Thrusting Tips on Homemade Boffer Weapons

I have not yet discovered an ideal way to make hammers. My current preferred method is to build the hafted portion (the shaft, if you will) like normal, sans thrusting tip. Buy 4" thick open cell foam from a craft store, and carve out an appropriate void. Then I've used super glue to put the hammerhead onto the shaft. I tape the stuffing out of the hammerhead into the shaft at the bottom with strapping tape. I've made two with this method, and they've remained secure thus far. I admit, however, it's a huge pain in the neck.

Incidentally, for the hammerhead, gaffers tape holds paint very well. You can use fleckstone spraypaint (which is expensive) and then a clear coat over the top. Looks wicked cool if it is also a pain to put together. You'll need to poke the air holes after all the paint/clear coat layers since the paint will otherwise seal any holes you made previous to that.

Trace
 
Couple Weapons Safety notes for all players from your Weapons Marshals:

Now that the weather is turning cold, the temperature can affect several things about your weapon. Certain tapes and glues can become rock hard in lower temps. My advice: Store your weapons in a dry place outside or in your garage overnight, and check their density yourself. If they're not still appropriately squishy, they won't pass safety check.

Starting to see a lot of shields with breaks or thin spots in the foam. Run your thumb around your whole shield. You may need to make spot repairs. FYI, the expensive foam from McMaster-Carr has a thicker wall and lasts MUCH longer on shields than the normal beige stuff. I think it's worth the extra expense, personally - but I hate refoaming shields!

No bare foam on striking surfaces. Gotta be covered with tape, cloth, latex... something.

If your crossguard comes lose and is wiggly or outright spins, this is oddly not a safety violation. It might drive you crazy, but your weapon will not fail safety check because of that [alone].

Been seeing a lot of pommels without adequate foam to pad the core. If I can press my thumb into it at any angle and feel core, the foam is inadequate. If you "palm" the pommel while you fight, the foam may break down over time and wear thin. Make sure to check that yourself for needed maintenance.

Thanks all!

Trace Moriarty
Weapons Marshal
Alliance Denver
 
So... apologies for thread necro, but I'm wondering if we can get a concise list of the things people are using to build their anti-gravity weapons. From what I've put together, I'm guessing this is the general construction:

A) Graphite shaft (golf club shaft) as the core.
B) 5/8" thick pipe foam insulation
C) Open-cell for thrusting tips (from Ace, etc)
D) Sail repair tape to cover.

Does this seem about right? From the ones I've made, I think I'm getting a lot of extra weight off the fiberglass core & gaffer's tape. I believe if I swap those out for a graphite shaft & sail repair tape instead, I'm guessing I, too, will have something light enough to achieve orbit with a moderately hard throw.
 
Hi Tyler! To review the conversation we had in person at fighter practice on Sunday, I use a different set of supplies for my anti-grav ultralite weapons:

A) Fiberglass .505 kitespar as the core (golf clubs will probably be lighter)
B) McMaster-Carr foam, which has the interior diameter of the "donut hole" cut to match the kitspar/golf clubs, making this process orders of magnitude easier
C) 2" open cell foams for thrusting tips... covered with cling wrap. This helps keep the tape from sticking to itself, and getting perma-crush on the tips. Also makes the tips reusable when you tip a weapon. Protip: Poke air holes in the cling wrap layer before you do the final tape.
D) Nylon ripstop/Sail repair tape. Google for good prices. $7-$8.50 for a 25' roll is a good price before tax, s/h. You can sometimes find $7 rates on eBay. DO NOT buy local from Into the Wind; their prices are way higher!
E) 3/4" strapping tape - save yourself the trouble of cutting down the wide rolls
F) Electrical tape for finishing pieces
G) Wilson brand tennis racket grip tape, $1.79 at Walmart (unnecessary if you use pre-gripped golfclubs)

Links to the aforementioned online suppliers are above in this chain, I do believe.

Trace Moriarty
 
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