Blind Squirrel Props

House of Stark Garbage Can Lid

2011-11-22T08:45:00.001-08:00

At some point I lost the plastic lid for this garbage can. I made a plywood cover (that is shown in several recent posts as a photo backdrop) that worked OK but looked like crap. Since the disk was about shield size, I knew that I had to dress it up with the sigil of House Stark from HBO's "Game of Thrones".

After scaling the sigil in Illustrator, I transferred it over to 1/8" MDF with carbon paper.

I cut out all the pieces with the bandsaw after carefully numbering all the parts.

The pieces were painted with a hammered silver and glued down on the gloss black lid.

Look how much classier my garbage can is!! After all, "Trash Day is Coming"

The Lord of the Rings: Helm of Sauron, Lord of Mordor

2011-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite characters from the Lord of the Rings films was Sauron. My dream project is a full suit of his armor…which I will get to building…eventually.

United cutlery came out with an official replica of his helmet, which I bought. It’s an amazing piece but it differs from the film prop in a few ways. First of all it seems to be about 15% too big…you look like a bobblehead wearing it. It is also extremely heavy so it’s not a piece you want to be wearing for any extended time. Using this as reference, I could make a properly sized version for myself.

Working on the plaster casting of my head, I started applying clay to rough out the proportions.

I lightly scribed the side details and started to rough in the the top of the helmet.

Working from the center, built the first layers around the face.

The second layer...

And a third...

And a fourth...

And finally the back piece that leads up to the back spike.

The back of the helmet.

The replica helmet had a stone-like texture to it. To duplicate it, I applied some silicone to a big rock to make some stamps.

I stamped the texture to the helmet and scribed in some of the runes around the nose holes.

The final textured helmet.

I used clear plastic mold dividers to separate the two halves for molding.

I was short on cash at the time I made this so I made a waste mold out of plaster.

The left half of the mold removed. You can see how much clay was used to form the helmet.

I slush cast resin into the halves. One the sides were built up enough, I put the sides together to slush cast the seam.

The demolded resin helmet. This method is risky as the mold is destroyed as well as your clay original. It’s cheap to do but you could wind up with nothing at any stage!

Looking at stills from the Fellowship of the Ring, I saw that the film armor had a smoother finish with crisp, clean edges. I sanded down the surfaces of the helmet leaving little bits of corrosion.

I sanded off the scrollwork on the top of the head as I couldn’t sculpt it clean enough. I remade the design in epoxy putty which would be later sanded for a flat surface.

I made the spikes from styrene filled with resin

I attached the spikes with epoxy putty and dowels.

A primer coat to test the seams and detail.

Detail shot of the top of the head.

I sculpted the back spike in clay and made a quickie silicone mold for a resin copy.

I penciled in the runes on all the panels of the helmet. I used photo reference for as much as I could and made up the rest.

After some experimentation, I went back to the way I made ruins on my old Halloween costume: Puffy Paint.

Primer over the puffy paint blends it all together.

Runes on the back as well.

A base coat of metallic paint.

To cover my eyes while wearing the helmet, I heat formed some styrene and pressed it into the inside of the mask. I trimmed out the eye and nose holes.

I stretched black nylons over the styrene and hot glued them to the back of the plate.

This part was glued into the helmet. I can see and breathe perfectly but no one can see in.

The metallic paint was given a black wash to prong out detail and knock down the shine.

Detail shots of the face.

Back view and detail on the top scrollwork.

Side view.

Resident Evil: Claire Redfield's Knife

2011-10-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Claire Redfield’s knife from the video game Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The final knife will be shipped to my friend Fevereon in Atlanta so she can make a sheath and shoulder holster for it.

Because of the engraved logo on the blade, I decided to have the parts laser cut out of a compressed wood (very much like MDF) by friends at Scorpion Ridge Engraving.

Here is a detail of the laser engraved logo. There’s just no way I could’ve done this by hand! Plus it’s identical on both sides of the blade.

The guard was also laser cut as a separate element. It fits perfectly.

The final component is the grip texture. I had the checkered pattern laser cut deeply out of the surface. I then used fine files to bevel each edge of the little squares so I wound up with a texture of fine raised diamonds.

I then made a silicone mold of the grip segment so it could be duplicated in resin.

Here are all the pieces for one half of the grip.

For the insets between grip panels, I glued on 1/8” balsa strips. I also used the balsa to frame out the pommel.

I shaped the insets before I added the grip panels….much easier that way.

The panels are a bit wide so I had to trim off a sliver on each side.

A quick test fit…everything works so far!

I beveled the back side of the grip, glued them in place and then shaped the curved bevel of the other side.

I glopped Bondo into the pommel until it filled the framed area.

The smooth sanded pommel half.

I used the laser scribed line as a guide to carve an edge on the blades.

A test fit of two blade halves together.

A coat of primer to clean up any small defects.

I cut some balsa risers to mold the knife halves.

The knives ready for silicone. Raising the masters will keep the edges clean.

I thinned coat of Smooth-On Roto to capture the fine detail.

A thick coat of roto to build the mold walls.

After I made a support mold with Plasti-Paste, I pulled my masters out. The mold turned out super clean!

I poured a small amount of resin into the mold and then added a thin steel rod for additional support. The guard also got a small steel bar.

The two halves glued together!

I filled the seam and gave it a coat of primer.

The final painted knife!

Detail shot of the grip

It’s a very comfortable knife to hold. Time to find a zombie to stab!

Download plans HERE to build your own.

Kits are available. Email me at mike(at)blindsquirrelprops.com for details.

Clamping Press

2011-10-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

In glueing long pieces of wood together for sword blades, the problem has always been keeping the piece flat while it dries. Using conventional clamps can allows the wood to bow and stacking heavy objects on the wood is dependent on having a large space that’s completely flat.

I ran across this idea for a hardware clamp and thought that a few stations like this lined up might solve the problem.

A friend of mine was able to weld togther this beast from 1” square tubing. A nut is welded to the top of each arch to allow a 1/2” threaded rod to feed down and apply pressure to the work piece. I cut a piece of 3/4” MDF to act as lower plate. I decided not to mount the upper press plate to allow more flexibility in the kinds of shapes I might need to clamp.

Each threaded rod has a plastic swivel foot attached to the end to adapt to different angles. The foot is not permanently attached so I can remove the rods.

The entire rig allows me to clamp a 48” long by 12” wide by 10” tall work piece

A quick test of a laminated poplar blade.

I haven't found a suitable name for this thing....Squasher? The Press Corp? The Crushinator?

Maybe a naming contest is in order...I'll have to think about that!

---

Also, in case you hadn’t noticed the link to the right, I have joined the 20th Century and opened a BSP Facebook page. I’ll be posting (hopefully) interesting progress shots of the projects I’m working on.

I’ll also be posting stuff on my Google+ page as well.

Uruk-Hai Berserker Helmet

2011-09-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

I had some free time to build something for myself so I decided to make the Uruk-Hai Berserker helmet from The Two Towers. I started by creating a 3D model in Strata3D.

Pepakura is a Japanese program that converts 3D models into paper models. Once converted, you print it, trim out the pieces and glue them together. I printed out the results on Staples cover stock. I find it holds the shape better than paper but it's still easy to cut out and glue.

After cutting out all the parts, I assembled the pieces using white glue.

Detail of the tabs that Pepakura adds to the geometry of the model. While I could have sculpted this helmet in clay, it's much easier to stay symmetrical with a paper model. Also I save the cost of mold rubber.

I built in thickness to the eye holes and around the opening to add rigidity to the model and to make it easier to keep resin on the inside.

The completed helmet. I added bands across all openings to help the model keep its shape. Paper is easy to work with but bends a lot if it’s not properly supported.

Side View. Although I modeled the back plate, once I built it, it was too rough to use on the final piece.

Using Smooth-On SmoothCast 65D in small quantities, I started to build up the thickness of the helmet walls. The resin is slushed around in sections until it hardens.

The resin cures in a few minutes to an opaque white. If you pour too much inside at once, its own heat causes it to solidify in chunks rather than spread out over the inner surface.

I reinforced my spacers with wood sticks to lock the helmet into the proper shape before the plastic walls got too thick.

After I built up enough thickness with plastic, I used Bondo to smooth out the exterior.

Using the paper model as a guide, I cut the back plate from 1/8" styrene and heat formed it to the helmet.

I cut the base of the back plate from 1/8" styrene and glued it to the back plate.

I added a curve to the seam with Bondo and then epoxied the back plate to helmet.

I made rivets by pressing an acrylic dome into clay and poured 65D into the holes.

Instant rivets!

All the rivets glued on.

With all the major construction done, I applied a base coat of Hammered Silver.

I dry brushed rust to the rivets and to damaged sections of the helmet.

Next came a wash of black to knock down the shine and bring out the detail of Orcish craftsmanship.

The final touch is a gentle application of the White Hand of Saruman.

Using some scraps of leather, I made the chin strap and hot glued it to the inside.

I cut a buckle from a scrap of steel.

I gave the metal a rough hammered finish with a hammer. Dur.

I cut some fire and bent it to form the tongue.

Once the buckle was in place, I glued the strap around it. To finish the look, I gave it a quick stitch with sinew.

I punched holes in the other strap and gave the end a rough cut with dull scissors.

The final helmet ready for war!

Side view.

Back view

>

Detail of the side.

The wash really brings out the scratches.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

Although there's no room for padding, the helmet is snugly comfortable and offers a good range of vision. At least to anything in front of you. I especially appreciate the beard room!

PDF of the Pepakura model

Fallout AEP7 Laser Pistol

2011-08-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to build the Laser Pistol from the video game “Fallout”. The client requested a light in the muzzle and sound when the trigger is pulled as well as a working battery compartment and two batteries that could fit inside.

With plans generously furnished by my friend Volpin, I started by making the body of the gun from 1/2” MDF. The edges would be rounded on the router table.

I made the muzzle cowl from 1/4” MDF, leaving it unattached from the body so it would be easier to work on.

I rounded the inside corners of the cowl by plopping some Bondo inside and rounding the corner to the proper radius with an aluminum tube.

Once the Bondo set, I removed the tube and trimmed away the excess.

I then shaped the outer radius on the belt sander.

I glued blocks of MDF to the body to form the raised areas on top and surrounding the butt plate.

I chucked a router bit into drill press and carved out a decorative panel in the top.

More rounding of corners on the belt sander.

I cut the front plate of the muzzle assembly from 1/8” styrene.

I heated more styrene and formed it around the front plate. Once it was the proper shape, I glued it in place.

I cut the back of the sides to the proper profile.

I cut plates of styrene to form the detail on the base of the front plate.

Since the front plate is thin, I cut wood screws down with the dremel…

…and glued them into countersunk holes on each side.

To make the dish-like recess for the muzzle (where the laser beam comes out), I cut a hole in the front plate, globbed in some Bondo and pressed it into a dish with a spare acrylic gem.

The resulting dish. A 1/8” hole was later drilled into it.

A detail block for the front plate was cut from MDF with a grill cut from styrene.

A quick test fit of all the pieces so far.

I lathed the piston that stretches from the front plate to the grip out of basswood.

The piston was glued into the recess at the back of the front late. A detail plate cut from styrene was glued on top of it.

I ordered a light kit from VooDoo FX that was pre-wired per my specs. All I needed to do was install it.

MDF details on top of the cowl. The seam lines were scribed on my Dremel router table.

More MDF details for the sides of the cowl. The pockets were made with the Dremel sanding drum and a steady hand.

I lathed the (what I believe is a) range finder from a poplar dowel and flattened one side for attaching to the cowl.

I left some space behind the front plate so there would be some ambient light coming through in addition to the primary light out the muzzle.

I cut fins from styrene and glued them into the cowl.

I framed the layers of the butt cap with 1/4” and 1/8” MDF, cutting a hole for the battery compartment.

I cut the battery compartment door from 1/8” styrene.

Decorative “rivet” holes were cut into the door with a router bit chucked into the drill press.

A removable cover (to allow access to batteries) was cut from 1/4” MDF.

I cut the outer frame of the cover from 1/2” MDF.

The cover assembled with an interior block of MDF to build another level.

Styrene details, screws and a clicking knob were added to the cover.

I added styrene strips to the side of the control knob to make grips.

I made a master for the battery with a block of basswood and styrene half round piping.

I molded the battery body and cast two duplicates in plastic resin. The battery terminal rods were made from wood dowels, and cast in resin.

I made a battery holder from an old hard drive case. I glued in a strip of half round to keep the battery from sliding out once seated.

The battery seated in the holder.

The holder was hinged at the top and equipped with a spring to grip the battery.

I shaped the base of the pistol grip from a piece of 1/2" MDF.

Test fit of the grip in the base.

The last piece of the pistol grip was made from laminated 3/4" MDF with styrene panels.

I attached the battery door with a small brass hinge. I cut a recess in the door and end cap to hide the hinge.

I used Bondo to cover the hinge.

A test of the hinged door. It still works!

And the battery still fits.

View of the seated battery when the door is closed.

A few last details: Half round styrene piping around the end cap and a few real screws.

Since the trigger moves laterally instead of rotating, I cut a piece of drawer slide.

The trigger was made from pieces of MDF.

The drawer slide mounts to the top of the trigger.

The trigger in place.

A small spring keeps the trigger in the forward position.

For the sound, the client found a recordable greeting card. He was able to hook it up to his computer via mini-usb and load the actual laser gun sound from the game.

The speaker mounts under the gun behind the cowl. I cut a piece of metal grill from an old car stereo.

The speaker and grill.

Real batteries fit below the fake one.

I used an aluminum tube to mount the pistol grip and ran the switch wiring down the center.

The completed base of the pistol grip.

The side vent was made from 1/4" MDF with styrene inner vents.

The top vent tube was made from a piece of dowel.

Some nails standing in for rivets.

The side tube was lathed from a piece of basswood.

I cut out a 90º piece so it would mount flat against the corner of the body.

I used masking tape and heavy coats of primer to create inset panels in each side tube.

A base coat of paint on the gun.

The graphics proved too small for cut vinyl masks so I used laser printed labels.

For the cable cap, I glued two disks together and filled the step with Bondo.

I bought a marine battery cable and attached it to the top of the gun.

Some strategically placed "rust" painted over the base coat.

A layer of dry brushed silver to simulate heavy wear.

A final layer of grime and "grease".

The final pistol.

Back view.

The rear cap is held in place by magnets so the batteries can be replaced.

Weathered batteries.

Detail of the end cap.

Detail of the muzzle.

The light activated!

Tenchi Muyo Hilt v.2

2011-06-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a custom Tenchi Muyo hilt for a wooden martial arts practice sword. I was able to get my original Tenchi hilt on loan from the client to make the new one.

The wooden sword from the client. I think it’s oak.

I cut offthe guard and shaved down the hilt to reveal the tang.

Since the tang didn’t extend all the way through the hilt, I reinforced the grip with pieces of cherry.

I made a two-part mold of the original hilt and cast resin copies of each side.

I cleaned up the detail on each half, correcting some geometry ad making it more symmetrical overall. I also carved the wood grain into the pommel rather than just painting it on.

In order to make the hilt fit around the wood, I had to make the hilt thicker. I glued 1/8” basswood to each side to make the hilt 1/4” thicker.

I finished the edge, blending the basswood with the resin.

After clamping the sides together, I rescribed the lines that crossed over from one side to the other.

The blade had some distortion and damage from use, so I sanded a fresh edge and filled any nicks.

After the resin halves were completed, I placed them in a mold box and applied a thinned coat of Smooth-On MoldMax Stroke to capture detail. Once that cured, I applied a thick coat of Stoke to build the mold walls.

The demolded masters!

I placed the wooden tang over one half to mark where I needed to carve out.

I used the cutting attachment on my Dremel as a router to carve a slot o=in both halves.

I cast a second copy to send to the original Tenchi client as thanks for the loaner. It saved a ton of work!

I used two-part epoxy to glue the blade inside the two halves.

A fresh coat of primer on both hilts in preparation for final painting.

The new Tenchi hilt (left) compared to the original. The new grip is 1” thick and feels like a proper sword grip.

The other side.

Detail to better show the thickness difference.

The blade in the final Tenchi grip.

Daft Punk Interstella 5555 Helmet

2011-06-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Shep’s helmet from the Daft Punk animated film Interstella 5555. The Helmet would need to have a working movable visor

I started with a client supplied batting helmet so we knew it would fit the client.

I removed all the interior padding so it could be transplanted into the final finished helmet.

I cut off any geometry that didn’t conform to the final helmet.

I added sheet insulation foam to block out the new dimensions and used expanding foam to fill in the gaps.

Once cured, I filed/cut/sanded the foam to the dimensions of my plans.

I added Bondo to further shape the helmet, fill holes and coat the foam.

I applied a coat of Bondo over the entire helmet to prep the final surface.

After much sanding and additional Bondo patches, a smooth suface starts to take shape.

Comparing the helmet to the plans, I noticed that the front profile wasn’t round enough on top, the side slightly slanting inward.

I added more Bondo to build out the sides and eventually smoothed it to a more accurate profile.

I transferred the crest profile to poster board so I could see how it fit on the actual helmet. Once the pattern was adjusted to fit, I had a template to cut the crest.

I cut the crest profile out of 3/4” MDF, and marked where it would need to be sanded to match the taper of the plans.

The final crest.

To prevent the crest popping off during construction, I attached it with epoxy and screws from inside the helmet.

I noticed that the taper of the cheek guards weren’t right, so I marked them for sanding.

I formed the master for the ear cups from several pieces of MDF glued together.

I decided to make the red semicircle on the ear cup raised to hide the slot for the visor. I heat formed .125” styrene over the cup base.

I used poster board templates of the ear cup to mark their placement on both sides of the helmet. This allowed me to match the location and rotation of the cups so that the helmet would be symmetrical.

I molded and made resin copies of the ear cups and glued them to each side.

I needed half round styrene strips for the trim on the helmet, but no one made it thick enoough. I cut thick styrene into strip and used a block of steel with the half round profile cut into it to shave the strips into shape.

I glued the half round styrene around the border of the helmet. Thick styrene is hard to bend without distortion so I cut smaller pieces to make the tighter curves.

After a coat of primer, I could smooth out any kinks or putty over any gaps.

Based on the angles that the visor would need move in both up and down positions, I cut a slot in the ear cups for the visor to picot through.

I applied a thinned coating of Smooth-On MoldMax Stroke to capture the surface details.

After that cured I applied more Stroke layers to build up a thick mold wall.

The next day, I applied a plaster mother mold in halves to the mold.

Once the plaster dried thoroughly, I was able to remove it and demold the helmet master.

The silicone mold was replaced in the mother mold so that it was ready for slush casting.

I poured a small amount of Smooth-On 65D into the helmet and slushed it around until it hardened (usually in 3-5 minutes). I worked in sections and built up several coats to make a stable helmet shell.

The demolded resin helmet copy. The master sits behind it.

To make the visor, I placed the helmet master back on my plaster head and sculpted the visor lens as smoothly as I could.

To conserve silicone, I made a plaster waste mold of it.

I sealed the plaster, applied mold release and used Bondo to make a copy of the lens sculpt.

The Bondo lens was sanded smooth(er than the original sculpt), and glued to a wooden support.

The lens master was further smoothed until it was ready for vacuum forming.

I bought my plastic, got set up to vacuum form it and my machine wouldn’t start! Rather than spend the afternoon disassembling and rebuilding the oven, I took the lens buck down to my local plastic supply/fabricators Plastifab and let them pull copies from 1/8” clear PETG.

I rough cut one of the visors to check how it would fit.

And it slid up as expected/hoped!

When I had the clear visor pulled, I also had them make an ABS copy that I could use as a sculpting form for the visor trim. I used clay to shape the isor and got it as smooth as I could (which isn’t very smooth, as you can see)

I made a silicone mold of the clay and cast a resin trim so that it could be smoothed and refined.

The resin trim test fit over the visor.

I made a second mold of the trim and slush cast a hollow resin copy (to keep it light.

many glues will haze or melt clear plastics, so I secured the visor to the trim with screws. I glued in rare earth magnets at the top to allow the visor to stay up.

I drilled a hole inside the helmet for more magnets that would allow the visor to remain up. This is a test of that theory.

And here’s what it looks like with the visor down.

At this point, with all components made, it was time to test it on a human. Visor stays up...

And slides down nicely with good visibility!

To tint the visor, I bought a giant pot and dumped in several packets of RIT dye.

I brought the water to 150º and immersed the visor into the dye. The heat allows the dye to get into the plastic’s surface but it’s not hot enough to melt or deform the PETG

The final dye job. The dye didn’t affect visibility at all!

The painted trim mounted to the visor

I hot glued the padding into the final helmet

The final painted helmet.

With visor down

and from the back.

Plans are available for download to you dare take on this challenging build!

Interstella Helmet Plans

Mr. Bushido's Masks

2011-06-07T13:21:00.001-07:00

I was commissioned both masks of Mr. Bushido from the anime Mobile Suit Gundam.

I decided to use Apoxie Sculpt (epoxy putty) to sculpt the mask master. I used this air-dry putty over clay because my sculpting skills aren’t good enough to produce a finish smooth enough to simulate metal. The dry putty can be carved, Dremeled and sanded to a smooth surface before it is molded.

Since Apoxie takes a few hours to dry, I used Bondo to correct geometry and reshape features to make the mask symmetrical.

You can see from the pink Bondo areas how much had to change from the Apoxie stage to get to final sculpt.

I gave the mask several thick coats of filler primer to smooth out the surface and point out any imperfections.

To further define the bevel around the eyes, I scribed a thin line around the color break.

The final mask ready for molding.

I used Smooth-On Stroke to build a thick silicone mold over the mask. The stuff goes on like cake frosting and allows you to quickly build a stable mold wall.

I soaked a cheap shop rag in plaster to make a mother mold over the silicone so that the mask can retain its proper shape.

The cured mold pulled off the master.

I poured some Smooth-Cast 65D (formerly Smooth-Cast Roto) and slush cast the mask in several layers.

The de-molded mask! A perfect copy including my eyes and mouth.

For the half mask, I cast a second copy and marked where I’d need to change it.

The half mask with excess cut away and the scribed lines filled with putty.

To attach straps to the mask, I bought some bathing suit hooks.

Tacking the hooks in place, I poured a small amount of resin in the corners to lock them in place.

A base coat of gloss grey.

I painted the inside of both masks with flat acrylic black paint.

After the red areas were painted, I applied a protective coat of matte finish Crystal Clear. The half mask here shows can see how much of a difference the matte finish makes.

The finished full mask.

The finished half mask.

Me wearing the full mask. It fits over my beard and is pretty comfortable! Good field of vision too.

Me in the half mask. I don’t think this is hiding my identity very well…..

Plans are available HERE

Comi-Ame Black Canary Throwing Stars

2011-06-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a pair of throwing stars for a Black Canary cosplay based on the Ame-Comi statue.

I lathed the center hub master from a chunk of MDF and decided to add a small Black Canary logo to the center. The cops got to know who pinned the jewel thieves to a wall…

The thin styrene logo glued to the hub.

I made a silicone mold of the hub to make resin copies for each side of the star.

A nice base coat of gold over the resin copies and hand painted logos finishes the hubs.

Since these stars were mainly for conventions and photo shoots, we decided to save some money by making the stars out of flat 1/4” poplar. The diamond profile of the statue’s stars would be more expensive to replicate and really is more of a sword/spear feature…I suspect it would mess up the aerodynamics if you were to throw them.

I did narrow each point from the center on the belt sander to make them look more sharp.

Finally, I drilled out a recess for the hub on each side with a forstner bit.

The stars were painted with light coats of hammered silver.

The final stars.

Detail of the hub area.

Plans are available HERE

Final Fantasy XIV Bagh Nakhs

2011-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a pair of bagh nakhs (or "Tiger's Claws") from the video game Final Fantasy XIV.

I started with the claws, cutting a master from 1/4" poplar.

I beveled the blade with the Dremel Sander.

The top trim of the blade was made from strips of styrene.

The completed blade master.

I cut grip panels from poplar, rounded the edges on the belt sander and drilled holes for the rivets. I found large snap covers that were right size for the rivets.

I used a threaded rod to connect the two poplar handles.

For the actual grips, I cut MDF with a channel for the threaded rod.

I cut a piece of basswood for the box that holds the blades.

I drilled holes in the blade box so the handles could be connected by threaded rods.

I cut a paper cutting guide from the plans to mark the opening for the blades and then used an exacto knife to start the hole.

I put a router bit in the drill press and started cutting material out of the blade hole, removing 1/4" of material with every pass.

The bit only reached halfway, so I flipped it over and cut through from the other side.

I rounded the edges of the box with a router bit in my Dremel.

I glued strips of styrene around the edges of the box.

Just as soon as the glue set, I noticed a new detail in the reference photos…the ends of the box are actually cut short.

I re-cut the inner strips and glued them in place.

Next I glued half round styrene strips to the outer edging.

Then I carved channels inside the box for the panels that would hold the blades.

I forgot the small strips on the ends of the grips so I made those out of thin styrene.

The assembled grip with threaded rods inserted.

To make the decorative rivets for the box, I cut airsoft pellets in half and glued them inside rubber O-rings. I assembled four, molded them and cast resin copies for the box master.

Here is a resin copy of the crest that goes on top of each blade box. I made the original with different thicknesses of styrene and added nail heads for the rivets.

After a test fitting, I added some balsa to thicken the bottom of the blade master's support.

Resin copies of my blade master to be used in the final props.

Here are some resin rivets to be glued on the master. I was pouring excess resin from other molds into the rivet mold so I wound up with far more than I needed. At least I could pick the best copies!

I constructed a MDF box to pour the mold for the blade box. First I filled the bottom with clay up to the center line of the blade box. Silicone was poured in this side first then, once it cured, the box is flipped over, clay removed and the other half of the mold is poured.

To make sure no air is trapped in the details, I poured resin in each side of the mold. Once that solidified, I joined the mold and poured the center.

A nice resin copy of the master! I had to clean up the seam line and putty up a few holes but that's nothing compared to having to build another blade box from scratch. I was surprised that some pencil lines on the master got transferred to the resin by the silicone mold!

To make the panels that hold the blades, I made a press using a MDF block in the shape of the blade box and a plaster mold of the block itself. The theory was to heat thick plastic with a heat gun and squish it into shape.

The results of the press! Four identical plates!

The base paint coat for the blade box.

I hand painted the rivets on both boxes as masking would have been too difficult.

The blades where painted with the glossy grey and the the top strip was masked off and painted gold.

The handles were finally epoxied onto the blade boxes.

I slid the top plate through the slot in each blade.

Holding the bottom plate in place, I slid the entire blade assembly into the blade box.

The last few inches were very tight so I had to use a ratcheting clamp to get the blade assembly seated.

The final bagh nakhs!

View from the back.

View of the business end.

Detail of the blade box.

Don't scratch your ear when holding the bagh nakh!

Plans are available HERE is you dare to build these things.

Cardcaptors: Sakura's Sealing Wand

2011-04-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make the "Sealing Wand" from the manga and anime series Card Captor Sakura (aka Cardcaptors). In the series the Bird headed top changes to...

…A star in a ring with tiny wings! Magic, folks!

I built half of the star head in 3D, keeping a 1mm wall to save on printing costs at Shapeways.

The base of the staff was modeled the same way.

Three weeks later I get a lovely 3D printed star head!

View of the inside of the base. 3D printed objects has a pebbled texture to them that will need to be sanded down before molding.

I was unsuccessful in building a model for the bird head so I decided to make my master from MDF.

I made the wings from 1/4" MDF and carved out the layers of feathers with Dremel, chisels and blades.

The bird head sculpting finished and ready for smooth sanding.

The staff was made from a 1" oak dowel. I inserted a 1/2" dowel in the end to attach the tip and flared both ends with Bondo, guided by a slightly larger MDF disc.

I added a threaded insert so the interchangeable heads could be attached with a threaded rod.

The final staff ready for painting.

To attach the wings to the head and make sure they were straight, I cut 1/4" MDF discs that would fit in the eye socket.

Half of the disc was glued to the back of the wing and half was glued into the eye socket. Together they make a tight, consistently angled fit.

The eye trim was lathed from 1/4" MDF checked to the drill press.

The eye trim is glued to each wing master.

The master for the eye gem was made by cutting off the tip of an old space shuttle model's fuel tank.

The surface was sanded smooth in preparation for molding.

A test fit of all the bird head components.

I made a mold of the staff tip half, made two resin copies and glued them together.

The new master ready for molding.

The star head mold and the first resin copy from it. There's a few dents to putty up but overall pretty clean.

Resin gems with silver mylar glued to the back.

Two halves of the star head glued together, seam filled and ready for painting.

Base coat of pink with white wings painted.

Bird head with white primer (over red cast resin), painted tip and completed star head.

While I was at it I made a mold for future copies. This piece will makes flared ends for the staff.

The final assembled star wand!

Close-up of the head.

Final assembled bird head version.

Closeup of the happy birdie.

You can download plans HERE

Manjimaru's Sword

2011-03-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make the sword and scabbard of Sengoku Manjimaru from the Tengai Makyou II video game.

I started by cutting the blade halves from 1/4" poplar, cutting a channel inside each for a steel support rod and glueing the wood together.

I sanded an edge on the blade then sealed the wood with shellac.

I made the blade collar from black styrene plastic.

I cut hilt halves from 3/4" MDF, cutting a channel for the steel support rod and blade collar.

By the client's request, I painted the blade red.

I shaped the hilt using a Dremel sander.

I made the scabbard with MDF with 1/4" poplar fins

I lined the scabbard with soft cloth to protect the finish on the blade.

I glued the scabbard closed and rounded the edges on the router table.

I carved some belly scales into the scabbard using chisels and utility knives.

I cut channels for the steel support rod in MDF grip halves.

I glued the gip parts together and carved out areas for the scale insets and gems.

I cut parts for the face out of 1/4" and 1/8" MDF.

The face parts glued on.

I cut eyes from 1/4" red acrylic that fit into the eye socket.

I puttied up the gaps between the face parts and the scabbard.

I glued on 1/4" antlers to the dragon's head.

I made stamps for scales out of hardboard and dowels.

I rolled out a long sheet of clay and stamped scales into the surface.

I poured plastic resin into the mold and removed a sheet of scales!

I used a heat gun to soften the scale sheet to it would wrap around the dragon's body.

I used the same technique to cast resin whiskers.

The de-molded whiskers.

I used a heat gun to soften each whisker and wrapped it around the body.

I painted the scabbard with brass paint.

I attached rings to the dragon's back so it could be worn.

I cast red resin gems for the pommel and grip.

The final sword and scabbard!

The sword in the scabbard.

Plans are available HERE

Soul Calibur: Taki's Swords

2011-01-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to make Taki's swords Rekki Maru and Mekki Maru from the Soul Calibur video game.

I started by cutting grips from 1/4" MDF, scribing lines across the surface of each.

The blades were made from 1/4" poplar. I beveled the edge of each blade on the table saw.

After the edge is cut, I shaped the points and finished the bevel on the belt sander.

The final sanded blades painted.

I created many of the parts for these swords with a 3D printer from a Dutch company called Shapeways. Since they charge by the amount of plastic used, I made each part hollow and in half. After some cleanup, I would make a mold and make resin copies for the final swords.

To wrap the grips, I ordered tsuka-ito from China. I had to order 150 feet although I only needed 11 feet for each grip.

I cast two halves of the Mekki pommel and glued them together.

The completed pommel for Rekki Maru.

The cast resin grip collars and decorative blade bases glued to each sword.

Once the blades were completed I could construct the scabbards for each. I made MDF boxes lined with soft cloth to protect the finish on the blades.

I started to round the scabbards by making angled cuts on the table saw.

After the major cuts were done, I finished rounding them on the belt sander.

I forgot about the lion-shaped grommet for Rekki's scabbard so I got a second package from Shapeways. The printed pieces arrive with a sandpaper-like texture that has to be smoothed.

The hollow back of the lion grommet. I will fill this with clay and cast the piece as solid resin.

I glued the cast resin halves of the scabbard collars and bases together.

A quick test fit shows a nice snug fit!

I rounded the base of both scabbards to fit the new resin tips.

I cut a plate from 1/4" poplar for the back of Mekki's scabbard.

I blended the space between the scabbard and the back plate.

I cut trim from thick styrene and heat formed it to shape.

I used epoxy putty to form the scroll work on the trim.

I used a link of plastic chain and a tube cut from a mechanical pencil for Mekki's inset area.

I vacuum formed a styrene cover plate for Mekki's inset area.

I applied a border cut from thin styrene around the opening of the cover plate.

I cut thick styrene strips for the front and back of Mekki's scabbard.

I painted Rekki's scabbard with a base coat of white over grey and then applied a texture using plastic wrap dipped in white acrylic paint.

I cut side plates from bass wood to border the inset area.

I started shaping the side plates and carved the center to make trim.

A coat of primer to see how everything is working together.

I heat formed some final styrene details on the cover plate

I found some ribbon of the proper width and color to wrap around the inset.

I gave Mekki's scabbard its paint job and applied the 3D printed symbol at the base of the cover plate.

To wear the swords, I used mirror rosettes and swivel rings attached to the back of the scabbards.

Hanging hardware attached to Mekki's scabbard.

I wasn't able to find gold ribbon in the proper width, texture and color make Rekki's scabbard ribbon, so I found the closest match in size and texture and painted it with gold acrylic.

The ribbon applied to Rekki's scabbard.

The painted lion grommet attached to Rekki's scabbard.

I found a tutorial online for tsuka-maki (the Japanese method of wrapping sword handles) with tsuka-ito (the ribbon used to wrap it).

The final wrapped grips.

Mekki's scabbard features a magic scroll wrapped around the center. I printed both sides of the scroll and glued them to both sides of thin aluminum. The metal could then be bent to shape and tightly wrapped around the scabbard.

The completed Mekki Maru!

The completed Rekki Maru!

RESOURCES TO MAKE YOUR OWN:

Plans

Blindsquirrel's Shapeways Shop

If you don't want to go through the cleanup and mold making of the 3D parts, contact me for resin copies.

Tsuka-maki tutorial

I also have a limited quantity of tsuka-ito for sale. Contact me for details.

Mekki-maru's magic scroll

Free Prop Plans! Woo Hoo!

2010-10-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of requests for the working plans that I use to build my props. Since I'm booked up so far in advance, I've decided to make them all available for download.

Of course, I drew them up for myself, never thinking that one day other people would need to use them. Some are very complete with all the measurements while others are barely sketches. In any case, you can print them out and take measurements off them while you work.

Here is the link for the all the files. I'll eventually add links on each post.

PROP PLANS

I hope that these are helpful. Be sure to send me a picture of what you build!

Replica Prop Forum

2010-09-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

A great place to learn new building techniques and see what other people are building is the Replica Prop Forum. There are sections for movie props, costumes, model building and paper props but really there's so much skill set crossover, I encourage you to look at them all.

movie props

Registration is only open a few times a year but once you're in, it's a great place for feedback or quick advice on the best way to build ANYTHING!

New Outlaw Star Caster Gun

2010-08-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

After I created my original Outlaw Star Caster Gun, I was besieged with requests for another one. I was commissioned to create another replica in August of 2009 and with the help of my sharp-eyed client, refined the design to be far more accurate.

I started to build the Caster barrel by bolting two pieces of bass wood together for lathing. Since the barrel will be molded, I needed to be able to separate it in two halves.

The barrel and end cap lathed.

I made a master for the trigger out of a scrap of green acrylic. The grip halves were cut from 3/4" MDF.

I temporarily glued the grip halves together for shaping. I started by rounding the edges with a router.

After some shaping with the Dremel, the basic shape of the grip is done.

I cut a slot in each half for the trigger to slide in.

I built up the pistol butt with Bondo.

The grip piping was made by bending half-round styrene.

The grip finished.

I lathed the breach arm junction out of basswood. The missing chunk at the left broke off during the process and would have brained me if I hadn't been wearing a face shield!

I drilled out the center of the junction block.

The junction block in place over the Caster body.

The breach lever arm base was cut from thick styrene plastic.

The arm detail was made by cutting layers of styrene.

I added the piping to the barrel with half-round styrene.

I used styrene to build up the breach details.

The inner seal for the breach cap was made with a slice of PVC pipe. I also cut away a section for the rear sight to mount to.

The piston master was made with brass and aluminum tubing.

The brackets that hold the piston to the bottom of the barrel were made with thick styrene. To cut the slot in the barrel for the brackets, I sharpened a steel rod into a makeshift chisel.

I had to cut away part of the grip to make room for the trigger guards. It looks sloppy here but I was able to clean up the seam with putty.

I had to re-chuck the breach cap to the lathe to hollow out the inside.

A nice clean fit but leaving enough room for paint.

I lathed the Caster shell from a poplar dowel. The caliber, in case you're wondering, is .70

The piping on the Special Shell was made with very thin half-round styrene (and a magnifying glass).

I re-made the muzzle by lathing some MDF.

I lathed some detail for the inside of the breach cap, implying a place for the shell to seat and a firing pin, if the Caster gun even has one.

The completed piston assembly.

The rear sight was made by drilling a hole in acrylic cabochons (domes) and gluing them to the ends of a wooden dowel. The base is MDF.

Test fitting the breach arms so I could place the small guide dome. Placed correctly it limits the breach arm's range of rotation.

The lowered position. Note the guide dome is at the bottom of the slot.

All the parts ready for molding.

My friend Volpin volunteered to make the molds for this project. Thanks, dude!

First set of resin copies from the molds.

I drilled out the holes in the arms. I will be using the sleeves from pop rivets to connect parts and act as hinge pins.

Holes drilled and test fitting of rivets for the trigger guard.

Hole drilled and test fit of the piston.

I didn't plan the trigger very well so I had to do some adjustments to get it to slide properly. I inserted a steel rod into the back of the trigger that would slide into a tube, keeping the trigger movement smooth and linear. A small spring from an pen snaps it forward.

I had to make a breach insert that would keep the shell from falling down the barrel.

The pistol grip sealed up around the trigger assembly, I glued it to the trigger guards and the lower barrel.

I wanted to use aluminum tubing for the trigger guard connector and the breach arm bar. Unfortunately the rivets are much smaller than the inner diameter of the tubes. I made and cast resin adapters to make them fit.

The trigger guard spacer in place.

I used a 3/4" PVC pipe for the barrel of the caster. I painted the inside black and attached it to the lower barrel with epoxy putty.

I had to drill out the breach cap to allow room for the shell when it's seated in the breach.

I cut aluminum bars that slid in resin sleeves to allow the breach to open.

I used a screw to stop the rail from moving out too far. The rails needed a slot cut out of the center.

After several failed attempts to cut the hole with drill and file, I gave up and had rail guides cut with a high pressure water jet. Perfect!

Now with the breach resolved, I could seal up the barrel.

I also forgot to make a master for the standard Caster shell. I took a resin copy and sanded off all the raised markings.

During a test fit, I discovered that I didn't make the breach arms long enough for the bar to clear the edge of the cap. I took resin arms and cut off the ends. The gap was filled with Bondo, sanded smooth and then I made a new mold for the arms.

After testing over a dozen different paints, I found the perfect Caster Gun brown! It has golden tints (that I mistook for gold on my original Caster) but is light enough to contrast nicely with the red piping.

I masked off the butt detail and painted it.

After a marathon session with masking tape, I painted the red piping.

The barrel vents are small enough that hand cutting them was out of the question. As careful as I tried, there would still be variation and imperfection in the pattern. Instead, I had a decal cut from a metallic vinyl and applied it to clear styrene.

Once wrapped around the barrel, the styrene gives the holes the illusion of depth. And best of all, the pattern is perfect!

The breach arms painted and ready for assembly to the connecting bar.

The arms attached to the Caste. I had to remove the guide dome on both sides as it wasn't in the right position for smooth operation. I would later glue them back on now that the arms were in place.

The breach open.

The completed piston assembly.

The muzzle glued in place.

I had to cut a flat spot at the top of the breach for the rear sight to sit properly.

The final rear sight was fitted with a small nail to make a stronger connection to the Caster.

The rear sight in place over an open breach.

The final painted shells. Pictured (L-R) #5, #12, #4, #9, #13

The final Caster Gun!

Detail of the barrel.

Detail of the grip.

The open breach.

A shell loaded.

Like last time I shot a short video showing the Caster Gun and the loading of a shell.

New Outlaw Star Caster Gun

Dragon Ball Z Scouter

2010-08-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make the a Scouter from Dragon Ball Z. In the series, the device calculates the power level of opponents and displays them on the screen.

Since this item is worn over the ear, it needs to be light. I made MDF masters for the parts of the Scouter so they could be vacuum formed out of plastic.

A plastic body shell vacuum formed from the MDF master. I have a lot of webbing but I can clean up the corners so it's not worth remaking.

The lens arm after vacuum forming beside the MDF master. The yellow splotches are just paint drops on the scrap plastic I selected.

The vacuum formed bracket that will support the ear padding.

The padding bracket after it had been trimmed down for use.

I filled the interior of the body and lens arm with blue insulation form. This supports the rather thin (.040") plastic while adding very little weight.

I stole the vinyl covered padding from a set of cheap Harbor Freight hearing protectors.

A test fit of the padding attached to the bracket. Eventually I would glue down the edges of the vinyl to the top of the bracket.

To attach the body to the padding assembly, I used the bracket itself to vacuum form a copy that would fit precisely over the bracket. I had to correct some warping that occurred to the bracket as a result of hot plastic pulled over it but it wasn't too bad.

The new bottom of the body glued in place. The body now fits tightly into the hole of the padding bracket with no glue needed.

I assembled the Scouter parts and gave everything a coat of grey primer. I also cut red acrylic for the side pieces.

To attach the Scouter to the ear, I screwed an aluminum wire to the bottom of the body where it would stay hidden inside the padding.

I cut the data lens from 1/8" red acrylic. I heated the center with a heat gun and bent the lens over a MDF master covered with foil. I don't know if the foil was necessary but I wanted to prevent the hot plastic from picking up any texture from bare MDF.

A quick test fit of the lens inserted into a slot in the end of the arm. I left it unglued so the client could set it to a comfortable depth.

To make the readout, I cut vinyl symbols to match a screen capture.

I backed the red acrylic buttons on the side with silver mylar to brighten their appearance.

The final Assembled Scouter (after the body was painted with a glossy white).

The back of the Scouter.

Me wearing the Scouter.

Me in profile. Now I know how Lobot feels.

Mystical Ninja Goemon's Kiseru

2010-08-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Goemon's kiseru, a traditional smooking pipe, from the Goemon video game series. At the client's request, it would be 48" long.

For the mouthpiece of the pipe, I was able to find a wooden finial the right size and checked it to my lathe for modification.

Since the lathe was occupied, I attached a disk of MDF to a drum sander attachment spindle.

I was able to round the edges of the disk by spinning it with a hand drill and used sandpaper to shape the piece.

The finial's ball was flattened slightly and I scribed a line for separating the ball portion.

The finial ball and disk glued together over a threaded mounting rod.

The head of the pipe was constructed by glueing together many sheets of pine and shaping on the lathe. I cut off the top of the bowl so I could re-attach it to the lathe to hollow it out.

I flattened one side of the head to mount to the shaft.

I made a collar out of MDF on the lathe.

I used a threaded rod and wooden dowels to attach the collar to the shaft.

The collar attached to the head with the threaded rod exposed to attach to the shaft.

I used a 4" x 4" to make the shaft. Here I'm starting to knock off all the corners.

The finished shaft.

The mouthpiece attached to the shaft.

I attached the rim of the bowl to the lathe and hollowed out a gentle bowl shape.

The bowl rim re-attached to the head.

I forgot to make the hole in the mouthpiece so I had to drill it and hand smooth the edges.

The final painted pipe. I used a brush to apply the paint so the paint has a brushed metal appearance.

Vampire Knight Artemis Rod

2010-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make the "Artemis Rod" weapon from the anime series Vampire Knight.

To make the long shaft, I lathed it in 2' sections out of 1-1/4" poplar dowel. A longer piece on the lathe just wiggled too much in the center to work.

Here all the sections have been laid out to show how they fit together.

My plan to connect them to each other was to run a threaded rod through the sections and string them like beads. I clamped my drill to a shelf and attached a long 1/4" bit. I then carefully lowered each section onto the spinning bit, stopping occasionally to make sure it was still centered.

A quick test fit of the threaded rod. The end pieces leftover from lathing still have to be trimmed off.

Two major sections of shaft glued together.

I used Bondo to make the diamond pattern around each raised section of the shaft.

The blade was sculpted out of two sheets of blue insulation foam.

I cut a piece of thick plastic to sandwich between the foam blade halves. This will reinforce the foam as well as act as a solid connection point for the shaft. A small section was lathed and then slotted to fit around the plastic. It was then epoxied and bolted in place.

The foam sides glued together around the plastic. For glue, I used a small amount of Styro Spray, the foam hard coating resin that would cover the sculpted blade.

To sculpt the blade I used a small rasp and sanding sponges to smooth the surface.

The final sculpted blade. I few coats of Styro Spray and some putty work at the shaft and it would be ready for painting!

The final painted scythe. Although you can't see it in the photos, I used hammered finish silver paint to enhance the weapon's organic qualities.

Detail of the finished blade. Assembled, the Artemis Rod is over 7' tall.

Ergo Proxy Shotgun

2010-06-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to build Re-L Mayer's shotgun from the anime "Ergo Proxy".

I started by cutting the pistol grip halves from 1/2" MDF.

I wanted to be able to remove the trigger for painting so I cut the trigger guard in halves from 1/4" poplar. The trigger in inserted from the top and pivots on a nail.

I used a compression spring from a ballpoint pen to give the trigger its "pew pew pew".

I used a router to carve out a recess for the trigger assembly. It will be blued in after painting.

To make the grip plates, I used 1/4" MDF to make a simple box around the pistol.

I routered the edges and sanded the grip to shape.

I lathed the upper barrel cowl from basswood.

The pump grip was routered out of basswood as well. Half of the groove was puttied over to create the shotgun's distinctive ridges.

I drilled out the center so that it could slide on a 5/8" dowel.

The bracket that holds the pump tube and barrel in place was made from two pieces of 1/4" poplar glued together.

This was my solution to make the pump spring forward. Rather than weaken the pump tube with some sort of internal spring configuration, I decided to hide the mechanism under the gun's shroud.

The shroud was constructed from 1/4" MDF.

The lanyard loop was made by bending 1/16" steel wire to shape.

For the exposed barrel, I sanded the inside of PVC pipe so that it would slip over the barrel dowel on either side of the bracket.

Since many conventions have strict rules about realistic prop guns, I made a barrel plug with two sizes of wooden dowel.

The plug seated in the muzzle.

The final shotgun. I used gloss black on the grips, dark grey on the shroud and Metalizer gun metal paint on the other parts.

The lanyard loop can swivel out or lays flat against the butt.

The business end!

Soi Fon's Bankai

2010-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to build Soi Fon's Bankai from the anime "Bleach". What is a Bankai? Short answer, a big-ass energy cannon worn on the arm. Head to Wikipedia for the long answer!

I started with a 6" concrete casting cardboard tube. The client requested a 7' length for the bankai instead of the 12' length in the anime.

After cutting a hole for the arm to be inserted, I added a wooden dowel to act as a handle.

I glued and bolted MDF sheets together to make the nose and tail cones of the bankai. The bolts make sure the glue holds under the forces of the lathe.

The lathed nose cone with a bit of putty to smooth out the edge.

After much putty and sanding, the nose cone is ready to remove from the lathe. The MDF pieces at the ends are removed and the rounded tip of the cone is shaped by hand.

A quick test fit of the cone master in the cardboard tube.

For ease of transportation the bankai will separate in two spots. The tubes join by inserting an inner sleeve made from thick styrene.

The face blast shield was made from styrene heat formed in another tube to make the curved shape.

The inset was made by glueing in triangular pieces of styrene and puttying the seams smooth.

The primered final mask.

The body shield was also made by heat forming thick styrene.

To make the exhaust vents, I started with the opening profile cut out of 1/8" MDF glued to a scrap of 3/4" MDF.

I use balsa to frame out the shape of the vent. Behind it is a paper model prototype that I created as a guide.

The recesses were filled with foam and sanded smooth. This was then surfaced with bondo in preparation for molding.

To figure out the frame that holds to main tube, I cut a template from poster board.

The design was then traced on to thick styrene and it was heat formed to shape.

To make the frame more durable, I bent aluminum bar stock to the proper profile.

I used a 6" disk of MDF to locate the slots I'd need to cut in the tube for attaching the frame.

The frames were then glued and screwed into the plastic frame.

Because the tubes had seams and a rough texture that might not paint up that well, I covered them with .020 styrene.

I brush coated a silicone mold material over the cone and vent masters.

The silicone was supported with a rigid shell of plaster and fiberglass strand.

I slush cast plastic resin into the mold to produce two copies of the cone master. The variation in the surface is not caused by lumps, rather a darker tinted resin under the white outer layer.

Both cones glued to the tubes and the seam covered with putty.

Both cone sections with a base coat of gold.

The vent master (gold) with a positive silicone copy of it.

The final vent 2-part mold with a plastic resin copy.

I cut holes in the tubes for the exhaust vents.

The resin vents were painted before installing them

The vents were then hot glued into the tube sections.

The tubes were then given their distinctive accent stripe.

The final assembled bankai!

The painted blast shield.

The face plate was riveted to an inset piece of styrene glued to the body shield.

Detail showing the exhaust vents.

I decided reinforce the tube connections by drilling holes for three boles at each joint.

The bankai can now be disassembled for easy transport.

The final bankai as worn by me. Even though this monster makes me look Hobbitty, I am actually 6 ft tall. The prop weighs 11 lbs but is nicely balanced when worn.

The client with her bankai at ConnectiCon 2010.

The Amazing Screw-On Head

2010-03-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Screw-On Head is a robotic agent for Abraham Lincoln in Mike (Hellboy) Mignola’s comic book and animated pilot. He is capable of attaching his head to various robotic bodies but I decided to stop at the neck.

After basing a 3D model on the animated character, I imported it into Pepakura and converted it into a paper model. I then printed it out and assembled it.

I sealed the paper with a coat of fiberglass resin. The screw at the base of the neck would be made separately.

I slush cast several coats of plastic resin inside the paper until I had built up a wall thickness of 1/8”. The paper was sanded off and facets smoothed.

A further refinement of the surface.

I capped the neck with a disk of styrene and attached a cylinder of basswood to fit inside the screw shaft.

The plug socket for the back of his head was cut from 1/4” MDF.

The shaft of the screw was made from a 2” ABS pipe. I lathed the end cap from a scrap of basswood. The paper model screw was assembled as a guide.

The end cap glued into place

Led astray by the paper model, I originally made the screw threads reversed. The correct threads were made by glueing styrene tabs to the pipe.

I built out the bevel of the threads with epoxy putty and then sanded it smooth.

The final painted Head standing on his stained display base.

Additional views.

The secret of the stand...a nail is glued into the base that fits into a hole in the screw.

Klingon Mek'leth

2010-03-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've been re-watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and decided to make Worf's weapon, the Mek'leth. (Apparently, Worf got tired of hearing Jadzia's endless Curzon stories. Join the club!)

I started by cutting out the profile from a sheet of 1/4" poplar. I used a Dremel tool to bevel the edges of the blade.

Much putty and sanding refines the curves and bevels

A base coat of silver. The grey square was where the clamps held it during painting.

I used a thin stretchy vinyl to wrap the grip of the handle.

Battlestar Galactica Pistol kit

2010-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

I purchased this resin kit by Wilco Models of the pistol from the new Battlestar Galactica. It has good detail and only required minimal cleanup but I decided to make some modifications.

To get the details right, I found pictures of the filming props from a recent auction catalog.

I used the Testors Metalizer Gun Metal paint and a Burnt Sienna for the grips. The Metalizer paint buffs to a soft sheen.

I replaced the grenade tip in the kit with the steel end of a air cartridge from a bb gun.

I had to drill out the barrel in the launcher a bit deeper and then epoxied in the steel tip.

To weather the gun, I applied a wash of acrylic black and dry brushed silver on the edges to simulate wear.

The protruding barrel of the kit was cut flush and I inserted an aluminum tube for a deeper barrel recess.

I scribed a new grip line to trap the brown color. The black wash brings out detail as well as adds a level of "grime".

I corrected the angle at the rear of the launcher and replaced the cast bolts with real ones.

I was pretty lukewarm on this gun as I watched the show but I've grown to love it.

Fate Stay Night: Lancer's Spear

2010-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to build Gáe Bulg, Lancer's spear from the anime "Fate Stay Night.

I started by lathing the head and tail shafts out of a single piece of basswood.

Since the tail spike would be coming in contact with the ground and basswood is soft, I made the spike out of oak.

The spike is glued into a hole in the base of the tail piece.

I cut out the blade and glued it into a notch in the head piece.

The seam was puttied smooth.

A central spine for each side was formed from a 1/4" wood dowel. It was sharpened to a point on the belt sander and then split in half.

Decorative discs were cut out of styrene and glued to the sides of the blade.

I drilled each end of the main shaft dowel and fit thread inserts. This will allow a 1/4" threaded rod to screw the head and tail pieces to the spear shaft.

I printed out a template for the shaft markings and transferred them to the dowel with carbon paper. I traced over the pencil with a Sharpie, correcting areas that didn't look right.

I used puffy paint to apply the design to the shaft.

The shaft has three circles on each side of the shaft.. I drilled out a hole and then glued a plastic disc to each.

All parts received a base coat of metallic silver and then a top coat of metallic red automotive paint.

The head and tail pieces painted.

The parts disassemble for shipping.

The assembled spear is over six feet long.

Guilty Gear: Paracelsus

2010-01-17T22:50:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to create Paracelsus, an ancient relic in the form of a key in the game Guilty Gear.

After scaling the plans, I selected a 4" ABS pipe to use as the shaft. Since the prop will be large, I'll be making it to disassemble for transportation.

I cut sections of pipe to use as connectors for the parts.

I cut out a section of the pipe so it will fit inside the shaft sections.

I heated the connector to narrow the diameter of the ABS.

The collar is 6" in diameter so I cut off a section of a 4-way ABS connector.

I cut end caps out of styrene leaving a hole to fit the shaft.

I glued on the base and inserted a thin styrene sheet to form the interior wall.

I drilled a hole for a u-bolt, inserting brass tubes to protect the threads.

I filled the interior with urethane expanding foam.

I glued on the top end cap and painted a coat of primer.

The final painted collar on the neck portion of the shaft.

A smaller collar is located at the top of the lower shaft. I cut a section of the shaft pipe and heated it to expand it. I cut out another section to fill the gap.

I wanted the eyes to be hemispheres so I cut a template of the proper diameter and marked off a section on a plastic light globe.

I was able to cut 3 domes from the globe…two for the eyes, one in case I messed up.

To make the eyes rotate, I cut discs from styrene and attached them in the center with a screw post. They would eventually be glued into a styrene base attached to the head.

The eyes test fit to the color plans.

I cut a section of pipe to be embedded in the head. I flattened two sides to glue to the front and back.

I glued styrene sides to the head styrene disc.

I cut out the nostrils and used putty to create depressions.

I filled the interior of the head with expanding foam and glued the head disc closed.

For the bit (the business end of any key) I cut profiles out of 1" blue insulation foam.

I spilt each piece in half in preparation to be glued.

I cut a piece of masonite and attached it to the pipe with threaded rods. This will support the foam and allow it to be secured to the pipe.

I glued all the pieces for one half together.

Once both sides were done, I glued them to the masonite.

I cut out the hole in the bit, leaving a section at the edge for support.

I covered the foam with 1/8" thick ABS plastic. This plastic is thin enough to be light but thick enough so that any undulation in the foam doesn't show through.

The cleaned up bit attached and glued to the pipe.

I cut thin styrene for the face pattern.

I painted the head and attached the face pattern to it.

The eyes glued in place.

I used 1/2" thick upholstery edging for the stitches. To keep them from unraveling, I taped the edges and applied hot glue to the ends. The ends were then tucked into 3/8" hole.

The final assembled Paracelsus. The movable eyes are fun to play with!

Detail of the finished bit. I'm using a plastic chain from a parrot cage supplier.

The u-bolt can slide out to remove the chain. It can be secured inside the neck with nuts but the threads keep it in place just fine.

Detail of the finished head.The assembled key is over 7 feet tall and only weighs 25 lbs.

The client Bunnie-Fu with Paracelsus at MegaCon 2010 in Orlando. She's 5'11" and is still dwarfed by this giant!

Buso Renkin: Sunlight Heart Lance

2009-12-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to build Kazuki's weapon from the anime Buso Renkin. I did a 3D model to work out dimensions and proportions.

The shaft was too thin to embed a steel core so I started with 3/4" maple for strength and rigidity.

The grip widens near the head so I needed to lathe wood that would merge with the shaft. I cut a channel for a temporary maple shaft in two pieces of bass wood, bolted them together.

The assembly was shaped on the lathe and then the pieces were removed to be glued to the final shaft.

I used a Dremel sander to shape the transition to the square shaft.

I used the same method to turn the three rings and then attached it to the shaft.

The final shaft grip.

I inserted a threaded rod into the end of the shaft to hold the tail parts. The arrowhead was cut from a solid piece of maple, the ball is a wooden drawer handle and the part under it was turned from dowel.

The arrowhead inserts were made from scraps of maple. The tail spike couldn't be glued to the shaft until these pieces were in place.

Before I attached it, I cut the details and panel lines into the arrowhead.

I cut the tail details from thin styrene.

The recessed areas on the lance head were made from styrene. I used Pepakura to work out the geometry.

I cut the profile of the head from a thick sheet of styrene. I cut a channel for the shaft to fit into.

I then used styrene to lock a flattened area of the shaft into place. The shaft will be removable for shipping.

I cut the recess polygons from 1/4" MDF and used styrene to make the diamond details.

After the polygons were made, it became obvious that the recesses were too deep. I re-made both sides to the proper depth.

I attached both sides to the profile.

I glued styrene side panels to the head.

I filled the interior with expanding foam to support the geometry while keeping it light.

I started shaping the foam at the back.

I covered the exposed foam with Bondo.

More Bondo to form the tip.

The thickness of the plastic threw off the Pepakura pattern so I got some distortion and misaligned edges. I was able to correct these flaws with more Bondo.

The head so far.

After looking at the reference material, I discovered that the tip need a knife edge rather than the point I had. I added Bondo to build up some thickness and then sanded a proper knife edge.

A quick primer coat shows the nearly completed head.

After all the minor seams and flaws were filled, I painted the head with a base coat of silver.

I masked and painted the color areas of the head.

I cut the zig-zag detail from thick styrene and glued them into the recesses.

For some reason the polygons at the other end no longer fit after the orange areas were glued in. I would have to remove 1/8" from each edge to make them fit properly.

The final assembled lance. It is over 5 feet long.

It ships disassembled and will be glued together by the client.

Detail of the finished tail spike.

Lord Of The Rings: Helm Of The Witchking

2009-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

I saw some interesting tutorials on making props and costumes with hot glue and cardboard so I decided to try it out. The Witchking Helm has been on my build list for a long time and its simple shapes seemed doable in cardboard.

I used wooden dowels sharpened on the belt sander to make the spikes.

To get a rough forged texture, I coated the cardboard with Bondo filler.

I sanded the surface mostly smooth, leaving voids exposed to simulate corrosion or damage.

I glued on the spikes with a dollop of hot glue.

I used epoxy putty to make the base of the spikes, texturing the putty with coarse sandpaper.

I painted a base coat of black over the entire helm.

I used an iron based paint, leaving black exposed in the recessed areas.

I went over the helm with a wash of black to accent the recessed areas more.

A final drybrushed coat of silver pulls it all together. Edges are hit with a highlight of silver to simulate scuffed metal.

The final helmet modeled on my head casting. I made a black hood to be worn under it hide my face. Visibility is not too bad.

Detail view.

Detail view.

Side view.

Back view.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Ragnell Sword 2

2009-11-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

I received a commission to build another Ragnell sword and decided to make some changes from the previous build. If I don't mention it, I used the same technique as before.

In order to keep the grip as one piece, I glued and bolted together two pieces of basswood after precutting the channel for the steel rod down the center of each side.

I made a template of the curve on the bottom hand grip and drew lines for the fluting.

I carved out the grip flutes with blade, chisel and files.

The blade cap was made with pieces of 1/4" poplar glued together instead of MDF. I shaped it on the belt sander

After all the shaping was done, I filled holes and seams with Bondo.

To get a tight joint, I covered the blade with plastic wrap and filled the gap with Bondo, squishing out any excess.

Instead of using plastic for the trim, I used epoxy putty, sculpting and sanding it to shape.

I used silver and black metallic Rustoleum paint on the grip.

The final sword

Grip detail. I drybrushed some silver on the crossguard to bring out detail and tie the whole sword together.

This is how it was shipped. The client could glue it together upon receipt, although the fit was pretty snug.

Code Geass: Emperor Lelouch's Sword

2009-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make the sword of Emperor LeLouch from Code Geass. A scabbard to fit it was also requested.

Since the blade is so thin, I decided to make it from a solid piece of 3/4" maple. I cut the side profile on the table saw.

I then tapered the thickness of the blade using the belt sander.

I used a hand plane to bevel the edges of the blade.

I cut a slot in the top of the blade big enough to insert a 1/2" copper pipe which will serve as the handle.

I cut 1/2" MDF for the guard, running bolts through all the pieces to hold them together.

I cut the wings from 1/4" poplar and filled the gap between the MDF with more poplar.

The guard was getting too thick, so I re-cut it in 1/4" thick MDF.

Once everything was bolted and glued together, I puttied up the seams.

To further reduce thickness, I also re-cut the outer trim from 1/4" poplar. These also cover the bolts.

I routered out some shallow holes in the sides of the blade to hold the gems. I also cut some thin plastic to smooth out the bottom of the hole.

I made the blade gems using 1/4" acrylic, shaping it with a Dremel sanding drum.

After sanding, the gem was smoothed with a buffing wheel.

I cut trim from styrene and glued them to the holes.

The feathers on the wings were scribed using an Xacto knife.

The handle trim was made by heating and wrapping thin styrene strips.

Once it was wrapped around, it was trimmed flush. The ends were heated again and the soft plastic welds together.

The plastic trim was glued to the handle.

The pommel was a wooden drawer knob, secured with a threaded rod.

The hilt gems were cut from 1/4" red acrylic. The base was cut from thick styrene.

I glued mylar wrapping paper to the back of all the gems.

I painted the hilt in two gold tones.

When I got a shipping estimate, I found that the sword was too long to ship cross country for a reasonable price. I decided to cut the blade in half.

Fortunately there is a natural color split at the halfway point so the split wouldn't be too noticeable.

I drilled each end and glued an aluminum dowel into one side.

Back together! The client will epoxy it when he gets it.

The round beads were purchased and painted but I made the long beads from maple.

I glued some string into the end of the long bead and strung the round beads and grommet onto it.

I cut the sides of the scabbard from 3/4" MDF.

The top and bottom of the scabbard was made from 1/4" MDF. I glued in some fake suede lining into each side.

Once the sides were glued together, the MDF was sealed and the edges beveled.

I added two rings to the scabbard so that it could be worn from a belt.

I added styrene trim to the opening. I moved the trim away from the opening to protect the sword from getting scratched.

I added a heat formed styrene end cap to the scabbard.

The beads were glued to each side of the hilt.

The final hilt.

The finished sword in scabbard.

The sword outside the scabbard. The sword itself is over 5 feet long.

Doctor Who: Parallel World Transporter

2009-07-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the dimensional jumper from the Doctor Who Series Four episode "Journey's End". This was an updated design of the device from "Doomsday".

I started with a block of Basswood and shaped it on the lathe. Here it is with a coat of primer.

The basswood is soft enough that I could hand carve out a section for a block of maple.

I used tin snips to cut the metal "tongue" out of an old hard drive sled.

I chucked 1/2" dowels into the drill press to make a "poor man's lathe". I shaped the pegs with files and sandpaper.

I cut a small piece of styrene to form the bridge connecting the two rings.

I attached some scrap plastic to a lathe faceplate and very carefully scribed the center disc lines.

A test fit of the peg.

All the parts finished and ready for painting!

The final assembled prop. The center yellow is a florescent yellow that hopefully will look lit up under a camera flash.

Side view showing its dimension.

It fits pretty comfortably in your hand. Eat this, Davros!

My Supplies Part II

2009-06-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more items that I forgot on the last post.

Using a lathe demands that you locate the center of your stock. A Center Finder is also useful for locating the center in dowels

Craft Picks are really great for applying glue or putty or mixing small amounts of paint. The flat surface works much better than a round tooth pick.

The Contour Gauge is a great tool for matching edges that have to fit together. It's especially helpful for organic shapes.

Mechanical Pencils always keep a nice sharp point. I get 3 packs at a Dollar store. At that price, it's almost not worth re-loading the lead when they run out (but I do anyway).

I don't know if there's a big difference between Wood Glue brands. I've used Tite Bond and Elmer's and both apply smoothly and grip within a minute.

CA Glue is commonly known as "Super Glue". It comes in various thicknesses: thicker glue for filling gaps and thinner for running down seams. I buy the smallest bottle available as they tend to dry out quickly. Pour some out on a piece of cardboard and apply with a toothpick.

A Buffing Wheel inserted in a drill press, hand drill or dremel tool can remove scratches from sanding. I use it mostly when smoothing acrylic gems.

I use painter's Blue Tape for masking areas when painting. It makes a nice tight seal and doesn't peel up any paint it's covering. At least not yet.

In addition to sanding sponges, I like theses Sanding pads for smoothing round or organic shapes. It's good for tight areas too.

If you're doing any work with resins, it's good to have a Digital Timer to keep track of cure times. I also use it to keep track of how long it's been since I glued Part A to Part B.

A holdover from when graphic design was done on a drafting table, the Drafting Brush has second life dusting off my table, props and occasionally me.

I use a Hack Saw for cutting anything to big or unwieldy for the bench tools. Great for metal, PVC, wood...anything that won't yell and run away.

A Coping Saw is used when you need to make tighter turns than the hack saw will allow.

The Jeweler's Saw is for even tighter turns. Great for sheet metal and tubing. The blade snaps easily so saw carefully and prepare to replace the blade often.

The Razor saw usually comes with a little miter box so it makes trimming styrene and wood a breeze.

A Shop Vacuum is almost essential for cleaning up all your "work residue". Plus it can be used to power your vacuum table.

Another refugee from my drawing table, I still use a Circle Template for marking parts for cutting or gluing.

I pick up Paper Plates at the dollar store and use them for mixing glue, Bondo or paint.

I'll add more items as I think of them. If you have any suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments!

My Supplies

2009-06-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

I get asked about the materials that I use quite frequently, so I decided to make a list to address those questions

Before I start building, I assemble as much photo reference as I can find. With any luck, I'll find a picture of the prop next to a full body shot of a person so I have reference to scale. Otherwise you have to look for something else to compare it to: a hand, a head, etc. Guns have their own scale as the pistol grip area is relatively the same size on all.

I draw up full size plans in Adobe Illustrator and print them so I have instant size reference while I'm building. Why measure when you can just lay the part on the drawing to compare!

For particularly complex forms or objects with layers, I'll do a virtual rototype in Strata 3D. By working in 3D, I can work out all the depths before building

I used Pepakura, a paper modeling program to generate a pattern for building the Giant Kunai knife blade. Those angles were too much for my mathematically-challenged brain to handle so I let the software do it for me.

MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is available at any Home Depot or Lowes. It comes in 3/4" , 1/2", 1/4", 1/8" thickness, in sheets of 4' x 8'. MDF sands to a fine powder, has no grain, is easily shaped with dremel, hand tools or even utility knife. You can use any kind of glue on it and with an application of shellac, hardens to resist dents. Watch the cull bin for bargains! Why pay $15 for a piece that you can get for 51¢?

Basswood is a fine grain wood usually used for carving. It is similar to balsa but much stronger. When turned on a lathe, you can quickly get a super smooth surface.

Poplar is a nice fine grain hardwood, available at any Home Depot/Lowes.

Maple is a super dense hardwood. I use it when something needs extra strength but I can't make it out of metal.

Styrene Plastic
The plastic that's used in model kits. You can buy small sheets at most hobby shops but I buy mine from a plastic supply house in town in big 4' x 8' sheets. Some sign shops carry it too.

I've been getting all my casting materials from a local source. They carry the Polytek line. They are very reasonably priced, behave as advertised and have great tech support.

The other major brand is Smooth-On. I have nothing bad to say about any of their products that I've tried, I don't use them anymore because I don't have a local source.

If you have a Harbor Freight in town, you probably know what a great resource it is. Low priced tools and supplies for the hobbyist.
Stuff I buy regularly:

You can never have too many Clamps. These cheap plastic clamps will eventually break but since they're so cheap, who cares?

Rubber Gloves are essential. At the least it keeps paint off your hands but they can also protect your prop from oils from your hands and protect your skin from the horrible glues and chemicals that we use. The nitrile are more expensive than latex but tougher.

I hate sanding but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sanding Sponges. They last forever, work nicely on contours and prevent hand fatigue. The ones with the angled edge are nice for getting in all the nooks and crannies.

I also hate cleaning Brushes too. I buy a set of the small kids brushes, the 1/2 horse hair shop brushes and foam brushes every visit. Use it and toss it!

Mix as much 2-Part Epoxy as you need from the two-chambered syringe. Thick glue that stays where you put it and kicks in about three minutes. There's also a version that cures in 30 minutes but I can't hold something that long.

FolkArt Acrylics
are durable, lightfast acrylic paints. Tons of colors, cheap, fast drying, non-toxic, water cleanup. I'm done with the enamel rattle cans!

Future Acrylic Floor Finish is a great top coat that can be applied with airbrush or paintbrush. dries fast and smells good, too! It really makes metallic paint sing!

The Dremel was my first power tool and it still gets used on a daily basis. My PPSh-41 was built almost exclusively with this tool.

A Heat Gun is the Poor Man's Vacuformer. Heat styrene until glossy and then shape over a form.

Use Bondo Body Filler to fill big gaps, let it harden for a few minutes (until rubbery) and trim off excess with a knife. Sand smooth.

Bondo Spot Filler is the same stuff as model putty at a fraction of the price. Fills smaller gaps for a smooth finish.

Besides something to clean your brushes, you can use Lacquer Thinner to glue styrene together, apply it to a seam with brush or ruling pen and the liquid will run along the crack, MELTING the plastic together. Great for laminating plastic sheet into one solid piece. MUCH cheaper than Liquid Plastic Cement.

The Ruling Pen is an old school drafting tool is great for applying thinner to a seam or CA glue to a small area.

I just use cheap plastic Calipers but it does the trick. Great for measuring parts that fit together. An indispensable tool!

By all means, wear a Respirator to protect your lungs from dust (especially MDF), paint and glue fumes.

By no means are these the best materials to use, but it's what I like. If you have something that works better, leave it in the comments!

Dragon Quest: Roto's Sword

2009-05-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the Roto's sword and scabbard from the game Dragon Quest.

For the blade, I glued together two sheets 1/4" Poplar with a channel cut to contain a 5/16" steel rod.

After cutting the profile, I shaped the blade edges on the belt sander

The grip was shaped on a lathe from basswood.

I used a long bit to core out the center to house the steel rod.

A test fit of handle on blade

The center rune strips were cut from thick styrene. I found Norse runes that closely matched the reference and carved them into the plastic.

For the pommel, I lathed a yoyo shape from basswood and then drilled out the base.

The pommel now fits perfectly on the handle.

I glued three pieces of MDF to form the guard, leaving a channel for the blade. It was rounded on the router table.

I used a series of files to carve grooves into the curve of the guard.

I glued the guard on to the blade and puttied up the seams. I also inserted screws to give the guard extra strength.

The "bird" shapes for the guard were cut from thick styrene.

I glued on the center rune strips.

To bridge the distance from the rune strip to the bird, I cut some MDF plugs.

Once the styrene was glued down, I used a heat gun to form the "feathers" around the curve.

Once both sides were shaped, I puttied up the seam.

A quick coat of primer to see progress.

I found some nice thick leather to wrap around the scabbard.

I made a scabbard box from 1/4" MDf and reinforced it with MDF in the inside corners.

I rounded it with the router.

The scabbard is to be carried across the back so I got a D-ring as an attachment.

I cut an aluminum strip and pounded it around a nail to form the loop.

I added the D-ring and riveted it to the MDF of the scabbard

I glued black felt into the inside of the scabbard to protect the blade.

I glued the top on and sealed the seam with putty.

To get the rounded profile on the tip, I glued on pieces of 1/4" MDF and sanded them to shape.

The gap was filled with Bondo and sanded smooth.

I heat formed thick styrene plastic over the tip to form the end cap.

Once the imperfections were smoothed out, I cut the decorative slots with a band saw.

For the scabbard collar, I heat formed more plastic around the opening. The blue tape is protecting the felt interior from dust.

I sealed the seam and cut the curved base.

I glued the cap and center band (also heat formed plastic like collar) and gave it all a pretty coat of primer.

I painted the blade and top coated it with Future to protect the finish.

The scabbard and all the "hardware" was also painted. The red applied smoothly...any imperfections you see are from my dusty fingers. It wiped off before top coating.

I applied some extra felt on the top edge to protect the guard when it's put in the scabbard.

Once the collar was glued on, I cut the slot for the guard for a proper fit.

A test fit showing the sword inserted.

I cast some resin gems and glued them to both sides of the guard.

I glued the leather to the scabbard and used upholstery tacks to simulate rivets. I trimmed the nail so that it only went 1/8" into the scabbard surface.

The back of the wrap covers the ugly rivets!

The final sword!

Sword in scabbard.

Super Smash Bros Brawl: Marth's Sword 2

2009-05-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make another Marth sword and scabbard from the video game Super Smash Bros Brawl. You can see the original build HERE. Having done it before, I was able to make a few refinements.

Instead of vacforming a shell over the pommel, I decided to build the bands from strips of styrene.

I made the guard a bit thinner than before so that the "arms" had a more pleasing edge

The scabbard end cap was made from thick styrene with holes cut into it.

Sides were added to make a box. The holes were backed with a very thin styrene.

I wanted to make the design on the scabbard with more relief so I made a master from thicker styrene and used scrapbooking brads for the rivets

I made a mold of the master.

I then cast copies of the master out of resin to be glued to the scabbard. The one on the left is the copy.

The painted design.

The final painted sword

The final sword in the completed scabbard.

I painted the belt loop to match the surrounding details so that it would blend in.

The final end cap. It is painted a slightly more yellow version of gold.

Magic Knight Rayearth: Hikaru's Sword

2009-05-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the swords from the series "Magic Knight Rayearth". Hikaru's was the last completed of the trio.

For the blade, I used 1/4" Poplar with a channel cut to contain a 5/16" steel rod.

Once the basic dimensions were cut, I shaped the blade edges on the belt sander.

The blade was shaped to leave a 1/8" flat edge to make it "convention safe".

Much putty, primer and sanding later, I have a smooth blade.

The handle was made from Bass Wood and turned on a lathe.

I clamped a hand drill and cored out the handle.

I cut the scallops at the base of the handle.

I used half round styrene to make the trim.

I formed the detail at the top of the blade with thick styrene.

The flat gem detail at the blade tip was made with styrene with the bevel gap filled with Bondo.

The hilt center layer was made by gluing 1/4" poplar pieces.

The second layer was made with 1/8" MDF. The white plastic coating as sanded off.

I used a Dremel to round off the organic details.

A quick test fit of blade, hilt and handle.

I started adding layers of 1/8" MDF.

More layers added.

The completed guard.

The center was built up with 1/4" poplar sheets.

I added half round styrene trim.

1/2" MDF was used to make the base of the hilt center.

MDF was shaped to make the center plate.

The final painted guard.

I built layers with styrene and added a cast resin gem.

The pommel was a cast resin 2" sphere.

Cast resin gems added to all parts of the guard.

The final sword.

The handle comes off for easier shipping. It will later be glued in place

Magic Knight Rayearth: Umi's Sword

2009-05-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the swords from the series "Magic Knight Rayearth". Umi's was the second completed of the trio.

Since this blade is so thin, I wouldn't be able to run a steel rod in the core. For maximum strength, I decided to use maple. I constructed a jig to tape the blade at a consistent angle.

I turned the wood to cut the front profile.

Once the basic dimensions were cut, I shaped the blade edges on the belt sander (not shown).

The handle was shaped on the lathe from Bass wood. I drilled out the center to accept a 5/16" steel rod for connecting to the blade.

I used styrene sheets filled with Bondo to shape the upper blade area.

I made a quick cast of the guard area to sculpt the dragons.

I used epoxy putty to add scales to the dragon bodies.

I sculpted the guard using clay trying to keep it symmetrical so the two sides will match up.

The completed sculpt. I made a mold of the body and head for casting in resin separately.

A test fit of a casting of the dragon. The gem master is made from a wooden sphere.

I added the plates to the base of the handle using styrene and Bondo.

I made a maple plug to attach the dragon guard to the steel rod.

The assembled guard test fitting with the gem master.

The assembled and primered dragon guard

The guard painted.

The final sword with cast resin gems.

Guard area details.

Detail of the hilt.

The sword disassembles for transportation although it will have to be glued before using.

Magic Knight Rayearth: Fuu's Sword

2009-05-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the swords from the series "Magic Knight Rayearth". Fuu's was the first completed of the trio.

The poplar wood that I use for swords only comes in 4 ft lengths. To make up the extra length, I offset laminated the wood.

The wood glued together and cut to shape.

I shaped the edge on the sword with a belt sander and used putty to smooth the surface. Also shown are the other blades.

The handle was shaped on the lathe from Bass wood.

I used a long drill bit to core out the center to allow the 5/16" steel rod.

The collar of the handle has an irregular shape so I carved it out of the lathed shape.

The completed collar minus the recess on each side for a gem.

The pommel was formed by laminating 1/4" sheets of maple.

I attached it to a hand drill and smoothed out the base with files and sandpaper.

The final pommel test fitted to the handle.

The guard was made by glueing three sheets of 1/2" MDF together, leaving a hole in the center for the blade.

The guard rounded by router.

After the surface was primed, I cut the bird details from .09 styrene.

I used a heat gun to soften the plastic and press it around the guard.

I matched up the edges and puttied the seams.

While the putty dried, I added the second layer of detail with .06 styrene.

The completed guard attached to the blade.

The final painted and assembled hilt with cast resin gems.

The sword disassembles for transportation although it will have to be glued before using.

The whole sword. It measures 7 ft in total length!

Detail of the guard.

Detail of the pommel.

The Simpsons: Homer's Pig Crap Silo

2009-04-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

I decided to build a model of Homer's pig crap silo from The Simpson's Movie.

I found a tube that was exactly the right diameter to be in scale with the Simpsons action figures. After drawing the plate pattern, I started glueing on thin plastic to simulate the sheet metal.

After all the plates were glued on, I used puffy paint to add rivets.

I stacked MDF and sanded it to shaped on a "poor man's lathe" to make the dome.

After the dome was formed, I used it to (badly) vacuum form plastic over it.

The final model with Homer and Marge.

I hand painted Homer's "Pig Crap" message to the front...

...and his "Return" message on the back.

Wall-E: Toy Weathering

2009-02-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

I finally got this Interactive Wall-E ...it's been sold out since Christmas. It's great but needed a more accurate paint job.

I applied browns and blacks to build up a layer of filth and applied rust to match stills from the movie.

I opted not to do a full overhaul where I would fill screw holes and make him more accurate.

I used black to apply dirt in the eye socked and silver to simulate chipped paint.

I applied washes of brown to define detail in the rubber tread and rust and silver to bring out details on the wheels.

Seth Nightroad's Blade Forks

2009-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to make a replicas of Seth Nightroad's blade forks from the series Trinity Blood. Since they are quite large, I decided to make them in parts that could be assembled later.

I made the center ring from 3/4" MDF with a PVC handle. I drilled through the center to allow a 1/4" threaded rod.

Nuts were glued into the ring and then secured with threaded rod.

I made the base from basswood shaped on the lathe.

The rings that make the ball cage were cut from a 3" PVC pipe.

I notched the rings so that they fit together.

The center ball is a wooden post cap that I drilled to allow a 1/4" threaded rod. I covered the threads with aluminum tubing.

I cut slots for the rings in the base cone

The third ring in place.

The base parts glued together. I added a steel screw in the end to protect the wood.

There is a ring of spikes around the top of the base unit. I needed a 5" plastic ring so I found a large PVC connector that I could cut rings from.

I used brass tubes drilled into the wood to support the plastic ring.

The ring was held in place by wood dowels.

The blades were made from 1/4" oak with oak dowels glued to the side for support.

The blade base was shaped from blocks of pine and glued to each side.

The blade support arms were made from 1/2" threaded rod, bent to angle and then glued into the ring handle. Brass tubing covers threads where I could use them, Bondo will cover the rest.

Threaded nuts were inserted into the blade bases.

I lathed some wood cones that form the end of the support arm.

A base for the ring handle was made from pine with threaded inserts.

The completed upper assembly. The spikes on top were made from pine blocks.

The staff section was made from PVC with a wooden dowel inserted to support a threaded rod.

To ensure the safety of those within poking distance, I decided to make the spikes from urethane rubber. After shaping a wooden master, I used clay for a simple push mold.

All the rubber spikes for both weapons!

The rubber spikes glued to the ring handle. A light dusting of the same gold will make it blend in but will remain flexible and non-deadly.

The cage ball was painted with an iridescent red paint and the spikes were glued on.

The completed forks beside a 48" ruler.

Detail of the blades and handle. Rubber washers help keep the sections from loosening.

All the parts disassembled for easy transportation.

Outlaw Star Caster Gun

2008-12-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of the Caster gun from the series "Outlaw Star". As an additional challenge, he wanted it to be able to load the shells into the breach.

I started working from the inside-out by making a master for the shell from Bass wood. The shell is about 3" long.

I masked off the design and then sprayed several coats of primer to build up some thickness. When the tape was removed, I had inset markings!

I made a mold of the master and cast five copies in resin. There was some cleanup to do but they came out pretty clean.

I used a PVC pipe for the receiver and drilled a hole for the pivot arm section.

Luckily, a PVC connector was exactly the right size for the pivot...no trimming needed!

I cut off the end cap and plugged it with MDF.

I cut the grip halves from 3/4" MDF.

I planned to use a wood screw combined with epoxy to attach the grip to the receiver.

I carved the recessed areas to the grip.

The slide was made from a section of PVC. I lathed an interior to the cap from MDF.

I cut a slot in the pivot PVC to allow the slide to move through.

The closed slide.

The trigger assembly was made from an acrylic rod with a sliding aluminum tube inserted. The trigger was made from laminated styrene sheets.

I screwed and epoxied the grip to the receiver and capped the pivot with 1/4" MDF.

The trigger guard was made from 1/8" styrene with an aluminum rod connecting them. There is a compression spring glued behind the trigger so that it moves forward.

I turned the barrel out of Bass wood on the lathe.

The pivot arms are made from stacked styrene sheets on a steel base.

The brackets that hold the other end of the trigger piston are made from 1/8" styrene. I made a small chisel to carve out the slots in the barrel.

I glued on half-round styrene piping to the gun. The tight curves were heated first.

The piping completed and primered.

The sights were made from 1/8" acrylic rods glued to styrene blocks.

I heat formed styrene rods for the tubes on either side.

The only gold color I could find that matched my screen caps was a Krylon Farm Equipment paint. It has a great industrial texture that makes it look like cast iron.

I back painted green acrylic and inserted it into the barrel.

The vents holes were cut from a thin sheet of styrene. It was glued over reflector tape....

...so that it would glow under a camera flash!

Here is the final assembled gun.

The individual shells painted to show accurate specs. FYI, there are 20 different shells on the show.

Detail of the barrel.

Detail of the receiver.

The arm swivels down and the breach opens.

Detail of the open breach.

A shell inserted.

The shell seated.

I shot a short video of the gun loading in action

Caster Shell Loading

.hack: Haseo's Weapons

2008-12-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned to make Haseo's weapons from the the .hack series.

I cut the body of the weapons from 3/4" MDF.

The points were cut from 1/4" poplar and then edged on the sander.

I cut a channel to house a 1/4" steel rod that I hand bent to shape.

I started to shape the bumps on the belt sander, rounding the outer edges.

Using a sanding drum in a hand drill, I shaped the depressions.

Gradually moving toward the final shape...

All major shaping done it's time to sand!

Both are sanded smooth.

The points are glued in and the whole thing is primered.

I glued on 1/2" MDF pieces to support the guard.

The pommels and the guard rings were shaped on the lathe from MDF.

The base for the guard was made from laminated MDF sheets.

I vacuum formed some .04 styrene for the detail on the guard.

I cut out each piece of piping and CA glued them to the master.

With the guard ring glued in place the guard master is done.

The back view.

I made a mold and cast two copies of the guard with resin plastic.

A test fitting of all the parts.

The guards were sprayed with a gold base coat and then hand painted black and red.

I left a section of raw MDF so the guard would have a better surface to epoxy to.

I glued acrylic gems to silver-painted washers and then attached them to each side of the points.

The final props!

Guard detail.

The props in action at YoumaCon 2008 in Dearborn, Michigan!

Yoko Ritona's Sniper Rifle II

2008-11-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

I had enough parts leftover from the commission to make a second rifle. I decided to make some modifications and paint it.

After painting the rifle, I used banner adhesive vinyl to make the marking on the barrel and stock.

I finished the magazine and added a fake bullet at the top.

I made a moveable spring loaded bolt from an inner PVC pipe and a wooden dowel.

I used real mounting rings to attach the scope.

The final piece...good enough to get you shot!

Yoko Ritona's Sniper Rifle

2008-10-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Yoko Ritona's sniper rifle from the anime "Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann".

The pistol grip was cut from 1/2" MDF.

I cut the trigger from styrene and made the pivot from a nail.

I used small torsion springs to force the trigger to the forward position. Styrene was used to line the interior of the trigger cavity and poplar was used to make the trigger guard.

The muzzle block started as a 2" x 2" block of poplar.

I cut the angles on the table saw.

I threw it on the lathe and shaped the end.

I drilled 3/8" holes on each side for vents and drilled a 1/2" hole in the end of the muzzle.

The magazine sides were made from 1/4" MDF. I cut decorative slots in the sides with the table saw.

The complete magazine boxes.

MDF forms the box that holds the magazine.

I formed the magazine release by hammering aluminum sheet around a steel bar.

The shaped release lever, pivot pin and slots cut into the grip.

The release in place. A small compression spring keeps in pressed forward.

The body of the rifle is a 35" long piece of 1-1/2" PVC pipe. The rings at the rear sling loop and bipod were formed by cutting sections from a PVC connector.

The butt was made from a sheet of 1/4" MDF sandwiched by 3/4" MDF. I sanded the interior curve to meet the PVC body.

I drilled through the top of the PVC so I could access interior screws to hold the butt in place.

For the bolt slot, I drilled two holes and then cut between them, removing a section of the PVC.

I inserted a 1-1/4" PVC pipe into the 1-1/2" PVC body to form the bolt. For the handle, I used a socket screw and a bit of brass tubing to cover the exposed threads.

The assembled body so far.

To cover seams and make the butt more solid, I wrapped it with .04 styrene plastic.

I glued on some styrene strips along the edge. The bolt insert was capped off by a styrene plate.

The sight rail was glued and screwed on the top of the body tube, conveniently hiding the holes for attaching the grip assembly.

I found an inexpensive folding bipod at the Sports Authority but had to cut of a bit so it would fold up.

I used the supplied screws but attached the bipod from inside the barrel, through two access holes I drilled above them.

For the feet, I cut a square of steel and epoxied them to the legs.

I cut panels from sheet aluminum and attached them with pop rivets to the legs.

The completed bipod.

The bipod folded up.

For the barrel I used a 1" oak dowel. The fit wasn't tight so I used a section of PVC to act as a spacer. The slot at the bottom allows it to pass by the bipod screws.

Once inserted, it's held in place by two screws that use the bipod access holes.

I bought a set of sling mounts that screw into the PVC rings on the body and the barrel.

The scope was made from PVC (front and rear sections), wooden dowel, lathed wooden cones and MDF end caps.

I was able to get lenses the perfect size from a Dollar Store insect viewer. The front lens was the unmodified "viewing" lens and the rear lens was made from the enclosed magnifying glass.

The sight adjustment knobs were cut from a 1" dowel.

I cut posts from brass tubing that will also hide the knob attaching screw.

The final knobs.

I cut the front and rear scope mount out of 1/4" poplar.

I cut each in half and inserted long bolts to attach them. The bottom bolt goes through the rail.

The final assembled rifle with a coat of primer (per client's request).

The rifle is a massive 73" long!

Detail of the scope. I forgot to add the lens on the small range finder.

The folded bipod with added rubber feet.

The magazine is an open box so you have someplace to hide your weed...er...keys and ID.

Devil May Cry: Dante's Guns

2008-08-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a pair of static props from the video game "Devil May Cry".

I cut the frame for the guns from 3/4" MDF and used a router bit to cut slots for the trigger, hammer and trigger guard.

I made a 2" deep hole for the barrel. The rivets on the guns were simulated by drilling a shallow hole with a forstner drill bit.

The port on the top of the barrel was first drilled through with a 1/4" bit and then cut out with a razor saw.

I used a router bit to cut out the side slot and the ejection port.

I used strips of .040 styrene for the side of the slide. The trigger, guard and hammer were epoxied into place.

I used a strip of styrene for the rail strip.

More styrene shaped for the front sight.

Each gun had different hammers and rear sights. All were made from styrene.

Since I wanted to preserve the wood grain, made grips from 1/4" poplar.

The grips were shaped with router and sanding. The cameos on the grips were cut with a router.

The grips were stained. Ivory got a Maple stain while Ebony got an Ebony stain (not pictured)

After the wood was sealed, I pasted in laser prints to match the originals.

The inscriptions on the side were drawn on using a metallic paint marker.

Super Smash Bros Brawl: Marth's sword and scabbard

2008-08-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Marth's sword and scabbard from the video game Super Smash Bros Brawl. Timing was short so there were a few short cuts.

I cut a groove through two sheets of 1/4" poplar to house a 5/16" steel rod.

I glued the wood together around the blade.

I cut the outer layer of the blade from two more pieces of poplar, including the inner slot.

I glued the outer layers around the inner layers.

Here you can see how the layers fit together.

With some tricky table saw work, I was able to cut the bevels on the blade leaving a 1/8 edge. And I still have all my fingers!

The drawings show the sword with a flat diamond at the tip but that would've made the point much stubbier. I decided to keep the profile accurate and bevel the tip.

I lathed the grip from a pine dowel.

The cross guard was cut from several thicknesses of MDF.

The MDF was shaped with belt sander, dremel and file to get the appropriate facets.

I cut the pommel piece from two layers of MDF and a channel for the rod. The facets were shaped on a belt sander.

I used my mini-vacformer to shape .09 plastic around each half.

I then cut the raised trim from the plastic shells.

The finished pommel, all puttied and coated in primer.

Since I didn't have time for drying, I painted the sword with acrylic paints. I found a great gold that looks as good as the enamel metallics!

For the pommel gems, I cut the shapes from 1/4" green acrylic.

I shaped it into a dome with the belt sander and Dremel...

more sanding with finer grit paper.....

...until finally buffing the gem to a glossy shine!

I used the same process for the large hilt gem, making it from laminated red acrylic.

Here are all the primer coated pieces together for a test fit. Obviously this was before the painting, but it didn't make sense to reveal it earlier.

With sword done, I could start on the scabbard. I cut the outer shape from MDF, leaving room for a lining, and glued the walls.

I used the scrap pieces from cutting the blade angle to make the inside fit better.

The box lid with the edges rounded with a router.

The tip of the scabbard was made from 1/8 MDF glued in place.

Time allowing, I might have made the design inset but glueing thin plastic to the surface had nearly the same appearance.

I heat formed thick plastic bands around the opening.

More heat formed details.

Since the scabbard need to be wearable, I needed a metal "belt loop". I had an old hard drive sled that would work.

I cut off a piece that had the right shape.

A bit of wresting over a vise and I've got a 1-1/2" loop! It was attached with 1/4" screw posts.

Here is is in place on the back of the scabbard.

With the bracket glued in, I glued in the black felt lining. The box could then be glued together and assembled.

Here is the final scabbard. The blue and gold details were cut out of thin plastic.

The final sword.

Naruto: Giant Kunai Knife

2008-08-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make a replica of this traditional Japanese weapon....only HUGE! The client needed it 4 feet long for cosplay.

I constructed a 3D model of it in Strata and then imported it into Pepakura for conversion into a building pattern.

I printed out the pattern, cut the knife sides out of .09 styrene and then glued in ribs to support the form. I cut a hole through the ribs for a 1" dowel that will run through the entire prop.

The spaces between the ribs were filled with an expanding foam. The tip has been sanded flat in preparation for skinning.

The final panel was glued in place.

I used a 2" PVC pipe for the handle. I inserted MDF spacers to support the wooden dowel.

The handle slides onto the dowel and is glued into place.

The four sides of the back of the blade were glued into place and filled with foam.

The final blade painted with primer.

The end ring was made from layers of MDF to form a hollow box.

The box glued together except for the top so I can work out the handle join.

I rounded the box edges with a 1/2" router bit.

The box glued together with the handle opening cut out.

The interior was filled with expanding foam and the MDF was sealed with shellac.

The ring glued on.

The assembly was primered and then painted with Krylon satin black.

I dyed 1/4" cotton rope red (per client's request) and drilled a hole in the handle for the start of the wrap.

The final piece!

And to prove that it's actually big, here it is compared to a can of soda!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Ragnell Sword

2008-07-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Ike's Sword Ragnell from the video game Super Smash Bros Brawl.

I started with a 5/16" steel rod for a core. I cut a channel through a 1/4" thick plank of poplar to contain it.

I glued 2 more 1/4" poplar planks around the steel and cut the blade profile.

I shaped the edge on the belt sander.

Much paint and putty later I smoothed out all the bumps. The decorative piece at the hilt is carved out of 1/4" MDF.

The cross guard was cut from 1/4" poplar just like the blade.

The cross guard was detailed with plastic sheets.

The second later was added to both sides.

I didn't like the blockiness of the guard so I popped off the plastic and sanded contours to the guard. I heat formed the plastic detail to fit.

The grip was lathed from a pine dowel. I cut it in two so that I could drill out a channel for the steel rod.

I made the blade "case" from MDF and sanded it to shape.

Once it was in place, I notched the case to allow the guard to fit.

I heat formed more plastic around the case and cut the trim out.

I used a blade to cut ribs in the trim.

The sword assembled and painted.

The hilt was painted with a metallic flake black.

Acrylic gems were glued in place.

The sword in action!

Tenchi Muyo!: Tenchi's sword

2008-06-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to create the hilt of Tenchi sword from the anime series Tenchi Muyo! This weapon creates a lightsaber-like blade (which I will not be building!)

After sizing my template to fit the wielder's hand, I cut it out of 3/4" MDF.

With a combination of exacto blade and Dremel, I carved the pattern into the MDF.

I didn't have any reference for the back so I extrapolated the front pattern to wrap around the other side.

Once it was cleaned up I painted my base colors with acrylic paint.

The wood grain on the butt was hand-painted to preserve an organic look.

I then took the base color and dusted back the lines.

I added 11mm ruby acrylic gems to each side and applied a wash to bring out the details of the carving.

The final front view

The final back view.

The prop in action!

Code Geass: Cornelia Li Britannia's SwordGun

2008-06-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to make Cornelia's weapon from the anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

The guard pieces were cut from 1/4" poplar.

The pieces were glued together and sanded smooth. I left a little on each end to attach to the grip and basket guard.

The grip was cut from 1/2" MDF with 1/8 MDF grip plates. In order to later insert the trigger and other parts, I needed to be able to split it in half.

The basket guard was made from four 1/2" MDF sections. Each side's parts were laminated together and then each half was lightly glued for shaping.

Using the belt sander and Dremel I started to shape the basket guard.

After the rough shaping was done, I hand sanded it smooth.

I used the Dremel to hollow out the back of the basket.

To make the trim, I used an Exacto knife to trace the outline and then carved out the recessed areas.

The barrel was cut from a plain ol' pine 2x4.

After the board was cut to width, I cut the two 45º on top and then Dremeled out a slot for the front sight.

I then cut a slot on the bottom for the blade.

The bottom 45º of the barrel were cut on the table saw (at great risk) leaving the last 5 inches to manually shape. Inserted is the .060 plastic that perfectly fits the kerf of my table saw!

The plastic was then cut to shape. An edge was scraped using a pocket knife, as illustrated in my Spartan sword entry.

The grips were shaped. sanded and trimmed as the basket guard was.

The completed barrel and basket guard!

I pried apart the basket guard halves in preparation for connecting it to the other parts.

I hollowed out a recess for the trigger to operate.The trigger was cut from plastic, swivels on a nail and pushed forward by an ink pen spring.

The final assembly. The cylindrical part of the receiver was lathed from wood.

I used MDF to make a support for some some decorative plates that appear in front of the basket guard.

The decorative plates were cut from .060 plastic with a trim cut from .040 plastic.

I picked up some mirror rosettes to use as a round element on the basket. I substituted an nail for the center screw.

I didn't care for the way the block was looking co I made a MDF curved addition to make the visual transition to the barrel smoother.

The final painted piece!

Detail of the basket area

Detail of the pistol grip. I drilled a small hole in the butt post in case there was a need for a lanyard.

Muzzle detail. The barrel hole only extends 1" inside.

The pistol in relation to a hand. Pretty comfy!

The prop in action!

FINAL FANTASY XII: Penelo's Staff

2008-06-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

Penelo is one of the playable characters in the video game Final Fantasy XII. I was commissioned to create her magical staff.

I cut out the blade shape out of 1/4" MDF.

The edging was cut out of 1/8" MDF and glued on.

The end caps were also cut from 1/4" MDF. Once they were glued on, the entire blade was sealed with shellac and seams filled with putty.

The part of the staff that connects to the blade was lathed from 1-1/4" oak dowel.

The end cap was cut off the dowel to allow it to fit around the blade.

I cut a slot in the dowel on the table saw.

The head dowel with blade inserted. 1/8" MDF was later inserted into the gap between dowel and blade inset.

To attach the head and base to the staff, I used threaded inserts. The final piece will now break down into three pieces for easy transportation.

The blade was first sprayed with a base coat of silver and then masked off to paint the gold.

The base of the staff was also lathed from a 1-1/4" oak dowel

I ordered a bell from a medical supply company and disassembled it.

The striker was replaced by a wooden bead on a threaded rod. I painted the bell and strung beads on a length of cotton twine.

The bell assembly was attached to two elastic hair ties.

The elastic ties are doubled up and slide over the tip of the blade.

To attach the beads to the blade I made grommets from 1/8" rivets.

I drilled holes into the blade and glued the grommets into them.

The last touch was to wrap the bottom of the staff with a faux suede.

The final staff is well over 6' tall!

X/1999 Shinken Swords

2008-04-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

X is a Japanese manga and anime series dealing with superhumans battling in apocalyptic Tokyo. I was commissioned to make two of the Shinken (or Divine Sword).

Since I had to build two identical swords, I needed to make one master , then make molds and plastic resin copies. The sword is over 59" long and very thin so it would need a reinforcing core within.

I had a friend weld a 5/16" steel rod to a 3-16" x 3/4"" steel bar. I planned to make half the blade and guard cast cast copies to glue together around the steel.

I sculpted 1/2 of the guard from clay. I worked on a mirror thinking that it would give me a better view of the complete guard. I think it was too flat to make much of a difference, though.

To fabricate the ring around the star at the pommel, I inserted one PVC pipe inside another and cast resin between them.

The star was made from 1/4" square styrene rods.

The grip was lathed out of pine stock. I then sealed it with gloss black paint.

A thin rail runs down the center of the blade from the hilt. I laminated 2 layers of styrene and dremeled the characters into the surface.

I made half of the blade from 1/4" Poplar and glued it to a sheet of MDF. A resin copy of the hilt was also glued in place.

I drew a grid on the MDF to make sure the half would be symmetrical.

After I cleaned up all the flaws with putty and primer, I made a silicone mold with a plaster jacket.

The next day I slush cast two halves with plastic resin. I reinforced the resin with chopped fiberglass mat.

I used a trim router to cut a channel in each half to make room for the steel.

I mixed up a small amount of resin to glue the steel into the channel and then the two sides together.

I painted the blades with a gloss black to show any last flaws and to act as a base coat for the metallic paint.

I used a Krylon Chrome paint for the blade.

I masked off the silver and painted the hilt with a Krylon gold leaf paint. The sword was then coated with a protective top coat of Future.

I cut the lathed grip master into its components and cast them in silicone rubber.

I inserted brass tubing into the mold and cast plastic resin around them

The cast grips. Now to trim off the extra tubing and sand down the rough edges.

To make the basket guard, I glued together 4 layers of MDF. I then shaped it on the belt sander.

I used a Dremel to carve some of the surface detail into the guard.

To make the shield, I heated a piece of styrene with a heat gun and molded it to fit. I attached it with Bondo.

I used the Dremel to carve the edge scallops into the shield.

I heat formed some more styrene to fit the shield and cut two pieces of trim. After they were attached, I Dremeled the characters into the styrene.

The completed and primered Basket Guard. I made a silicone mold from this.

The cast resin basket guard.

Here are all the pieces in a quick test fit.

The grips are wrapped in a purple thread. To simulate this, I picked up some cotton twine and a box of Rit dye.

I did a quick test wind to find out how much it would take. The answer?....25 feet!

I notched the end at an angle and CA glued the end.

I coated the resin with grip with Elmer's wood glue and started winding.

The final grip.

The sword features a red hemispherical gem on either side of the hilt. I cut a disk from 1/4" red acrylic.

I used a Dremel sanding drum to shape the dome. Once it was sanded, I hit it with a propane torch to glass over the surface.

Here is the gem in place.

I inserted a bit of threaded rod into the bead between the grips. One end of the basket will attach here.

The other end of the guard attaches to either side of the hilt. I attached these with two small brass nails.

The final assembled swords. They are REALLY long (59")!

The swords in action at the 2008 SakuraCon in Seattle.

Titus Pullo's Knife

2008-03-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Titus Pullo's Knife

I love the TV series "Rome" and decided to make a copy of Titus Pullo's knife. It looks like a pugio but considering how crude it is, I suspect Pullo lifted it off a dead Gaul.

I used layers of 1/4" MDF. Two layers for the blade and two for the grip thickness.

I rounded the grips with the Dremel and glued them on each side of the blade.

After gluing the blade halves together, I shaped the blade edges on the belt sander.

I coated the MDF with shellac and puttied up holes and gaps.

I painted the wood grip with a base coat of black with brown highlights. The blade was sprayed with a Krylon Chrome.

I wound the handle with a 1/4" strip of leather, trying to capture the spirit of the original.

The final knife! The wide blade looks like it would cause some real damage!

Boba Fett Kachina Doll

2007-11-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

For those not living in the Southwest United States, Kachina dolls are a native Hopi craft where figures are carved out of Cottonwood Root depicting spiritual beings, historical events and things in nature.

Wikipedia Kachina info

I saw a bunch of these at a local museum, and thought how much some of them looked like action figures. Perhaps "a long time ago" a Hopi fella happened to spot a certain intergalactic bounty hunter apprehending his prey, and decided to carve a Kachina of this obviously supernatural vision.

I had no source for Cottonwood Root so I decided to carve mine out of 4" x 4" x 8" Basswood. In order to maximize the size of the figure, I planned to carve the arms and rocketpack separately.

The first step was to cut of any excess wood (saved for arms and pack) and draw the rough figure for front and side profiles.

I used razor and hack saws to carve the rough silouhettes for both profiles.

I used scalpel tip X-Acto blades to start carving away the excess wood. The curved blades cut easily through the wood without crushing the grain as a straight blade would.

The head is better defined. I want to carve enough away to make sure of my proportion but not so much that I weaken the figure or prematurely remove a piece I need.

Helmet detail, probably too soon but I couldn't help it!

Belt defined and starting to remove wood between legs. I drilled through to make it easier to blade out.

More detail on the legs and it was this point that I decided to leave the base looking like rock. it just started to look that way all by itself.

More leg detail and still carving away the base.

Starting to define leg details like pouches and knees. STILL working on the base!

The base is pretty much done and I'm happy with the basic proportions. Now to add details without getting TOO detailed.

My first mistake. I cut off too much of the right toe so I decided to angle the foot down on a slope of the base.

All details filled in and sanded.

You can see the new foot position here. I think it actually makes the figure a bit more dynamic.

The left arm carved from one of the scraps. It was difficult to find a piece with the grain running in the right direction. If it ran perpendicular to the arm, it would be weak.

Right arm with pistol grip. I wanted to make the gun part of this piece but I had trouble with the geometry so I had to settle on adding it later.

The gun added to the arm

The shoulder stock was the part that gave me fits on the first attempt. It was much easier to do in sections.

The rocket pack was carved from Basswood but I used dowels for the cylindrical parts. the nozzles were attached with aluminum rods.

The belt pouches were carved separately so they could show motion.

I coated the entire figure in shellac which seals the wood and brings out the grain. Since the wood looked so good, I decided to only paint parts that were NOT representing fabric (or the ground).

I sanded a flat spot on the back to allow easy attaching of the rocketpack.

Kachina figures traditionally use cloth, feathers and natural materials to complete the figure. For Boba's cape, I cut a piece of bandana and distressed it on the belt sander.

All assembled!I used plastic coated wire for the hoses going to the gauntlets and the helmet "antenna" is a small piece of wood attached with a steel rod.

I wanted to make the Kachina using traditional methods (i.e. no power tools) and stylize the details through Hopi eyes. Unfortunately, Boba was also filtered through the eyes of a 21st Century geek so he's probably not stylized enough....oh well.

Boromir's Shield

2007-09-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

United Cutlery planned an official replica of Boromir's shield but went out of business before it could be made. I was really looking forward to getting one so I'll make one myself.

The shield was constructed out of two 3/4" MDF pieces, cut to 27" square.

I cut the circles with a jigsaw and glued the two pieces together.

My cheap-o lathe only turns over the bed but it has a disk sander on the outside. I suspect that this was stupidly dangerous BUT I took the sanding disk off the machine, drilled holes in it and mounted the MDF to the plate.

I started turning the outside of the shield first. The MDF weighed about 20 lbs. I spun it by hand to get it going to take stress off the motor but once it got going at top speed (of the lathe's lowest setting) the weight made the ENTIRE LATHE wobble and shake! I used a foot switch to kick off the power and then lathed like crazy while it slowed down. I expected at any second the whole thing would come flying apart, sending heavy chunks of MDF and broken lathe in all directions!

I was able to successfully turn the outside of the shield so I flipped the MDF on the lathe and started the inside. The shield had shed about 5 lbs so it was a bit easier to handle. I still worked the lathe the same way so I didn't ruin the machine. By the time I was done the shield dropped to about 8 lbs.

Here is the finished inside with the plate still attached. I brushed both sides with a generous coat of shellac to seal the MDF and then removed the plate and cut out the center hole.

The rim has four triangular pieces on each side. I used Aves epoxy putty to form the ones on the inside.

I used an Xacto knife to cut the planks into the inside of the shield.

The rivets along the edge just happened to be the same size as ordinary thumb tacks!

The edge rivets all in place.

Unfortunately I found new reference that showed the planks at a different angle. I filled them with wood putty and then re-cut them.

I painted a base coat of black to the wood areas.

And then, using an old tube sock, brushed in the wood grain highlights.

Since the center handle needed to be strong enough to support the weight of the shield, I used a piece of 1/8" steel.

I cut out sections of the center ring and then cut grooves into the MDF to fit the steel. The ring sections that I cut out were saved to glue back in later.

I used pine scraps to form the handle. I screwed one half to the steel.

The other half was glued to the base to cover the steel. The wood was shaped by Dremel sanding.

The finished handle was painted with a glossy black and the exposed steel was painted with brass (color) enamel paint.

The handle was secured with brass screw posts that went through the entire shield.

The ring sections were glued back into place and then puttied.

I added thumbtacks as rivets to the inner ring.

The outer sling hardware was made from a 3/16" threaded rod. I removed the threads from the center with a bench grinder.

The threaded ends were inserted through the shield, cut flush and then bolted.

The bolts on the inside were countersunk and then puttied over.

Each of the rim "triangles" have three brass rivets. I used brass plated nails and trimmed off the heads to use as the rivets. I drilled a shallow hole and then epoxied them in.

For the inner strap bracket, I bought a 35¢ galvanized steel joist hanger and pounded it flat.

I trimmed out the shape and bent up the end.

The bracket was attached with three screw posts, drilled through the body of the shield. The heads were a bit big so I ground 1/32" off the diameter.

I was able to find some vinyl that exactly matched the leather used for the film shield. I cut off a square piece and then, starting at the center, glued the cover to the outside of the shield.

The cover completely glued down. The vinyl was stretchy enough not to crease or wrinkle. After the glue had time to set, I used an xacto knife and trimmed off the excess.

For the outside rim triangles, I contact-cemented styrene to the vinyl and then puttied the seam to make it blend into rim.

I glued together two 3/4" pieces of MDF to make the boss (The metal center of the shield)

I attached it to the lathe and shaped the boss.

I used Aves epoxy putty to carve the wings.

I carved one star using the same method and then molded it in silicone. I cast copies of it in resin and then glued the pieces to the MDF.

The final primered boss.

Since the boss needs to be hollow, my plan was to make a mold and then make a slush cast in resin.

I slush cast a layer of resin into the mold and then a layer of resin with chopped fiberglass strands.

I needed to build an edge so the boss could be attached to the shield. I built up a barrier with clay and then poured resin into the edge.

With the clay removed, you can see the edge lip.

The resin boss demolded. I had some dents where the mold was too thin and pulled away from the mother mold. I filled some of them with filler putty but left a few because they looked like battle damage!

The boss trimmed and the inside sanded, ready for painting.

The final painted boss. I started with a coat of primer and then a coat of gloss black. The silver is Testors Metallizer Stainless Steel and the brass is enamel brass (which looked too copper) with a thin coat of gold. The whole thing is weathered with a solution of india ink and rubbing alcohol. It's sitting on a black plastic turntable.

I re-painted the rim and added the brass rivets to each outside triangle. The boss was then epoxied to the center of the shield.

The final shield.

Side view to show dimension.

The shield from the back.

Balrog Stand

2007-07-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last year NECA Toys came out with a fantastic Balrog (from Lord Of The Rings) that I couldn't resist. He stands 24" tall and has a wings span of 42"! Unfortunately he is so top heavy, within a few days his legs would bend and he would fall over. The Balrog spent the next 9 months face down on the living room floor until I could devise a solution.

I decided to make a stand with a support to take all that weight off his legs. The cool dwarvish columns holding up the ceiling of the Mines of Moria seemed like a good solution.

I did my 3D prototyping in Strata3D, basing the details on the info I could get from screen captures. The column is smaller than it should be in relation to the toy but it looks better at this size.

The base was cut out of 3/4" MDF with steps carved using a router.

I laminated sections of MDF together to make the sections of the column.

I cut off the upper corners using the table saw and cut a piece of 1/4" MDF for the top.

I used various thickness of basswood to make the panels on the base. The thick, darker panels on the bottom are 1/4" MDF.

The final primered base.

I used the same materials and technique to flesh out the next sections.

This section of the column would actually ascend to the ceiling but I wanted mine to stop at Balrog waist level.

The completed column.

To make the Moria pattern on the base, I first printed it out to size on a laser printer (reversed). I put it face down on the platform, wet the back with lacquer thinner and then burnished the paper. The lacquer transfers the design on to the board...not perfect but good enough!

I then used a small router bit in my Dremel to engrave the pattern into the MDF. The white spots are wood putty where I messed up or slipped!

I then made a Silicone mold (with plaster bandage mother mold) of my wood column.

I cut a threaded steel rod to fit inside the length of the column and attached a length of wire at the top. The wire will eventually tie around the Balrog's waist seam and hold all the weight.

A piece of plywood holds the rod in the center allowing the wire to hang outside the mold.

I mixed up some concrete and poured it into the mold. The first result had some nice detail as well as some nice crumbly, damaged-looking areas. Unfortunately my mix was bad and the concrete wasn't very strong.

The second attempt had a good concrete mixture but I lost too much detail.

The third attempt worked just fine. I got some cool cracks at the base and interesting pits. While the concrete was still drying, I roughed up the top to look like the top had broken off. The upper part looks deformed but it must be the angle that I shot this...it looks better in person.

I secured the column to the base by putting exposed threaded rod through a hole in the base and attaching a nut. I then took Aves epoxy putty and covered the seam at the bottom and filled any cracks that I didn't like.

I then brushed on some acrylic paint to bring out the pattern.

I gave it a light sanding afterward to age the paint.

Everything got a grey overcoat to pull it all together and knock back the color.

I applied an india ink wash to bring out details and weather the piece.

The Balrog now has a new home and SO FAR the hasn't fallen over.

T.A.R.D.I.S. DVD Cabinet

2007-06-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

I became a re-born fan of the new Doctor Who so I was compelled to make a Tardis. I don't have the space for a full size TARDIS so I decided to make a miniature version that would house my Doctor Who DVDs.

To keep the rough grain look, I decided to use 3/16" Basswood. I inserted a strip of MDF for strength. The panel frames were cut out of 3/32" strips and glued together using a MDF jig to keep them all the same.

To add the interior router edge I had to build a jig for the router guide (1/4" MDF) to rest against. I then glued each frame to a sheet of 3/32" basswood (with the window areas cut out).

The routered edges on the door panels.

I added some styrene for the post details. I guess I could have used basswood but I thought that plastic would offer better protection against eventual bumps.

The panels were glued into the posts and beveled trim was added around and between the panels.

The base was cut out of 1/2" MDF with a 1/4" MDF insert to keep the walls square.

1/4" MDF was used for the area over the doorway with beveled strips to frame the doors.

The Police signs were made with 1/16" basswood. Eventually I'd like to add lighting to this model so I made the boxes removable.

I painted the insides black for the (eventual) backlighting.

I cut the roof out of 1/2" MDF on the table saw.

The final touch to the roof was a bit of corner detail. The roof is still removable.

I made the phone door out of plastic with a brass rod inserted as a hinge.

The door inserted into the door.

For door handles, I used staples.

I used pliers, tin snips and files to shape the staples into the handles for both the phone door and main door. They were CA glued in place.

I found some tiny brass hinges to attach the doors. Unfortunately I had to hang the doors to open out because of the limited space inside once the DVD's are inside. Oh well...

The window frames were cut from strips of 1/16" basswood. I made a jig out of MDF so they would all turn out the same.

After much experimentation, I figured out the window glass. I used .02 clear styrene, frosted it with Krylon Matte Finish and then added clear caulk, stippled with a toothpick, for the "shower glass" panes.

For the top lamp, I needed two plastic frosted tubes to make the inner and outer lamp lens. A Bic pen and a Dial Complete pump (area around the spring) supplied the parts.

The Lamp top and bottom were lathed out of a dowel, with brass rods forming the posts. To make the cage around the outer lens, I masked off the panes with scotch tape and painted with primer.

The assembled lamp.

To eventually light the windows, I built a interior box out of 1/4" MDF with tin foil reflectors.

The inner box was lined with black felt.

The lock was "lathed" out of a golf tee with a power drill and a file.

I picked up a doll house lighting rig with little bulbs pre-wired to a battery pack. I put a bulb behind each window, in each police sign and in the lamp.

The final TARDIS! The phone door sign is a laser print from a tight screen cap.

D. Gray-Man Sword

2007-04-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

My sister is a big anime fan so I decided to make a replica of this sword from D. Gray-Man for her birthday.

To make this sword safe for conventions and Cosplay events I decided to make the blade out of wood. I used a 3' x 1/4" x 3" piece of Red Oak and cut the beveled edge on the table saw. I figured out the angle I needed and cut a slot into a piece of MDF. The wood was put into the slot and the edge could be cut perfectly on each side!

The tip of the blade was shaped on a belt sander.

To remove the grain in the wood, I sealed it with shellac, primered and sanded.

The blade was painted with a Krylon semi-gloss black. The blade was masked off to expose the edge so that it could be painted silver.

The hilt was constructed out of 1/4" MDF as a box. The center channel was cut out with the table saw and cleaned up with X-acto knife and files.

The hilt was sealed with shellac. Seams and larger holes were covered over with wallboard joint compound and sanded smooth.

The trim was cut out of .040 strip styrene and CA glued to the MDF. I used a strip of half-round styrene for this band.

The scabbard was also made with 1/4" MDF.

To protect the blade's paint as it slid in and out, I lined the interior of the scabbard with a fake suede called mole-skin. It's soft like suede but ultra thin.

The scabbard halves with trimmed liner.

Once the two halves were glued together, I rounded the edge with a router.

The end was plugged with a small piece of MDF.

To make the opening a little nicer, I contact cemented a loop of mole skin around the opening....

I split the loop at the corners. I then coated the end of the scabbard as well as the facing fabric...

And then folded each side into the scabbard opening.

I used two bands of .040 styrene to make the collar of the scabbard.

The final sword.

Hilt detail.

Sword in scabbard.

Hellboy's Right Hand Of Doom

2007-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was a HUGE fan of Mike Mignola's comic book "Hellboy" long before it was a movie. When Guillermo Del Toro's film adaptation came out in 2004, I was not disappointed. Besides doing a great job stitching together story elements from different stories into a cohesive plot, the production design was brilliant.

Even though there were official prop replicas produced, I had 8 days of unused vacation time and a pile of scrap MDF so I decided to make my own "Right Hand of Doom".

I wanted to make a wearable version of the Hand so I scaled the plans appropriately...maybe a bit bigger than the original just to accent the outrageous size.

I laminated a bunch of 3/4" MDF discs together to form the forearm, all hollowed out EXCEPT for the ends.

I cut the outer diameters so they would be close to the final contour I needed.

The forearm after being smoothed on the lathe. This really wasn't necessary although it saved me a ton of sanding.

After it was smoothed, I cut out the ends.

The hand was constructed the same way, but with only a small hollow pocket for my hand.

I cut a dowel (fitting inside the wrist) to give me something to hold while wearing the hand.

The two parts placed together. The hand was also lathed for smoothing and shaping, then the "palm" was defined with a cut on the table saw.

The final hand was to have a closed fist (unlike the open hand of the Official prop replica) so I had to form each finger joint individually to fit in this position. Note the extra knuckle on each finger!

More definition to the hand.

Here is the handle inside the wrist. The other notches are mistakes...I needed the Hellboy hand to line up with mine inside.

As most of the pieces were nearing completion, I needed to figure out how to replicate the ancient stone texture of the hand. On scrap of MDF , I started with a bullet-shaped grinding stone bit to rough up the surface.

Next I used a round grinding bit to add pits.

Then I used a fine grinding stone bit to add cracks.

The final step was to spray some red on it just to see how it looked!

Adding texture to the fingers...

Texture added to the hand...this is taking longer than I thought...

With the hand texture done, it was time to tackle the disk-shaped knuckle plates. Since the back of the hand is rounded, I had to cut holes for the disks to sit into.

All three in place.

Textured knuckles (and thumb plate) glued into place.

Forearm textured over several DAYS. Boy, I thought I was clever when I thought up the texturing method..

Cool crack!

After texturing, I sealed the MDF with a Sanding Sealer and then applied a rust red automotive Filler Primer. I Liked to color so much, I decided to proceed to applying the wash to bring out the details.

The hand all painted.

I planned ahead and added a lip at the end of the forearm so I could attach the hand with wood screws.

BUT before I could do that, I needed to line the inside to make it more comfortable to wear. I found a cool burgundy leather textured vinyl that would work great. I cut a piece to size, glued the seam with contact cement.

Since it's an interior lining the seam had to be glued on the inside...

The lining inserted into the hand...

The wrist end was tacked into place with small nails.

From the other end, I attached the hand to the forearm using long wood screws from the inside. Then Foam padding was inserted BETWEEN the lining and the forearm walls.

Then once everything was in place, I glued the edge of the lining to the forearm.

Anyone for a game of "Demon Proctologist" or "Alien Drug Mule"?

I used the same MDF method to build a sturdy base for the hand.

I wanted to make a nice logo plaque to mount on the base. I printed out the Hellboy comic logo in reverse, placed it face down on .060 styrene, wet it with lacquer thinner and burnished. When you remove the paper, a nice copy is magically applied to the plastic!

I trimmed out the logo with an exacto and glued it to heavy .090 styrene plastic.

I found some cool bolts in the junk can and drilled holes in the plaque for them.

The plaque was painted and weather exactly like the hand.

The final base. It was textured with shellac applied with a sponge and then painted black. I also added some felt bumpers to the top to protect the finish on both the base and hand.

Tah Dahhh!!!!!!

And since it's wearable, here's what it looks like on a human...

"Bronze Squirrel" - Full Head Casting

2007-01-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

My previous projects involving head gear were a complete pain to produce. I'd have to try it on to see how it fit and then take it off to make adjustments. The solution to this would be to work on a same size mannquin but as my melon is bigger than most standard forms, I'd have to make my own.

I didn't take any photos of the molding of my head, but I used the process detailed in this tutorial.

Tutorial

I assembled the 2-part mold and sealed up any holes.

I used a gypsum product, FGR-95 which is a super hard plaster to fill the base of the mold and when it started to harden, I scooped it up onto the sides to make a hollow casting. I mixed up a second batch and added glass fibers for additional strength and added it to the casting. After it was done, the casting was about 1-1/2" thick.

The demolded casting. Some nice detail but overall pretty rough....much cleanup to do.

Since I plan to use this for sculpting helmet and such, the ears would get in the way. I removed the ears from the head and re-cast my ears individually so they could be removable.

To dress up the casting when it's not being used, I made a base out of MDF and painted the plaster with a metal-based bronze paint.

I added small rare earth magnets to the ears and inserted screws into the head

I sprayed the painted bronze with Sophisticated Finishes Antiquing Solution.

Sophisticated Finishes

It actually reacts with the metal in the paint to produce a real bronze patina.

The final piece.

Poochie D

2006-11-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

The name's Poochie D,
And I rock the telly.
I'm half Joe Camel,
And a third Fonzarelli.
I'm the kung fu hippie,
From gangsta city.
I'm a rappin' surfer,
You the fool I pity

A glaring omission from the World of Springfield toy line was Poochie the Dog from the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show". I took as many screen caps as I could from the episode and made my plans to scale with the Itchy and Scratchy figures. I roughed out the figure with Sculpey on a wire armature.

I used Aves epoxy putty to add details.

The surf board was cut out of .09 sheet styrene.

The final painted figure. The glasses are .02 styrene, the base is MDF, the fanny pack is a small piece of MDF and the zipper tabs are tiny pieces of styrene.

The base was made to match the existing Itchy and Scratchy figures.

Flying Hellfish WWII Ardennes Playset

2006-11-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

For the playset for my WWII Simpsons figures, I chose the snow covered ruins featured in the flashback.

I cut the base and walls from 1/2" MDF to match the dimensions of the other World of Springfield line. The broken bricks were roughed in using the Dremel.

I scribed in the brick pattern using the Dremel with the router attachment.

The snow on the walls was formed by applying Aves epoxy putty over plastic wrap (so it won't stick to the MDF)

The snow on the ground was made with a coat of Sculpey. I placed the three figures on the sculpey to mark the positions of the foot holes. Once baked, I Dremeled out the foot holes so that they would look like they were standing in thick snow. And so they wouldn't fall over all the time!

The final painted set with the figures in place.

Flying Hellfish Target: Adolf Hitler

2006-11-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Since all "World Of Springfield: playsets have spots for three action figures. The natural third banana should be Abe's sniper target, The Fuhrer himself.

Let me just say that I have no Nazi sympathies and WILL NOT make copies of this figure. Do not even ask!

For a base figure, I started with a character called "Sarcastic Man".

I soaked the figure in boiling water to soften the joints and then popped off the head. I molded a rough head out of Aves epoxy putty on a screw and once that dried, carved in the basic features.

I continued to refine the facial features, form cuffs, collar and the lower part of the jacket.

Some more refining of the features, added putty glove cuffs, collar tabs and tie and then used strips of styrene to make the epaulettes and shoulder belt.

Added the collar over the shoulder belt with Aves putty. The putty is extremely strong even in paper thin applications!

More Aves putty to make the hat.

More styrene to make the belt and the band across the visor of the hat.

The final painted hat. Added are a styrene eagle and gold tabs at the ends of the band. The button on the ends of the band were made with a dot of CA glue.

The final painted figure in all his rat-faced glory! The swastika armband is a laser decal.

Flying Hellfish Montgomery Burns

2006-11-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

As I finished the Abe Simpson, I thought it would be cool to do some of the other characters from the episode and maybe even a playset to display them on.

Burns started with the basic figure with the hair, waist and trouser cuffs Dremeled off.

Using the Aves epoxy putty, I started building the collar, hair and fatigue pants.

The next putty layer consisted of pockets and the sweater draped over his shoulders.

And then finally the sweater sleeves hanging down the front.

In the episode Burns spoils Abe Simpson's shot at Hitler with a stray tennis ball. I cut small sections of wire and held the vertical and horizontal sections together with masking tape. I crossed the two sections and then added a drop of CA glue at the intersections. After that dried, the wires were cut to fit the styrene frame.

The final painted figure. I added a laser decal for his shoulder rank.

Flying Hellfish Abe Simpson

2006-11-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

Being a rabid Simpsons fan and collector, I patiently waited for an action figure of Grandpa Abe Simpson in one of my favorite episodes "Raging Abe Simpson And His Grumbling Grandson In "The Curse Of The Flying Hellfish".

It features a great flashback showing a young Abe Simpson fighting the Germans in the closing days of WWII.

I bought a used "Raging Willie" as he is one of the few Simpsons characters in shape and had a cool action pose.

I also referenced the Ranier Wolfcastle as McBain for the Simpsons-style of sculpting the military uniform and equipment.

I soaked the Willie figure in boiling water for a few minutes and then popped off his head. I used white tape to mask off the seams and used Aves epoxy putty to start building the new uniform pieces.

I started sculpting the head using Sculpey, keeping the size, proportions and features of the Older Abe.

Since Aves needs 4 hours to dry, I find it easier to work in layers. Features like the collar and pockets are applied and then trimmed while still wet.

As the sculpting was nearing an end, I had to address reattaching the head. I cut a small piece of brass tubing and crimped a slot near the base to lock it into the post.

Later in the episode Abe is wearing a backpack. I cut a piece of MDF to shape for the main section and side pockets. The straps were cut from .02 styrene (after MUCH prototyping)

The flaps were made from .02 styrene. The grenade was formed from Aves with a nail stuck in it. When it was dry, I stuck the nail in a drill and lathed in the horizontal grooves. I attached small styrene blocks for the upper part of the grenade.

The grenade ring was made from round styrene bar stock. I heated the plastic and wound it around a brass tube. I snipped off one link and then glued it closed. The ""handle" of the grenade was made from a sliver of aluminum.

The belt pouches were made from thick styrene with thin plastic folded over for the flaps, I put a dot of CA glue on the flap for a subtle button.

The canteen is made from MDF with a sliver of dowel for a cap. The canteen was a bit of a visual cheat. On a real canteen, it sits in a canvas pouch with two flaps holding it in. On mine, I carved a lip to imply a pouch and attached styrene flaps.

Breaking with my policy of never showing my mistakes, here's a good one! Once I put the head on the body, I discovered that Willie and Grandpa aren't in scale with each other! CRAP!

I found that Homer's brother Herb is more in scale with Willie. So I made a rough mold of his head and cast a new head in Aves. I removed the nose to make sculpting a bit easier.

The new head is a better fit! Whew!

I made another cast of the head for making a helmet that would fit. I covered the form with Saran Wrap and used Aves putty to sculpt the helmet. Afterward I used the dremel to thin up the interior lip.

The sniper rifle from the episode was nearly identical to one that came with the figure of one of Fat Tony's mobsters. I merely repainted it. Abe also used a Thompson Submachine gun and I couldn't resist building it. I used laminated styrene for the parts and a brass tube for the barrel. The muzzle was formed by putting Aves on the end of the tube and then putting the tube in the drill and shaping it with files.

The sling was made by cutting slots in the appropriate locations and then gluing in a thin piece of styrene.

Here is Abe Simpson all assembled and painted. I also added his sergeant's bars on his helmet and the Hellfish tattoo on his right bicep using laser decals. I did my best to replicate the details of the episode, fighting my urge to make the details "accurate"

Die Cast Battlestar Galactica: New Base

2006-08-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

This year Hasbro released a series of die cast Galactica toys, most recently a large version of the the Battlestar itself. Unfortunately it came with a large case that took up an unreasonable amount of shelf space. I had a few hours to spare so I decided to modify the base into something smaller.

I first cut down the base to a rectangle.

I built up the sides with styrene....

And then sanded it flush.

To emulate the armor of the Galactica, I attached styrene ribs to the surface...

And finished it off with styrene plates.

A coat of semi-gloss black, a wash of grey to bring out highlights and some silver to scuff edges.

The new Galactica with a smaller footprint!

TOKAMAK: Vacuum Forming Machine

2006-07-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a few projects where a vacuum forming machine would have been a huge help. It wasn't until I found a great site with a step-by-step tutorial on how to make one from scratch.

TK560

Unfortunately I neglected to take photos during the early stages of this project. Due to limited space, I decided to build my machine where the oven would hang upside down over the forming surface. I built the supporting table high to alleviate too much stooping over. The vacuum surface is 21.5" x 21.5", made with MDF and covered in aluminum.

Since I can't weld I made my plastic-holding frames from canvas stretcher bars (like painters use). Inside I applied no-slip tread for a firmer grip. The lower frame is attached to a pillow block bushing that allows the frame to slide on steel rods up and down from the oven to the vacuum surface.

I cut a hole in the bottom of the table and made a flange out of one of my shop vac's attachments.

The frame guides were secured to the table with these plastic brackets, although in hindsight, I could have just epoxied them in place.

Here is the completed rail system.

The oven surface was made with concrete board.

Ceramic posts were attached according to the tutorial.

The sides were cut from leftover concrete board, attached with scrap aluminum and sealed with furnace caulk.

The NiChrome heating element wire was a bear to figure out. Each segment had to have equal resistence for even heating. With the help of the oven calculator, and much advice from friends and the TK560 board, I was able to get the segments exact!

I built a supporting wooden structure to hold the oven. Please excuse my crap carpentry!

Up until this point I had not yet decided how to support the oven over the table. Just in time, my friend Jeff gave me some Gorilla Racks and I happened to have some parts left over!

I attached a shelf support to either side of the wooden oven box, and then attached the vertical rack posts to the table. This also allowed me the freedom to change the height of the oven if I needed to.

I attached the Gorilla Rack bracket to attach the oven to the supports.

The wires were attached to the segment posts and run out a hole to the switch. The wires attched to a 20 amp switch.

The oven inside the supporting wooden frame.

To allow for a tight grip on various thicknesses of plastic, I used window sash locks on each side.

A friend sent be some pillow blocks that allow the frame to slide up and down.

I used an ordinary light switch to control the power. I also installed hooks to hold the frame up against the oven opening.

I made an oven door with the last of the leftover concrete board and embedded a oven thermometer in the center. The door slides into aluminum U-channel attached to the bottom of the oven. Closed up the oven can get to 375¬∫F.

The whole unit ready for a test.

For my first test "pull", I wanted to experiment with different types of objects: A large smooth-sided unsanded MDF dome, A small unsanded MDF dome, a small flat-sided sanded shape and to fill the space a pocket knife and wrench. All pieces a placed on plywood risers placed on washers as not to disrupt the airflow.

The first test pull may not be considered a success my experience formersa but I was just giddy that it actually worked! The "tenting" between shapes can be corrected by adding more space between the forms. I expect a big shape like the large dome would have to be pulled by itself.

Stormbreaker: Beta Ray Bill's Hammer

2006-05-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

After building Mjolnir, I decided to build Beta Ray Bill's hammer Stormbreaker. This hammer was designed By Walt Simonson in his brilliant run on the Thor comic book in the late 80's.

For the handle I used a 18" long 1.5"(measured by inner dimension) PVC pipe with end cap. The end cap was cut to a height of 1.375" and a .25" bevel was sanded on the edge with the belt sander.

I cut out all the profiles from 3/4" MDF. Half the head profiles have a 1.75" hole drilled into them for the handle. Two disks of MDF were glued together and then sanded down to a thickness of 1". I sanded a 15º bevel to the side.

The head profiles were glued together and the sanded smooth.

I sanded the axe edge on the one end and continued sanding to round the head.

I cut a 5.25" disk with a 15º bevel and screwed it to the head.

I applied Bondo to smooth out the surface and cover the seams.

Stormbreaker has 3 rings at the point where the handle meets the head. I cut 2.5" disks from MDF and then cut 1.75" holes in them.

The rings were all rounded on the sander. Here they are on the handle.

The spike on top was sanded from a 1.5" wooden dowel.

The spike was cut off to length of 2" to fit into a hole routered into the top.

After MANY coats of automotive primer, I painted all the parts with Rustoleum Gold paint. Unfortunately the metallic gold is very prone to scuffing so I coated it with Dupli-color automotive Clear Coat. It dulled the finish a bit but not too badly.

The strap was made with the same method as Mjolnir....two strips of vinyl contact cemented back to back to form a loop.

Here you can see the lamination and the extra overlap that I included at the spot where it gets attached to the hammer. I stained the vinyl with acrylic Burnt Sienna and black washes to get a more realistic leather.

A .625" dowel was screwed onto the cap (before it was glued on) and the the strap was epoxied to the dowel. I painted an upholstery tack with the same gold paint and attached it to the inside.

The final hammer. The handle of Stormbreaker is surprisingly short in comparison to Mjolnir. It seems that there's just enough room for Bill to get both his giant space-monster hands on the handle!

Woolly Mammoth: 1:3 scale Kit rebuild

2006-03-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

I got this kit back in 1972 and assembled it as only a child of 7 could...badly.

Somehow it survived my childhood and multiple moves to eventually return to my hands when my parents retired. I don't know how accurate it is but I thought it was a nice sculpt so I decided to rebuild it.

I tackled the base first by puttying up the two seams and giving it a coat of primer. The cliff took multiple coats of various grays and washes and I painted the rest in mud browns and greens for the vegetation.

I reassembled the legs and puttied the seams while rescribing the hair as best I could.

My original intention was to merely clean up seams, paint and then build the kit as designed. Once I put the legs on, however, the hips seams are quite pronounced and looked too "toylike" I puttied up the seams and then put it aside to dry.

Hours later, I was able to carve the hair into the putty seam and it matched pretty good.

Even with the seam covered, it still looked like a toy. I researched elephant muculature and built additional mass to the hips and shoulders. I put it aside to dry.

I sat at my work table to watch the last 5 minutes of a DVD and thought,"Maybe I can carve the hair into the wet putty"

As anyone with a brain might expect, it worked beautifully and I was able to do four legs in the time it took to CARVE one of the dry putty seams. I guess that's why kits were originally sculpted in wet clay.....DUH!

The head on the original kit was built to pivot on a ball joint for a limited range of movement. This created a massive gap in the neck area that I would need to fill. I chose to turn the head slightly to the left and tilt it. The seam was filled with epoxy putty.

The space to fill was so big it would have demanded a large amount of putty and could have become front heavy. I used aluminum foil to fill the big gaps and then covered that with the putty.

I scribed the neck hair into the (wet) putty. For realism I added little dangling clumps of hair from the bottom of the neck, hanging off the belly and from the tail

.

To disguise a pronounced belly seam I added a row of hanging fur down the belly.

Naturally a snap-together kit would not address an animals genitals. Seeing as the mammoth looks male (to me), If I didn't do something about it it would look strange. I based the penis sheath on modern elephants (You don't want to see what's inside...think "Dune") and according to a REAL frozen mammoth find, the testicles were internal...probably a good idea during the Ice Age.

During research, I read that mammoths only had 4 toes whereas modern elephants have five. Naturally the kit had five.

Naturally, I had to fix this. In the end, it was a good thing as I could make the toes protrude a bit and add bits of hair hanging over and between them.

I added model railroad gravel to the base of the cliff and little bits in crevasses. I watered down elmers glue and sprayed it over the gravel to lock it in place.

The mammoth was ready for painting. I painted the tusks with a basecoat of ivory paint (duh) and the rest of the beast with semigloss acrylic black.

The rest of the fur was drybrushed on with various shades of brown, leaving the underside black.

The toenails were painted with a light grey and weathered with various dark washes.

I based the painting of the mouth and trunk opening (?) on those of modern elephants, making them a pale greyish pink.

The tusks were weathered with multiple washes and the eyes were painted to match a modern elephants (strange, I know).

I added some railroad grass (very fine green threads that you cut to size) to the base as well as a dead tree that I recently discovered in a box.

So the mammoth would seem to be standing firmly on the rock, I coated the soles with epoxy putty and pressed it into the cliff (covered with Saran Wrap). After the putty dried I painted them with black washes.

Here is the final kit.

Thor's Hammer MJOLNIR

2006-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Walt Simonson's work as writer/artist on Marvel Comics THOR (late 1980's). Also being of Norse descent, I always wanted my own copy of Thor's hammer Mjolnir (pronounced myol-neer).

I cut sheets of 3/4" MDF to laminate into a 9" x 4" x 6" hammer head. I drilled holes through the centers of all sheets.

The bevels of the hammer were cut by tilting the table saw blade 45 degrees.

The porous edges of the MDF were coated in Bondo spot filler and sanded smooth. I then gave it several coats of automotive sandable primer. The "cap" was cut from a piece of plywood and given a bevel. The whole thing was sprayed with more primer coats and then finally a Krylon Aluminum.

For the handle, I decided to use an old tree stake that I had sitting around.

I had trouble finding leather strapping in the right thickness or width but found a tan vinyl that I could cut myself. The grip was wrapped with four 60" straps in a tight overlapping pattern.

The butt was covered with a circular piece of vinyl, glued over the edges and then wrapped with more vinyl strapping.

The straps looked a bit flat and vinyl-y so I gave the wrapping an acrylic wash of darker browns to weather it.

The loop was formed by laminating the vinyl back-to-back.

The loop was attached with a wood screw with a plastic snap-top cover (painted silver)

The hammer is purposely huge, nearly 24" long (not counting the loop), and quite heavy.

The Tick: Little Wooden Boy

2006-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

The Tick: Little Wooden Boy

For those of you that didn't see the episode "Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love", The Tick (a large, blue, strong but stupid and INSANE superhero) is upset that his sidekick Arthur wants to skip "Craft Night". Sulking in his apartment, the Tick sees "a little boy trapped in a block of wood"

After makings some measurements based on screen caps from the show, I cut the parts from a pine 2x4.

The arms were cut from pine, using staples and eye screws to attach them to the body.

The gouge was the hardest detail to reproduce as I had to interpret a drawing into 3 dimensions.

The face was painted on using red and black enamel paints. The "buttons" in the animation were hollow outlines which I interpreted as drill holes.

The arms are attached to the body with a staple and eye hook. The legs are attached with wood screws. The hole in the leg is significantly bigger than the screw to allow some side-to-side movement (presumably for martial arts moves). True to the Tick's craftsmanship, the legs are mounted asymmetrically.

Little Wooden Boy guards the city with an unwavering gaze! Beware naughty spawn! Little Wooden Boy is on the job!

Terminator 2 Vinyl Kits by Horizon

2006-02-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

The T-800 (Arnold) and the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) were two vinyl kits that I built long ago but never painted. Horizon kits are a joy to work on...exquisite detail, flawless part fitting and accurately sculpted. I wish I could take some credit for these beautiful models but all I did was paint them!

The T-1000 Came with different hands and optional "Crowbar hand". I used a comination of the spike finger, bullet strikes and blade hand.

The Simpsons: Safety Salamander Homer

2006-01-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Safety Salamander comes from the Simpsons episode "See Homer Run" that aired recently. In the past, I would've looked forward to buying an action figure of this character. But since Playmates discontinued their World of Springfield toy line, I guess it was up to me!

I started with a "Casual Homer" and added a piece of coat hanger wire to support the tail.

I added foil to flesh out the tail, covering it with Apoxie 2-part epoxy putty. I considered turning the tail down for stability but it just looked so much better up!

I used more epoxy putty to add details and flesh out the bulk of the suit. I was very careful to preserve the joints so the figure would remain posable.

The neck was sculpted to preserve the cowl lines and minimize the seam and the lips, eye sockets and finger webbing was added with Apoxie.

The finished sculpt coated with primer.

The belt was made from .03 styrene strips and the belt buckle and badge were carved from thicker styrene.

Stormtrooper Vinyl Model Kit

2006-01-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to build this kit after it had been sitting in my closet since 1993. At first glance, the detail looked great but as I started to research the "real" armor I noticed some problems.

All the pieces had really soft edges and inaccurate details. Some pieces could be brought up to "spec" with just some adjustment others would have to be trimmed away and rebuilt. Worst of all, the blaster was entirely the wrong size, a crappy casting and inaccurate.

At the waist, I had to reshape the crotch and butt plate and decided to remove the blocks that hang from the belt as they were molded in place and should hang free.

I used an exacto knife to sharpen edges, re-shape armor plates and cut under the armor where appropriate.

The helmet was a big mess! Besides the general cleanup and edge refining that I did on all the other parts, there were some problems with proportion and shape that would have to be fixed.

I cut off the "ears", extended and reshaped the "snout" with putty, removed the front grill and "microphone" tips, cut out spaces in the "teeth" and lined the inside of the helmet with epoxy putty.

I had to completely reshape the eye holes with epoxy putty. I pushed Sculpey through the eye holes from the inside and sanded the lenses round.

The inside of the helmet was painted black and the trim was made from a thick plastic coated cord from the craft store.

The BIGGEST problem with this kit is the torso barely has a neck and there is no way to attach the helmet without gluing it directly on the shoulders. So the helmet would sit correctly, I decided to sculpt a head for it. And if I was going to go to the trouble of sculpting a head, I'd use my own! I used Sculpey for the head and epoxy putty for a neck seal to hold it.

I constructed a base from styrene to simulate the decking on the Death Star.

The Blaster looked OK at first glance but it's way too big, the casting is bad and the sights and folding stock are CARDBOARD. I downloaded the ENH version E11 templates from the Blaster Builders Club and used these reduced to 27% to build a new one from scratch.

The barrel was cut from 3/8" brass tubing and the grip, magazine and Hengstler counter were made from laminated styrene. The receiver spring was made from copper wire wrapped around 1/4" aluminum tubing.

Pictured here is the completed magazine with styrene details. The front and rear sights were made from pieces of brass as were the folding stock and trigger guard. I removed the pistol grip that was molded into the Trooper's right hand so the new one could slide in. Unfortunately I couldn't attach the trigger or trigger guard until it was put in the Trooper's hand.

Here is the completed body of the gun. It has a 1/8" brass barrel, the muzzle is laminated styrene and the bolt handle is a VERY tiny nail.

I made the "scallops" (not sure what they're for....) out of 1/4" aluminum tubing, Dremeled to fit and super-glued in place. Here is the barrel with magazine, front and rear sights, end cap and scope rail attached.

The scope was made from aluminum and brass tubing, a wooden dowel and the blue cone-shaped "clicker" from a Star Wars fan club ink pen. Thanks, George!

The t-tracks covering the barrel vent holes were made from styrene t-bars. All I had to do was cut them to length and taper the ends to make it look as if they were inserted into the holes.

I stripped out a few wires from a 9-volt connector, wound them around a tube and super-glued them in place. This was by far the HARDEST part of the entire project. Those damn wires really didn't want to cooperate!

The final gun compared to the original kit's version.

Here is the final assembled gun. I also used a little silver paint to simulate wear. I kept it pretty minimal as I figure a Stormtrooper with a cushy assignment like the Death Star probaly has pretty new gear and probably doesn't see a lot of action (Besides smugglers and Wookiees running loose...)

The final kit, with and without helmet.