Foam-smithing Part 5
With all the paint/latex dry the next stage is to fit the pommel with a good amount of glue. The pommel has to have a good amount of foam at the end to stop the core pushing through. The next stage is optional. The sword can be left as it is and just finished off by adding the handle and dusting down the latex with a bit of talcum powder.
For the first time with this sword I’m following a recent trend in larp weapon making and adding a couple of coats of clear liquid rubber roofing paint. This is a nasty toxic smelly substance so it needs to be done either outside or somewhere with a lot of ventilation. It also has the odd property of drying better in the cold. Brushes are more or less useless after as well. The effect though is nice, the colour of the latex is brought out and the finish is shiny.
With all that done the handle is added, different people do this in different ways. I use a bit of foam pipe lagging cut to fit the diameter of the core and then wrap the whole thing with (in this case) fake suede.
And here it is the finished sword, the best I’ve made so far and despite a few “design features” I’m rather proud of it : ).
~End~
So much for following the 6Nations tournament
My plan was to watch every game I could this year. It didn’t help that I spent one weekend in a field in West Devon. In the end I have seen only the second half of one match. From what I have seen from newspapers and the internet it looks like it has been an eventful tournament so far. So ends the career of Burble the top rugby reporter 
Foam-smithing Part 4
With all the components stuck together, any rough bits of foam sanded and smoothed. I found a tip on a forum that worked really well. Put an iron on the hottest setting and cover the foam with baking sheet and apply the iron. It works really well especially on sanded areas as they tend to be a little “bobbly”. (more…)
6 Nations time
Tomorrow the 6 Nations tournament kicks off with the first game being Ireland V Italy at Croke Park. I am not the biggest rugby fan, I don’t follow a club, but I do enjoy the international games of the World Cup and the 6 Nations. At the moment rugby (union at least, I know little about rugby league) remains untouched, in my perception, by the commercialism that affects football in the uk. I like the fact that the players show respect to the ref and for the most part fans from the opposing teams seem to get along well.
A nice thing they’ve done with the 6nations website is add a rugby games page. Excellent for whiling away a few minutes over a coffee or lunch break.
