorations: I used rhinestone stickers
9) A power drill and somebody who knows how to use it (unless you can think of an alternative)
WARNING: If you want the decorative foam (used on the surface of the blade and elsewhere) to be sparkly black, be prepared for everything to be covered in black sparkles for the next few days and to run into them all over the place for the next few weeks.
UPDATE: There is now an I'ble explaining my latest weapon making methods here.