Introduction: The $5 Mjolnir

By
About: There's so much I could put here, but what's really important is that I love to build and create. I love the feeling of being able to step back after a long day of work and get to say "I made this."

With the recent upsurge in the Marvel Cinematic universe, many people have grown to admire the Marvel IP. So to help this love of all things comic, I have a little tutorial here on how to make a Mjolnir prop for only $5!

This hammer specifically is a more classic comic book style based one. So there is no engraving in the hammer. Although I might carve the prophecy in the face of the hammer later on. I might also do a modern movie version if the demand for a tutorial on one is there. Anyway, enough chit chat, time to dive into the project!

Step 1: Material List

The actual cost depends on what all you need to buy, but most of these are common crafter's items so it should not be a very expensive build.

The main build of the hammer consist of just a few pieces.

-4 2x6x9 (a 3 foot long piece of 2x6 will work to gather the pieces. I had my hardware store cut 18in sections)

My cost: $1.32

-1 1" Diameter dowel rod between 18-24in (preference)

My cost: $1.59

-1 Foam sheet (black or Brown)

My cost: Free (already owned)

-2 3in woodcraft circles 1/8in thick. I purchased these at Michael's but you can cut one from 1/4in wood

My cost: $0.71

-Spray Paint. I used a black primer paint combo and a metallic nickel color

My cost: Free (already owned)

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All of the tools mentioned I also owned at the time of the bulild

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Some Helpful materials/tools

-Wood filler

-Clear coat protective spray

-Gorilla glue

-Rubber Mallet

-Chisel

-Electrical tape

-Nail gun

-Drill with 15/16th bit

-Miter saw

-Hot glue gun

-Painter's tape

-Gray primer

Total bill:

$3.62

Step 2: Main Hammer Body

The main body of the hammer consists of 4 2x6x9in sections layered on top of each other. The corners are cut at 45 degree angles, 1in from the edges. It's not shown in this photo until after the handle was attached because I forgot to do it at first, but all the corners are cut, not just the top and bottom.

Step 3: Prepping the Handle

The next step is to drill a 15/16th in hole in to the body. I drilled the hole about 3in deep. This was to give real strength to the hammer.

To find the center of the hammer, simply connect the corners and the lines will meet at the center.

Step 4: Inserting the Handle

I started by taking a chisel to slightly taper the end of the dowel rod. And a small section of a slightly longer tapered edge. Once you finish this, I coated the edge of the dowel rod in Gorilla glue and placed it into the hole. Then, using a rubber mallet, I drove it into the hammer head. Be careful doing this, because after sometime, I started to split the wood. So just take care.

With the length of the handle, all you have to do is find an ideal length of dowel rod you like, then simply add the 3in.

Step 5: Working That Bod

The gaps in the edge of the hammer are quite noticeable and take away some of the aesthetics of the hammer. This can simply be fixed with some wood filler, or other like products.

After applying the wood filler and sanding it smooth, I decided to prime the hammer head to help highlight some of the missed gaps, and then went back over the big holes with more filler.

Step 6: Once You Go Black...

Once I was satisfied by the appearance of the hammer, (I left some imperfections to keep the stone feel to it) I primed the whole thing with black.

Step 7: ...You Can Go Back Actually

After painting it black, I coated the hammer with 2 coats of metallic nickel. I also added the circle accent to the top of the hammer before the nickel paint. All you have to do is glue them together, and then glue them to the hammer.

Once the paint is all dried up, you can apply a protective clear coat to keep your Mjolnir from any unwanted dings.

Step 8: Handle Grip

For the handle, I decided to go with a black finish. To begin, I cut the foam sheet into 1in wide strips about 3-1/2in long. After they're all cut, I hot glued them to the handle.

Finally, I took black electrical tape and wrapped in around the foam to make a really nice grip.

Step 9: MARVELing Your Work

Congrats! You've finished your Mjolnir! Now there are some more improvements I plan to make. As mentioned the engraving would be a nice addition to the build, as well as the leather strap to the bottom of the handle. But overall, I'm proud of the final results, and I thought it was a fun project to work on!

I want to thank some wonderful Redditors for helping with the Photoshop work.

Thanks to user wobble107 for the intro pic.

Thanks to user asa88 for the ending pic.

You guys both did a nice job!

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