Weapon Crafting : What has worked for you?

I am delving into my 1st lightweight design for a staff (2 actually) using some Goodwinds LLC, FL-745*65". Shipping cost $8 and the packaging weighted much more than the tubes :D.
http://www.goodwinds.com/merch/list.sht ... fiberglass

I have foam on order from Amazon...was not enough interest in buying a bulk from Do It Best.

1 is being made for someone else and he wants it black.
1 is for myself.

Ideas I am currently bouncing around:
Thinking of going tan/wood color and, if I can find it, going latex outer with some grain painted in then sealed.The sealer seems to be the hardest thing to find/figure out.
If I can't find latex I will do duct tape, add a couple soft foam 'ferrules' on the ends and wrap those with silver duct tape, add some colored 'inscriptions' on the center piece.

So, any ideas that would help make these weapons that will stand out in a crowd?
 
I've found that skinning weapons with fabric rather than duct tape both looks a ton better, and makes it easy to keep nice decorations if you have to strip a weapon and replace the foam, as they're all on the fabric rather than tape that has to be tossed with the blade.
 
Wraith said:
I've found that skinning weapons with fabric rather than duct tape both looks a ton better, and makes it easy to keep nice decorations if you have to strip a weapon and replace the foam, as they're all on the fabric rather than tape that has to be tossed with the blade.

Transfer paper. You keep the design after it's cut out and can just re-do it if you need to replace it. That's how I put my winged serpent on my shield.

If someone wants a just black weapon, I'll throw a pair of kids tights over it in black. Generally speaking, they don't want it shiny, if you catch me. Regardless, taping the weapon under fabric is still highly recommended to help preserve the foam.

You can find some decent browns in cloth, and draw wood stripping on it for a wood look. I'd actually recommend a solid padding job, with 3/8" through the middle and taper up the 5/8" on the striking surface. I've always fancied white cloth wrapping the grips for more of a monk's staff kind of look.
 
attaching foam: do you use double sided tape, spray on adhesive, or just keep faith that the duct tape is sufficient?
 
SkollWolfrun said:
attaching foam: do you use double sided tape, spray on adhesive, or just keep faith that the duct tape is sufficient?

Depends on the core.

If the foam is snug to the core, tape anchor combined with cloth anchor is usually sufficient with a small bit of tape wrapped inside out at the top and the bottom to help prevent twisting.

I've found the spray on adhesive to be a bit of a nightmare when it comes time to rebuild the weapon.

Double sided tape or tape wrapped sticky side out has been, in my experience, the best overall.
 
Inaryn said:
If someone wants a just black weapon, I'll throw a pair of kids tights over it in black. Generally speaking, they don't want it shiny, if you catch me. Regardless, taping the weapon under fabric is still highly recommended to help preserve the foam.

Sweat idea...cheap, quick, and only a little sewing required.
 
SkollWolfrun said:
Inaryn said:
If someone wants a just black weapon, I'll throw a pair of kids tights over it in black. Generally speaking, they don't want it shiny, if you catch me. Regardless, taping the weapon under fabric is still highly recommended to help preserve the foam.

Sweat idea...cheap, quick, and only a little sewing required.

Not even any sewing. They already have ends. You just tape them down.
 
2 things. First I live next to goodwinds LLC so if you want stuff without shipping i can get it for you! second! always go with the cloth covers!
 
Inaryn said:
SkollWolfrun said:
attaching foam: do you use double sided tape, spray on adhesive, or just keep faith that the duct tape is sufficient?

Depends on the core.

If the foam is snug to the core, tape anchor combined with cloth anchor is usually sufficient with a small bit of tape wrapped inside out at the top and the bottom to help prevent twisting.

I've found the spray on adhesive to be a bit of a nightmare when it comes time to rebuild the weapon.

Double sided tape or tape wrapped sticky side out has been, in my experience, the best overall.

It is also worth noting that weapon marshals can and have failed weapons for having the foam glued or taped to the core inside the blade, if they feel that it causes the foam to be too stiff.
 
sam_gladish said:
2 things. First I live next to goodwinds LLC so if you want stuff without shipping i can get it for you! second! always go with the cloth covers!

Damn, now I find out. :)
I will be buying more in the near future and I know for a fact that JP is going to be looking to buy some for polearms for Oregon Alliance.
 
I guess it depends on the glue and how much you use. Out this way we generally prefer the foam not twist and be adhered at least minimally to the core. Then again, I have seen a few too many instances where the tape holding the blade foam broke, the blade flew off and somebody got whacked with bare core. I think we all tend to lean towards preventing problems we've seen in the past when building/marshalling weapons.
 
What kind of glue would you recommend?

I was told at HQ that my sword needs to be glued to the core (or at least better affixed).
 
Elmer's spray adhesive has served me well.

Inaryn said:
Wraith said:
I've found that skinning weapons with fabric rather than duct tape both looks a ton better, and makes it easy to keep nice decorations if you have to strip a weapon and replace the foam, as they're all on the fabric rather than tape that has to be tossed with the blade.

Transfer paper. You keep the design after it's cut out and can just re-do it if you need to replace it. That's how I put my winged serpent on my shield.

If someone wants a just black weapon, I'll throw a pair of kids tights over it in black. Generally speaking, they don't want it shiny, if you catch me. Regardless, taping the weapon under fabric is still highly recommended to help preserve the foam.

You can find some decent browns in cloth, and draw wood stripping on it for a wood look. I'd actually recommend a solid padding job, with 3/8" through the middle and taper up the 5/8" on the striking surface. I've always fancied white cloth wrapping the grips for more of a monk's staff kind of look.

They make duct tape in 8.5 x 11" sheets now. I about died right there.
 
Wraith said:
It is also worth noting that weapon marshals can and have failed weapons for having the foam glued or taped to the core inside the blade, if they feel that it causes the foam to be too stiff.

And i will fail weapons that i feel the foam is to loose or rattles to much.


I tend to put a small piece of double sided tape on the core for thrusting weapons, and more on spears.
 
To create a wood grain pattern with latex what you do is color the base latex black (acrylic paint works fine) and paint on a few layers of it. Then, coloring some latex brown, you do long, single strokes with the latex. You'll want to add more color to this batch as you want it to cover in one stroke. Usually, by this time, your brush is so clogged with latex that the single stroke will leave behind 'grooves' in the paint, making it a wood grain. If not, you can always just use a comb and drag it through the latex - but you want to do this immedatley after the brown coat - else you'll just wind up tearing it.

No need for sealer.

As for attaching cores - if you're adventurous, you can go to taps plastics and get some expanding flexible foam - not the rigid insulation stuff - along with some gloves to mix the stuff. It is a 2 part mixture. Prepare your core by taping over the ends with foam or, what I use are actually dimes or pennies depending upon the size. This helps with any sort of 'punch through' issues and won't let the foam leak into the middle of the core.

Make sure that the insulation for the outside has enough space on either end to put a piece of closed cell foam into it. Do this on one end and tape it into place. Run another piece of duct tape along the seam of the foam to help hold it together (you can tear this off after the entire process). Then, mix and pour the flex foam into the insulation and then shove the core down into it. You'll need gloves and have to hold the core down with one finger because the expanding foam will lift the core out if you don't. Once the foam has stopped expanding (you'll be able to tell because it will stop bubbling up past your hand and over the sides), cut another piece of close cell foam and plug the hole left behind by your finger.

Any leakage over can be pulled free easily enough once dried. However if you try to wipe it away while it is still working/setting, you'll destroy the bubbles in it and it will form a gooey and rather solid layer against the foam that is harder to remove.

The expanding foam will adhere to both the core as well as the inside of the insulation. It will give additional foam padding and keep the core solidly in place. IF you need to fix the weapon, you can tear off the insulation and usually the expanded foam will remain adhered to the core - giving you a snug fit for the rebuild.

I do this method for all my staffs as well as the hafts of my weapons. No rattle, no twisting, just squishy goodness.
 
Well, on the 2 staffs I made I went with double sided tape as the Tape, Goodwind cores + 5/8" foam made a perfect fit.

I went with tape & nude pantyhose to make a wood like & will be using a fabric paint to put on some grain.

I really like the latex trick though and might try that on one of my one-handed blunts (or light tan & then maybe try a dark brown wash for the grain).
 
with the cloth covers, what did you use to keep the thrusting tip in place?
 
MKing said:
with the cloth covers, what did you use to keep the thrusting tip in place?

On the one hand blunts: I taped in place (X over top). I also used an extra inch of closed cell foam tween the core & thrusting tip.
Staffs: not thrusting tips as they are not allowed last I read.
 
From page 79 of the ARB:

All weapon tips must have a thrusting tip.
A thrusting tip consists of at least two inches of
open cell foam padding beyond the end of the
pipe insulation. If the foam tip is too small,
opponents could get hurt with a stiff thrust. If
the tip is too large, it could easily break off or
fold over, making it useless.
A thrusting tip may not be longer than its
diameter. This means the tip must be at least 2
inches across, wider for two handed weapons.
The tip must collapse about 50% of its length
when pressure is applied.

Just because you don't thrust with it doesn't mean you can skip the thrusting tip. It's again a case of a same name for a different purpose. You still need the 2" of open cell on the top, even for two-handed blunt weapons and staffs. The 2" waylay tip on the bottom (pommel) is what was recently removed. For staffs, the 2" of open cell is still required at both ends.
 
OrcFighterFTW said:
From page 79 of the ARB:

All weapon tips must have a thrusting tip.
A thrusting tip consists of at least two inches of
open cell foam padding beyond the end of the
pipe insulation. If the foam tip is too small,
opponents could get hurt with a stiff thrust. If
the tip is too large, it could easily break off or
fold over, making it useless.
A thrusting tip may not be longer than its
diameter. This means the tip must be at least 2
inches across, wider for two handed weapons.
The tip must collapse about 50% of its length
when pressure is applied.

Just because you don't thrust with it doesn't mean you can skip the thrusting tip. It's again a case of a same name for a different purpose. You still need the 2" of open cell on the top, even for two-handed blunt weapons and staffs. The 2" waylay tip on the bottom (pommel) is what was recently removed. For staffs, the 2" of open cell is still required at both ends.

Unless it's coated in latex. Then it's ok to not have thrusting tips on a weapon that thrusting is already an illegal combat maneuver with.
 
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