Reproducing Prop Sword in Metal (Iron/Steel) - Ideas and Input Needed

A

Auram

Member
Hi everyone!

I have a sword which I've sculpted, molded, and cast in resin. I've had a few people express interest in getting a metal version of the sword and wanted to know if anyone here has experience with working with a 3rd party company to make a few copies of a prop in metal. I don't have the setup or experience to cast something this big on my own, so I'm looking to outsource this and get an idea of what kind of cost I might expect.

The sword is 48" long and would need to be able to withstand the heat of a firepit. I'll post a build-thread of the sword in the coming days, I just keep putting it off. Additionally, the sword has a very "battered" finish so I wouldn't need to do much to clean up any castings short of grinding any flashing off

Any experience / advice for pursuing this? I've looked up the number of a local foundry and thought about starting there

Thanks,
Auram
 
You want to cast a sword? Do you want this to be a functional blade or a wallhanger? I've made several blades now and have worked my way up in size to my first sword that is nearing the finish. Traditionally the only parts of a sword that would be cast would be parts of the hilt, and even then not all the time.
 
bookface said:
You want to cast a sword? Do you want this to be a functional blade or a wallhanger? I've made several blades now and have worked my way up in size to my first sword that is nearing the finish. Traditionally the only parts of a sword that would be cast would be parts of the hilt, and even then not all the time.
Click to expand...
Its a wall hanger i suppose. The purpose of it being cast in metal is to allow it to be in the center of a lit fire pit so the entire piece would need to be metal

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Sorry, I'm not disputing it needing to be metal, but casting is just an odd way to go for a sword. They would normally be forged or ground to shape. I did all the work to mine with a grinder. A foundry is probably going to charge you several hundred dollars at least, possibly into 4 figures if they even want to do it or are able to accept that small a job. I know you said you already have the sword that you want to produce, but casting metal on a small scale is often impractical and expensive. My advice would be to buy yourself a bar of mild steel and an angle grinder with a few 40 grit sanding discs. There's some great vids on YouTube of making a sword with pretty much just that equipment, though the one I watched he was using carbon steel and went on to heat treat it, which you won't need to do.

If the finish on the sword you're trying to replicate is as rough as you suggest, you should be able to make an appropriately sword shaped object relatively easily.

Of course, projects like this can sometimes catch the imagination of a place small enough to do it, so it's worth asking the foundry if they're interested but don't be too surprised if they're not. You could also look for small artisanal metal casters and see what they can offer.
 
bookface said:
Sorry, I'm not disputing it needing to be metal, but casting is just an odd way to go for a sword. They would normally be forged or ground to shape. I did all the work to mine with a grinder. A foundry is probably going to charge you several hundred dollars at least, possibly into 4 figures if they even want to do it or are able to accept that small a job. I know you said you already have the sword that you want to produce, but casting metal on a small scale is often impractical and expensive. My advice would be to buy yourself a bar of mild steel and an angle grinder with a few 40 grit sanding discs. There's some great vids on YouTube of making a sword with pretty much just that equipment, though the one I watched he was using carbon steel and went on to heat treat it, which you won't need to do.

If the finish on the sword you're trying to replicate is as rough as you suggest, you should be able to make an appropriately sword shaped object relatively easily.

Of course, projects like this can sometimes catch the imagination of a place small enough to do it, so it's worth asking the foundry if they're interested but don't be too surprised if they're not. You could also look for small artisanal metal casters and see what they can offer.
Click to expand...
Not really all that odd if it is a wall hanger or prop.

Hero swords on the tv show Xena were cast not forged. In fact I have 4 swords in my collection that are cast aluminum.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I think next steps are to look local where I live, see if anyone around does something like this, and what it might run. In the meantime, if anyone has any hands on experience doing something like this, please let me know!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
This thread is more than 7 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

ID10T
Prop ideas (with reference if available)
Replies
5
Views
368
ID10T
ID10T
TomVDJ
Identification needed of prop replica "accessories"
Replies
2
Views
184
TomVDJ
TomVDJ
DinoDino
Just got an Injection Molding machine and looking for Ideas
Replies
8
Views
574
dcarty
dcarty
bingoh
Tommy gun violin case (need input!)
Replies
0
Views
507
bingoh
bingoh
DaBuild
TWISTED METAL Sweet Tooth Machete
Replies
5
Views
1,110
joberg
joberg
Back
Top