Traceroo
Prodigy
How much foam do you need beyond the tip of the core for a latex or Plasti Dip weapon?*
I've received the same question three times since the September event, so there seems to be much confusion about safety rules and suggestions regarding thrusting tips on latex & Plasti Dip weapons (hereafter, "latex weapons" for brevity). This doesn't surprise me because, frankly, I find the official rules and guidelines as they've been explained to me somewhat confusing myself, even as your Weapons Marshall. Here's the essence:
Rule #1:
All boffer weapons at Alliance have to be safe.
If they're not safe, we won't pass them for use.
Cores which aren't sufficiently padded aren't safe for use in our game.
If you use that as your chief guideline, the rest of this seems much less confusing. Here goes:
Store-bought latex weapons do not have to have the 2" open cell foam at the thrusting tip that Alliance requires of homemade weapons. You are not allowed to thrust with a weapon which does not have 2" of open cell foam at the thrusting tip, however.
Homemade latex weapons allegedly do still need to have the 2" of open cell foam at the top. Frankly, this construction method is just not always feasible in all weapon designs. Where it is feasible, try to include the 2" of open cell foam. Where it is not feasible, why do we have lower safety standards for a store-bought weapon with inner construction that is a mystery, and higher standards for the homemade weapon which can be described in detail as to construction method? I don't know. Please refer back to Rule #1. As a general rule, if a non-conforming weapon appears to be safe for use in our game under examination, Alliance Denver has passed non-conforming weapons for use here.
So, in other words, yes, I totally just told you that the rule is pretty much, "Do your best."
I heard there's some rule about 2 or 3" of foam beyond the tip. 'Sup with that?
This is not a rule. This is what I'll call "best practice" construction advice for certain types of weapon designs -- like polearms or swords with a tapered "V" shaped blade, for example. If the tip if your blade is shaped like a V, then you're cutting into that padded tip area at the end for the taper of your blade design. Some experienced latex weapons makers in our chapter therefore apply the practice of leaving extra space between end of core and foamed blade tip to account for this. I recommend Porch and Will as good sources of advice for construction tips on Latex/Plasti Dip weapons, and this issue. I recommend Jim as a good source for construction advice about tape-covered flat blades made with closed cell foam layers -- which have some of these issues of tapered tips in common.
* Lastly, a note about making Latex and Plasti Dip weapons. Materials for making these weapons are expensive. If you're new to making boffer weapons, my personal suggestion is to start with traditional materials of PVC and duct tape. Learn the basics of construction while using inexpensive materials. Let yourself graduate to the more expensive stuff as you learn what you're doing. A homemade latex weapon is definitely much less expensive to make than one you buy online or at a con. A pile of never-to-be-used-again construction materials, and a bathtub full of spilled latex and regret is more expensive than even the store-bought weapons, however. A PVC weapon made by the traditional method takes about $10 in materials, simple tools all purchased from regular neighborhood hardware stores, more care than DIY skill, and it's a good place to start.
This has no doubt made the issue clear as mud. If I can help clarify or further muddy the waters of these questions, please reach out anytime.
Thanks!
Trace Moriarty
Weapons & Safety Marshal
Alliance Denver
I've received the same question three times since the September event, so there seems to be much confusion about safety rules and suggestions regarding thrusting tips on latex & Plasti Dip weapons (hereafter, "latex weapons" for brevity). This doesn't surprise me because, frankly, I find the official rules and guidelines as they've been explained to me somewhat confusing myself, even as your Weapons Marshall. Here's the essence:
Rule #1:
All boffer weapons at Alliance have to be safe.
If they're not safe, we won't pass them for use.
Cores which aren't sufficiently padded aren't safe for use in our game.
If you use that as your chief guideline, the rest of this seems much less confusing. Here goes:
Store-bought latex weapons do not have to have the 2" open cell foam at the thrusting tip that Alliance requires of homemade weapons. You are not allowed to thrust with a weapon which does not have 2" of open cell foam at the thrusting tip, however.
Homemade latex weapons allegedly do still need to have the 2" of open cell foam at the top. Frankly, this construction method is just not always feasible in all weapon designs. Where it is feasible, try to include the 2" of open cell foam. Where it is not feasible, why do we have lower safety standards for a store-bought weapon with inner construction that is a mystery, and higher standards for the homemade weapon which can be described in detail as to construction method? I don't know. Please refer back to Rule #1. As a general rule, if a non-conforming weapon appears to be safe for use in our game under examination, Alliance Denver has passed non-conforming weapons for use here.
So, in other words, yes, I totally just told you that the rule is pretty much, "Do your best."
I heard there's some rule about 2 or 3" of foam beyond the tip. 'Sup with that?
This is not a rule. This is what I'll call "best practice" construction advice for certain types of weapon designs -- like polearms or swords with a tapered "V" shaped blade, for example. If the tip if your blade is shaped like a V, then you're cutting into that padded tip area at the end for the taper of your blade design. Some experienced latex weapons makers in our chapter therefore apply the practice of leaving extra space between end of core and foamed blade tip to account for this. I recommend Porch and Will as good sources of advice for construction tips on Latex/Plasti Dip weapons, and this issue. I recommend Jim as a good source for construction advice about tape-covered flat blades made with closed cell foam layers -- which have some of these issues of tapered tips in common.
* Lastly, a note about making Latex and Plasti Dip weapons. Materials for making these weapons are expensive. If you're new to making boffer weapons, my personal suggestion is to start with traditional materials of PVC and duct tape. Learn the basics of construction while using inexpensive materials. Let yourself graduate to the more expensive stuff as you learn what you're doing. A homemade latex weapon is definitely much less expensive to make than one you buy online or at a con. A pile of never-to-be-used-again construction materials, and a bathtub full of spilled latex and regret is more expensive than even the store-bought weapons, however. A PVC weapon made by the traditional method takes about $10 in materials, simple tools all purchased from regular neighborhood hardware stores, more care than DIY skill, and it's a good place to start.
This has no doubt made the issue clear as mud. If I can help clarify or further muddy the waters of these questions, please reach out anytime.
Thanks!
Trace Moriarty
Weapons & Safety Marshal
Alliance Denver