Plasma Sword Project (New Update with pics!!!)

[SPARTAN405]

Well I have been tossin around a few ideas for a plasma sword that I have been itching to make for a long time. I havent had the time to make my mjolnir armor yet because of school but i thought i would get a head start on the weapons.

So my first Idea was to get 2 sheets of polycarbonate. Cut them out to exact proportions of the real thing. Then I have to make the handle out of fiberglass and hollow it out. After that I insert the electronics, and paint the handle. Then I have to make curved grooves so the EL wire fits snugly in the sword itself. I glue the 2 pieces together and im all done.

However the only flaw in that idea is that it would be pretty heavy (not too heavy though). Also it would not be realistic at all since it has the blunt edges. I might go the LED route.

If anyone else has ideas for this project please throw them out here

 

[spartan 1]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's extremely similar to what Sean did for his.

 

[Sean Bradley]

It's EXACTLY how I made mine.

Did you see the process gallery at HBO?

http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/sean_bradley_energy_sword/

 

[SGT Razor]

Great minds think alike I guess

 

[SPARTAN405]

Wow haha that is awesome man, I can see my creation before it even starts haha. Thats really really nice btw. What I would have done though is kinda curved the EL wire.


Quick update- I have just finished applying 10 layers of latex to my handle. Ill add 10 more tomorow because i cant really make much noise now with the hairdryer and all. After its been fully dried for over 24 hours, ill get a bucket of plaster of paris. Then ill pour the plaster over the dried latex over clay mold. After that, ill glass it up and put the electronics in. I think this will be a really nice start to my costume.

 

[SPARTAN405]

new update. i have now added plaster and am ready for glassing

 

[Sean Bradley]

Any pics available?

Love to see your progress, instead of imagining it.

 

[pepboy]

my post got shut down after 4 hours for having no pics. Why is this thread still alive???!?!?!?!?!!

 

[SPARTAN405]

Of course ill have pictures. Ill upload them in about 10 minutes.


Here are the progress pictures

First, I sculpted the handle out of clay. (the clay has been re-used for many things, thats why it doesnt look that appealing lol.)

Then I applied 15 layers of latex (I decided 20 layers would be too much and a waste of time.)

After the latex I applied plaster.

30 minutes later I removed the clay and latex from the plaster.

Yay, time to move on to the glassing portion.

 

[Deno458]

I've had an idea for an extremely long time, and i would like to try it but:
A) I'm cheap
and
I'm not sure how to mold or get my hands on plastic and stuff. but, you guys remember those old lightsabers, where you could put them into the handle? they had a sliding motion to get in, and one to get out when you held down a button and made a quick movement? well, i think you could do that for the energy sword. First, you make the handle, and make it hollow except the very middle, seperating the two areas. then you make plastic tubes. you'll need to be able to have four "blades" the little points on your side of the handle, and the ones on the opposite side AKA the blades. anyway, when your finished you get a result kinda like this:



l l
l l
l l
l_l
[l_l]
l l


then, you can fold it up inside the handle. so basically, it's just like two of those lightsabers connected with eachother. where you can put the folded up lightsabers, into another container, both of them.

 

[SPARTAN405]

Thats a nice idea but it really sounds complicated and pricey. Its doable tho.

 

[SPARTAN405]

Sorry for the double post. Here is a quick update for tonight

I just got done adding 10 layers to a newer handle that I made with clay and I actually used clay tools for this one. I also got 25 lbs of clay to start working on my helmet. I am so surprised how cheap the clay was, it was only 7 bucks.