Borderlands Psycho Bandit Buzz Axe 1:1 Scale Cosplay Prop

Once again because of the great response I got from my Isaac Clarke Dead Space cosplay build thread

http://www.instructables.com/id/DEAD-SPACE-Isaac-C...

I figured it's about time to start another walk through. I have decided to make a full Instructable on the iconic Borderlands Psycho Bandit Buzz Axe!!!!! This awesome prop was by far the most detailed and complex weapon I have ever attempted to create. The build took about 20 days and was so cool because I got to try out a bunch of new tricks and techniques.

I decided to make this weapon to compliment my rendition of the Borderlands Psycho mask.

Before we begin let me say some of the products that are used in prop building can be bad for you :(

So read all warning labels and be safe!!!

Always wear eye protection, wear gloves, and use a respirator when needed. Lets get started!!!!

Materials Used:

MDF 3/4 and 1/4 inch

Apoxi Sculpt

Weed eater line

1/4 inch Wooden Dowels

Metal Bike Break Handel

Dewalt Saw Blade

Loctite Super Glue

Smooth-On Rebound 25 silicone

Smooth-On Smooth Cast 300 resin

Krylon Rust Red and Flat Black Primer

Rust-Oleum Etching Primer and sandable filler

Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics

Tools Used:

Table Saw

Table Router

Scroll Saw

Belt Sander

Sanding Blocks

Dremel

Drill Press

Flat Files

Various knives and sculpting tools

So for the folks that have never played Borderlands and are wondering what the heck a Buzzaxe is here is a breakdown. A vicious melee weapon that is gas powered and looks post apocalyptic with rusty nails, bike breaks, and a saw blade. Screen captures are tough so the axe dimensions were taken and scaled off of the action figure I own. The axe ended up being 25 1/4 inches long and 11 inches at the widest point.

I still do things "old school" so I drew out my template by hand on MDF and cut out the pieces using a scroll saw. The axe is built in two halves so that I can make a single pour mold and glue the two halves together. The body of the axe is traced onto 3/4 inch MDF and levels are made using 1/4 inch MDF. The different layers don't need a ton of detail yet they just need the basic shape.

After these puzzle pieces were cut out I used a table router to bevel the edged and make everything a little cleaner.