My Ocarina of Time Replicas <Shield Finished>

BRRogers

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
*update*
COVID-2019. It is now April 2020, 9 years since my last update.
Graduated college with a BFA in Costume Design: Production Design/ Minor in Sculptural Processes.
Got (happily) married
30lbs heavier lol
NOW 6 years of metal fabrication experience in forging, welding, metal finishing, and associated arts.
SUPER neglected this project.

However,
In college I learned how to 3d model and FDM Printed a set of hilt components I'm very proud of and would love to have cast in bronze.
In my career I learned how to forge and work with metal at a high level, so my poplar master sword is currently an unfinished High Carbon 5160 Spring Steel blank that I still need to finish and etch.

In the meantime I've stumbled into lightsabers, but my Master Sword and Shield have gone far too long without update, so this might be a great time to work on it!

*Updates*
1/29/2011- Putty/detail sculpting/sanding on blade & guard. 1st coat primer.
Links in OP restored

2/2/2011- More sculpting, sanding, and primer, just over 50% sculpting complete.

3/23/2011- Caught up on the shield! Both pieces within 75%
I also scored myself a BEAUTIFUL 7 hole Ocarina from Songbird Ocarinas.
... Even if I don't finish all this stuff for MegaCon, I'll be able to make an awesome OoT display :D
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3/31/2011- Shield nearly complete: Did NOT make it to Mega-Con... Dragon*Con it is ;)

4/1/2011- Shield COMPLETE (Pg. 2)


*OP*

Ok, so I haven't had much of an opportunity to make weaponry related props to date, mostly because I haven't felt like I've had the proper tools.

So, more recently I got a benchtop belt sander, and a jigsaw.
Enter, prop weaponry!

My current project is a video game character named Link, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

I wanted to make this costume as accurate as possible (of course), and as much of a literal translation from the concept art as I could get it....

That being said, having the proper tools to really take my time and make the master sword (the centerpiece of the game), as nice and well constructed as possible. So, I opted to make it like you would a real sword.

It started by making templates and getting a 1/2 x 4 x 4 poplar board from Lowes, a 2 x 4 x 8 block of maple, a wood sphere, and a wood 'pot'.


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I traced the shape of the sword onto the sheet and used the jigsaw to cut just outside the lines.
Then, I used the belt sander to ease up to the lines, and then make a bevel along both sides of the "blade"
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At this point, I turned my attention the hilt and guard.
Again, I traced from my template onto the block and cut out just beyond the lines to ensure I didn't cut INTO the design.
I also went ahead and marked my center lines on both the sphere and block, and drilled holes right through the middle for reference when I cored out the slots for the tang.

I used the curve on the belt sander to concave the sphere and sharpen up the outer lines on the guard.
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Using the dremel and drill, I piloted some holes for the tang in the guard and sphere, and then cored it out with the routing bit on my dremel. I also roughed out the primary shapes of the guard on my belt sander.
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I also took two pieces of the 1/2 board scraps and used the belt sander to make them into half cylinders to go on both sides as the handle
I used the dremel to cut grooves into these pieces which will later get wrapped with leather. The dremel, again was used to trim up and detail the guard and sphere.
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The handle is a little sloppy, I'm not too worried about it though since it will be covered in leather.
As you can see there, the "wooden pot" still needed some attention, and to the keen observer you might surmise it is hollow.

For that, I went ahead and affixed it to the end of the tang, and made a mixture of mud (1/3 resin, 2/3 bondo), and filled the gaps. Since my handle goes on in separate pieces, I decided that having a 'fixed' pommel would be ok. Hence, the "Pot" a solid, resin filled piece which I then sanded down to look like>>
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Now obviously there is still more work to be done, but I hope I can keep up the level of tenacity on this project as I hope to have it done by the end of January.

The costume is finished already... just waiting on these props.
Comparison.jpg
 
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Re: All wood Master Sword

The costume is amazing! Great work on that and keep us updated on the sword that's looking pretty awesome as well!
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

VERY nicely done! I think if you can make your boots a little bit taller your costume will be the best ever made. Glad to see that after all these years people still consider OoT to be the best.

EDIT: On a side note, if you want to take an easy first step into the Hylian shield, I gave up on my project to make a full metal/wood/leather version and I've got the decorative leather piece laying around taking up space. I'd love to see it go to somebody who can really show it off. PM me if you're interested.
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

Loving it. I have always said it takes a great man to dress like an elf.

How is the stability between the hilt and the blade, my experience with making wooden swords is they tend to snap at the hilt.

Cheers

Sebastian
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

Thanks guys, taking a small break from the sword while my job kicks my butt before Christmas :lol
VERY nicely done! I think if you can make your boots a little bit taller your costume will be the best ever made. Glad to see that after all these years people still consider OoT to be the best.

EDIT: On a side note, if you want to take an easy first step into the Hylian shield, I gave up on my project to make a full metal/wood/leather version and I've got the decorative leather piece laying around taking up space. I'd love to see it go to somebody who can really show it off. PM me if you're interested.

Thank you that's a really generous offer.
Though, I have actually already started on my shield,
It's just roughed out right now and I still need to add a few layers of fiberglass to the interior for stability... then Bondo, sand, detail...etc.
You can see the size difference with the OoT shield as compared to the Twilight Princess version on the right...
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Re: All wood Master Sword

I like to see projects from wood you have done an excellent job congratulations on a job well done:angel
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

Nice! I built Link's wooden sword this week, but I think yours is much more impressive!
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

I was just wondering what are the dimensions for makein the sword bcuz I want to make one myself
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

I was just wondering what are the dimensions for makein the sword bcuz I want to make one myself

Woah! This is what you call a necro-bump! haha...

Well, this particular sword never was finished. So I'll prefix what I say with that.

In fact, I'd have to drive down to Florida to take measurements off of my un-finished sword... So that said, I have no definitive answer for you. Sorry :(

BUT:
I have a philosophy about prop-making when it comes to making your own costumes. Don't take the set dimensions. If you have the ability to make your own props, you have full license to size them to YOU.
For example: I'm a small guy, so in most cases I would be forced to make props my size because (on average) the prop makers who produce replicas here and elsewhere make props and costumes for men of average size. (Medium heads, hands, and height) Whereas I'm a small with everything.

When I made my sword I did not take measurements. I used sighting techniques from visual references that I found of the sword. Primarily the one at the bottom of my Original Post. You can clearly see the size relationship of the sword to Link's body because it is held in a manner that does not distort the item. Literally what I did is: I looked at that picture, and measured out relationships on the sword as it related to Links body, and then (using a cardboard piece) I marked those shape relationships onto the cardboard. Once I had the simple size relationships marked into a real life scale, I filled in the blanks. Pommel to guard, guard to tip...etc...

Or, if you have the ability: That second reference in my first post would be PERFECT to print out in large scale, and create a template directly from that image.

How tall are you? I'm 5'7 and I think my sword was around 41-43 inches from pommel to tip. (that's a guess)
 
Re: All wood Master Sword

Picked up this project again as of earlier this evening, all in an attempt to have OoT Link ready for Dragon:Con

I picked up a jeweler's detail file set a few days back... WHY did I not have this before?
Part of the reason I stalled on the project was because I didn't have a very great method of sanding in some of the concave gaps.... anyway.

Did a lot of sanding, Tomorrow i'll switch out the batteries in my camera and take some new pictures. I'll try and update the broken links in this thread as well. I'll also grab the dimensions if people were still interested in that info. :)
 
Re: All wood Master Sword (updated: 1/29)

*picking up where I left off*
This is pretty much where the construction get left off
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I Got the 'wings' on the cross guard filed out with the jeweler's file.
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The Cross guard is imperfect, and worse yet.... For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to secure the pommel BEFORE I had finished sculpting either part of the crossguard, So... I'm having to work around that (pretty big) obstacle.

Build in parts, then assemble... lesson learned.
Anyway,
I filled some dimples, and re-shaped the triforce-area transition. For that I used Epoxy Putty (Not Apoxy). Epoxy is a aluminum filled two part resin putty for plumbing... but it works nicely in this application as well.
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Then I did some finer sanding, and slapped on some primer.

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Still to do:
-tighten up the sculpt, filling dimples/ cleaning edges...
-Re-address the pommel: the ridges are not symmetrical.
-Brush Resin over the surface to sink into wood. (For durability/ final sanding)
- Paint. Resume work on sheath and shield.
 
Re: All wood Master Sword (updated: 1/29)

Oh, and In case anyone is looking at my design and wondering...
This is my primary reference: (I am intending to display my sword and shield in this configuration once completed)
Screenshot2011-01-29at33214AM.png
 
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