The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP (Completed Scepter phtos pg. 2)

Joy

Member
Working on this piece for a client, but I'll also be making a copy for myself to display:
rKfvY.jpg


It didn't get as much screen time in the film as the shorter, scepter like version, but the two are actually exceedingly similar, so much so that making a short version of this is as easy as lopping off most of the middle handle and removing a few blades and plates on the butt end, so I'll probably make a shorter version after this to display along with the big version.

On to the build!

After making a template in photoshop and getting it printed out by my husband, I started by heat forming a bit of 3/4" PVC pipe into the shaft's characteristic S shape.
ZN4UZ.jpg


I then started cutting out the blade bases in Sintra and started to bevel the sharp edges with a dremel. Here you can also see my first attempt at cutting in the recessed lines. At first, I was using a combination of my dremel's cutting wheels and engraving tips, but the PVC was being a pain to cut, and the lines were ultimately too jagged and crooked. Also, the tighter curves were proving to be tricky, so a new method was needed.
1Xbcw.jpg


After some thought, I went with melting the lines in using a woodburning tool with a chisel tip. This gave far cleaner lines and was a lot easier to control. The disadvantage was the fumes, I never forget what the C in PVC stands for, so a good mask and plenty of ventilation was key here. Here is a section of the shaft immediately after burning in the lines, the slag and char proved very easy to clean up, a few minutes with an x-acto blade and some sanding sponges did the trick nicely. I ended up doing most of the major likes 2-3 passes with the woodburning tool.
rVt0S.jpg


One of the things I noticed immediately looking at high rez screen captures and photos of the actual props was that many of these style lines have raised lips. To do these, I mixed up some apoxie sculpt, rolled up some tapered noodles and used some sculpting tools to smooth out the noodle on the non-raised side.
ubltM.jpg


Around this time, my motherboard in my PC died and I was separated from my references for about a week, but continued working. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes in adding lips where they weren't needed, and had to remove them. But, one very fortunate thing came out of this; I realized while looking at reference pictures to check where lips should be, that my design for the butt end was off. So, I had to re-do the design by hand before I could move on to doing the taper out from the butt and start doing the detailing. Up top are two copies of the old design, and the bottom is my new design.
FqJN2.jpg



More progress as it comes!
 
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Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

*grins exuberantly* So eager to have this, there aren't even mere mortal words! I would, of course, be fibbing if I said I hadn't already been imagining walking around with it, wielding it hither, thither and yon. :) Everyone I tell about it is almost - I say almost, LOL! - as excited about it as I am!
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

This looks amazing! Thank you for the ideas! I'm trying to make one right now too! So Sintra is the way to go vs. plywood? Because I have easy access to plywood, but not Sintra... Help?
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

This looks amazing! Thank you for the ideas! I'm trying to make one right now too! So Sintra is the way to go vs. plywood? Because I have easy access to plywood, but not Sintra... Help?


Oh, I just like Sintra because it's easier to get nice and smooth for casting, the blades could really be made of anything. I'm going to be molding and casting this piece once all is said and done, and using cold casting powders in the resin.
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

Some more progress:

Working on the forming buck for the spear butt, first making a quick skeleton with a dowel and some cardstock ovals:
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This was then filled up with some expanding foam and covered in some eva foam:
QusxX.jpg



Now, wonderflex time:
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Much cutting and forming later, most of the butt is done. Stuill need to cut a window out of the largest backplate and put a backing in the two large side windows:
JpNTU.jpg



Now, onto the plates near the spear blades, also cut and formed in wonderflex:
KJBSA.jpg
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

Not a ton to show as of late, been doing minor tweaks on the existing work and planning out electronics and where to place cuts and assembly screws. This is going to break apart into sections that will fit into a suitcase, so seams are a big thing to think about.

I did, however, finalize the form on the backplate to match the curve seen in the film:
sQ9bn.jpg

The upper plate on the left side is only tacked on, as it will will be cast separately to serve as an access panel for batteries.
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

The holidays have passed and I have a bit more to show!

Between prepping for the holidays and working on my other big project right now (a Megaman armor) I was pretty lax in taking photos. But since last I posted, I got the butt attached to the spear shaft. The butt also had to be given a subtle curve, which was achieved with some subtle cuts and a bit of heat forming. The windows ere then backed with more wonderflex and smoothed with some apoxie sculpt. I also used some apoxie to smooth the transition to the pipe.
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The main butt plate detail was added (after cutting out the small window) and heat formed to the butt, the whole mess then got some primer so I could see irregularities more easily. Now come loads of bondo, sanding and priming.
OesTt.jpg


Once I got the base mostly even, I transferred the detail lines for the butt. It's a bit hard to make out in this photo, but now all of the detail lines are cut in, and the finicky bit of smoothing can continue.
CqMEo.jpg
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

Nice...!

I be always been fascinated a By this design...love the detail on the blade..
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

So, today I coated the whole shaft with black primer, and I just had to have a look-see to what the grooves and lips will look like once it's cast up in metal powder. So, after some quick and dirty gold drybrush, we have this!

310lW.jpg


Needless to say I'm pretty pleased, a few bits to smooth in this shot, but so far, so good.
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

The bondo/apoxie/primer/sanding continues!

UMFzb.jpg

Got the butt end closer to where it needs to be, a few more pockmarks to fill and sand down. I'm working right now to do the end as it is for the shorter "scepter" version of his spear. I'll then mold that part and add the extra plates to create the full spear version. However..while looking at my ref folder, specifically the prop cases put on display with the scepter version, I noticed a line I was missing. It's not visible in the movie stills though..but better safe than sorry, I went ahead and started adding it with Apoxie sculpt:

FDde6.jpg


Stoked for the coming week, the spear shaft is nearly where I want it to be, and after all of this I am confident in the accuracy of the shaft to the movie stills. I know most folks love the spear's blade and gem, but I really fell in love with the detailing on the shaft.
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

Sorry, I am a little confused; are the pictures in your first post of your finished replica, or the original movie prop?
 
Re: The Avengers - Loki's Spear Build WIP

The original movie prop. Though, I am pretty sure they distressed the ones in the film more after that photo was taken.
 
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