Prince Caspian's Sword

 by KaptinScarlet
Featured
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Make a realistic looking sword that's great fun to play with, won't hurt anyone, looks brilliant and is made in a way that is not entirely dissimilar to the way a real sword is made. There seems to be a lot of steps, but in reality there are only one or two crucial ones, the rest are obvious once you know how.

You will need:
  • A couple of old toothbrushes (buy some new ones if you don't have any spare)
  • Some thick baking foil
  • A wire coat hanger
  • A very short piece of garden hose pipe or something similar
  • About 3 metres (3 yards) of electrical home lighting ring main cable (optional)
  • A cupboard door knob
  • A hot melt glue gun (with at least 3 long sticks of hot melt glue)
  • Some strong cardboard
  • You will benefit from being able to use an oven (on a very low heat)

It looks like a long list, but really you'll probably have all this stuff lying around. If you like this project, then you might like some of my other instructables or some of the hundred or so others on dadcando.
 
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Step 1: Bend a coat hanger into shape

You are going to be casting your sword in hot melt glue with a foil skin. But so that it will be springy like a real blade, it needs a stiff core. I used a bent wire coat hanger for my core, and that seemed to work fine. If you have other similar wire then you could use that instead, but make sure that there are no sharp ends near the tip of the blade, because they might poke through the plastic outer skin and hurt someone by accident.

Pull down the bottom bar of the coat hanger and push the sides in. Straighten out the hanger as much as possible, taking care to make sure that it is not twisted or bent. This is not as easy as it sounds, because the coat hanger wire is quite springy. We need this property for later to make the blade have a spring to it, but at this stage it makes it hard to work with.

Bend the coat hanger hook round so that it is a narrow loop but centred and in a straight line with the rest of the hanger. This will\mean bending it back slightly so that the centre of the loop is centred on the axis of the straightened out hanger.
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orvis says: Nov 9, 2011. 7:26 AM
I feel like this is exactly the kind of creation that instructables was created for - creating something new and custom with creative use of existing, easy-to-come-by materials. You are at once inspiring and sharing creativity in the best maker sense.

Bravo.
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to orvisNov 9, 2011. 11:10 PM
Thanks, I really appreciate your kind words
nerd12 says: Nov 8, 2011. 4:59 PM
this is a very good idea but how is it any thing like real sword making. this technique is called 'casting' and would make a very weak sword. it would break easily. this still is a very good idea for a toy prop
sclocher says: Nov 27, 2010. 10:11 AM
kudos, my friend, kudos. That seems like a BIT more work than i would reall want (especially due to my "can't slow down" nature lol), But a VERY unique take for something i was just looking for a template for cardboard, lol. Nice find, GREAT job, bud!
marshon says: Oct 5, 2010. 1:19 AM
Cleverly thought out and well executed. Good work my friend.
Andrewf94 says: Aug 3, 2010. 8:01 AM
Well, I'd think that if you were not to heat up the hanger, it would set the glue faster. Remember, the hanger's heat helps to keep the glue hot, which in turn keeps the glue from setting before you can execute this step...
tudgeanator says: Aug 28, 2008. 3:25 AM
Really good idea to use hot glue for the blade,but how many glue sticks did it use?
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to tudgeanatorAug 28, 2008. 4:40 AM
I think two long ones, maybe three. I made the blade nice and thin and narrow. I guess it's quite a lot, but it was the only thing that I had to hand that I thought would a)set quickly and b) wouldn't hurt (too much) if you got whacked with it, by mistake of course.
no swear-man in reply to KaptinScarletDec 29, 2009. 6:52 AM
im having trouble wit the blade i cant find god cardboard
tudgeanator in reply to KaptinScarletAug 29, 2008. 8:12 AM
Oh,it's not too many then,my mum is an artist so I have an endless supple of hot glue.
ParaPhrasedProductions says: Jun 27, 2009. 1:48 PM
This whole project is a genius idea!
ParaPhrasedProductions says: Jun 27, 2009. 1:43 PM
I was just wondering if its absolutely necessary to heat up the coat hanger first/
lmuli3 says: Jun 10, 2009. 2:16 AM
good design well done i never thought of using hot glue to make the blade
iLikeCoolStuf says: Jan 31, 2009. 11:07 AM
hey you could put the template from dadcando
CaspiansSwordTN-300.gif
mg0930mg in reply to iLikeCoolStufMar 24, 2009. 4:54 PM
That's how he makes some money though. ;D
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to mg0930mgMar 24, 2009. 11:23 PM
thx, it's how I try and pay for the upkeep of dadcando, which is quite expensive to run.
phapboy says: Jan 27, 2009. 3:14 PM
Excellent Instructables! I never thought of making a sword out of hot glue... very cool.
LinuxH4x0r says: Jul 2, 2008. 11:02 AM
Wow, looks really good for a fake
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to LinuxH4x0rJul 2, 2008. 12:03 PM
thx, you can't really give a real sword to a 9 year old... but it was real enough to him!
theswordninja651 in reply to KaptinScarletJan 27, 2009. 2:35 PM
i'm ten and i think i can handle that sword, it cool though.
stAzer in reply to KaptinScarletJan 18, 2009. 8:47 PM
Why can't you give a real sword to a nine year old? that's when I bought my first sword...Wait...No...I think I was 10...Of course if I knew about this instuctable I would never had wasted 50$!
no swear-man in reply to stAzerDec 29, 2009. 6:48 AM
i was 8 wen i got my 1st real sword but of course my dad would not let me hold it witout super vision
no swear-man in reply to no swear-manDec 29, 2009. 6:49 AM
from an my dad
LinuxH4x0r in reply to KaptinScarletJul 2, 2008. 3:17 PM
My first impression was that it is real
stAzer says: Jan 18, 2009. 8:37 PM
If I ever get around to making one, I might try to use break levers off of bicycle handles for the cross guard. Thanks for the great instuctable(s)!
mweston says: Jan 3, 2009. 2:39 PM
Haha, I like the toothbrush idea. Very well done!
The Jamalam says: Dec 23, 2008. 6:30 AM
I just saw this instructable and thought wow, a door knob for the pommel, ingenius! And all I could think of for my sword instructable was a ping pong ball...
volquete says: Oct 27, 2008. 7:18 PM
crap that looks REAL!
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to volqueteOct 28, 2008. 12:25 PM
thx yeah, that's what I thought... as my kids was swinging it about at the cinema when we went to see Prince Caspian. Luckily we don't have much sword crime where i live so we didn't get done for taking it out to the cinema...
potaderantor in reply to KaptinScarletDec 19, 2008. 12:09 PM
lol
Black Cat says: Sep 26, 2008. 2:36 AM
haha well done ay...
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to Black CatSep 26, 2008. 3:11 AM
thx
fireblast_1212 says: Sep 14, 2008. 1:17 PM
This is even better thatn the harry potter wands. Too bad I can't take them to school to sell. :( But it's a great 'ible anyways! 5/5 stars!:)
me3ga-scientist says: Aug 20, 2008. 12:17 PM
This is an exalent instructible. very informative and very cool. well done!
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to me3ga-scientistAug 20, 2008. 12:35 PM
thx, my boy took it to the cinema, which wasn't a problem where we live, but on reflection could have been an issue, because it looks really realistic. Glad you like it.
biggles says: Jul 24, 2008. 5:26 AM
This is yet another amazing instructable from you. could this design be adapted into a roman short sword?
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to bigglesJul 24, 2008. 1:21 PM
Thx you are too kind. but yes I think later I will adapt it in to a Subtle Knife!
biggles in reply to KaptinScarletJul 24, 2008. 2:16 PM
I am not too kind your instructables are tuely amazing.But the design would be strong enough to make into a wider type of sword then?
KaptinScarlet (author) in reply to bigglesJul 25, 2008. 12:27 AM
yes, but I was thinking shorter, given the amount of hot melt needed. also if you go wider, you might want to reinforce with two coat hangers or some thin wooden strips. For something like the Subtle Knife or one of Ian Banks's Culture weapon Knife Missiles I was thinking it would be easier because they actually have a much shorter blade.
biggles in reply to KaptinScarletJul 25, 2008. 4:16 AM
Yeah i can see your point.(or the knifes point anyway)I might have a go at it anyway and see what happens.
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