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How To Make a Convention Safe Sword

You Will Need A pole (wood or hollow metal)
Hack saw
A pen/pencil
Thick corregated card
Masking tape
Old newspapers/magazines
PVA glue
Water
Sand paper
Acrylic paint
Varnish
Time


Step One. First thing you'll need to do is cut the pole you have to the correct length. You don't want it too long or too short, so make sure its suitable for your height while still within the con weapon height restrictions. For me, as I am 5'2" making the sword about 1 metre to 1.25 metres is about right for me.

You can use 2 types of pole, depending on how robust you want the sword. Wooden poles you can get from your general hardware shop fairly cheaply. Having this in the centre will make the sword fairly weighty. A hollow metal pole (like for the handle of a mop) you can get without the heads at local hardware shops or poundshops. They're slimmer than wooden poles and obviously lighter.

Which ever you choose, once you have defined the right height of the weapon for your own height mark it, and use the hack saw to remove the excess. Sand the raw end when this has been done so it is less likely to splinter.

Step Two On the card, draw out the shape of the sword you are making. Make sure as you're drawing you make it thick enough to go around the pole. Cut the shape out twice so you have two sides and then lie them side by side.

Take your pole and lie it in the centre of one half of your sword shape. Use the masking tape to hold it in place. Make sure the pole is straight and that it is taped down well.

Take the second half of the sword and lie it over the sword. You'll need to start taping the edges here. Because the card is corregated, you can bend it over the pole to make it touches the edges on the other half. This will also give you a nice ridge down the middle of the sword giving it a more 3D look.

I would always suggest using masking tape as it is easier to paper maché over, you can use clear sellotape, but because the surface of it is shiny, the papermaché will need some coaxing to stick to it, and several more layers.

Once you haved taped the edges together, reenforce this with more tape over the shape of the sword and around any places that are not reenforced by the pole down the middle (so hilts etc). Once this is done, its time for the papier maché.

If your sword has intricate detail then roll strips of dry paper into the shape and tape to sword. You will be able to maché over these in the next step, and they will dry in place.

Step Three The papier maché recipe is fairly simple, water and PVA glue. The amounts are not specific, but make sure you us more PVA glue than water so the maché mixture isn't too runny and will therefore not soak the paper immediately, or the card.

You can always add other adhesives, like wallpaper paste to the mix to ad extra strength and make the trying time quicker.

Tear old papers in to strips, run through the paper maché mixture and lay on the sword until you have completed a full layer. When doing thsi, ensure you have run your hands down the sword 'blade' and worked out any air bubbles. Wait for the first layer to dry and repeat the process.

You can do this as many times as you want, but I would suggest never doing it less than twice.



Step Four Once you have done as many layers of papermaché as you want and the sword has dried, you will need to sand it. You won't be able to make the surface completely smooth, but you should be able to get a fairly fine consistency.

Sand with fine sand paper so it doesn't tear straight through the paper, and make sure you make any sharp edges blunt so you don't risk injuring anyone.

I would also suggest sanding outside, and with a mask or damp cloth over your mouth if you have allergies.

Once the sword is as sanded and smooth as you can get it, its time for step five.

Step Five Its always adviseable to use acrylic paint for prop painting as is gives you a nice sheen on the finish.

Always paint the light sections first, and then the dark sections, as its easier to paint over light colours with dark ones, than the other way around. Take your time with painting and always use the same stroke. Don't chop and change as it will show on the sword.

Do as many coats as you think necessary (as many as it takes for the paper print to stop showing through) and leave to dry each time you have finished a layer.

Once you have completed the base layer, you can use shading with sponges and watered down colours to created aged or used effects on the blade of the sword.

Step Six The final step is more brush work. Once the painting is complete and you're happy with it, you can paint on a layer of acrylic varnish which will stop the paint from chipping and make the whole sword have a nice finish.

And that's the end!

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