Here are the steps I took in creating my riddler cane for this Halloween.

Step 1: The Question Mark

I went to my computer and searched until I found the appropriate question mark I wanted as my cane topper. My costume this year is geared more toward the riddler played by Jim Carrey. The cane he used had the stretched question mark. The question mark I found was from Batman Forever. I took that to my photo editing program and and stretched the mark sideways just a little as his cane's mark does not match the mark from the movie art. Once it was appropriately sized I printed this off and used spray adhesive to stick this to 3/4 inch plywood. I then cut that out with my bandsaw (you could also use a jigsaw). Once the shape was cut out I used a sander to make the edges smooth because my cut was a little wobbly. I then used a router with a 1/4 inch round over bit to round the edges.

Step 2: Mounting the Question Mark

I bought a package of napkin rings and candle cups from a craft store. I found them in the woodworking section. I also bought a couple of 1 inch dowel rods. I slipped the napkin ring over the dowel part way. I had to sand down the tip for it to fit into the candle cup. At this point do not glue anything down. I sat the question mark on top of the candle cup and marked it from the small hole in the cup. I counter sank the inside of the candle cup and drilled into the question mark. I then connected the two with a small screw. Once that was done I glued everything to the top of the dowel.

Step 3: Painting the Cane

Once the cane was glued and dried it was time for paint. Before I painted i made sure to sand everything smooth. Then I bought some metallic finish bright coat paint from Wal-Mart. I wanted it to be shiny and gold. I wanted to make it as close to the original as possible. Once the cane was painted I wanted to give it a protective coat that was shiny. I used a spray polyurethane. In retrospect I should have used a spray lacquer. Which ever you use make sure you get the shiny finish if you want that shine.

Step 4: Final Step

At this point I was done with my cane. I made 2 and experimented with the 2nd. I suppose I could have put napkin rings all the way down or cut grooves in it to match the riddler's cane exactly. Since I was happy with mine at this point I called it a finished product. Also, if you want to see an awesome riddler can made from chess pieces look on YouTube and search "riddler cane." The Prop Master's Handbook has a good tutorial and his cane looks pretty awesome. Enjoy!