Wooden movie swords.

[JunkSabers1138]

Thanks for the info . Does anyone have any pics of the machines I need? If they're out of my price range, there is an expert wood worker at my church that would let me use his equipment, if he has them that is. I'll try to post pics of that wooden strider sword on ebay if no one's bought it yet.

 

[franz bolo]

I remember seeing a great tutorial about a Greek or Roman sword made out of strips of plastic. He made the thing look just like a metal one.

I think he made a round shield display for it.

Does that ring a bell for anyone?

FB

 

[JunkSabers1138]

I believe that's in an earlier link in this thread. If I'm wrong feel free to correct me.

 

[arwa]

bump...

 

[JunkSabers1138]

Hey. Glad I'm not the only one who bumps my threads. Thanks man , I needed that since I've been gone this whole weekend and didn't have the chance to post. But anyway, my friend who I stayed with has a wooden short sword that his granddad made for him years ago that has some of the qualities I described. It doesn't look like much since it was made for fighting and didn't need a lot of detail work but the blade was pretty thick and could take quite a beating without deforming it at all. The procedures that I stated before were my opinion on how to make wall hanging hero swords that won't see any action. If any of you know if any of those steps need to be changed in order to make a better sword, let me know . I also want to know how to make good stunt swords that can take quite a beating while still having a O.K., but not perfect, likeness of the hero swords (kind of like the lightsabers in ROTS). Thank you all for your help and if you'd be so kind, keep the tips coming while I try to build these dream swords of mine .

 

[JunkSabers1138]

bump... :confused

 

[arwa]

I am currently working on a sword from my past. Darn you for getting this started. If I could get my scroll saw up and running I could do the side guards and finish sanding it, the piece will be done. I already have the blade and handle smooth as glass. I can't decide whether or not to put a dark stain on it, or paint it the chrome color from the cartoon.

AGAIN, this is all your fault...


-arwa

 

[JunkSabers1138]

May I ask what sword this is? Please show pics of it WIP and completion.

Also, it seems that my Braveheart sword thread and this one go "hand in glove" with each other since I discovered while watching behind the scenes stuff and rumaging through pics that the extras in the movie, as well as some of the main characters (at least Gibson), had swords that had at least a wooden blade (This sticks out REALLY well in some of the DVD's BTS footage) with either wood or metal handles. Of course we all know they couldn't produce THAT many steel or aluminum swords for 1000+ extras (at that time anyway). They had to cheat somewhere .

 

[OldKen]

i dont think its as much cheating as it is safety...

i mean you know that they arent going to be triple folded carbon steel hatori hanzo's or anything

so imagine you got these guys runnin around with cheap metal swords one guy hits his to a shield a bit to hard, and chink the tip flies off like a dagger thrown by a ninja and stabs someone in the throat.

im going to see if i can find that clip that was in the OT about a year ago where a guy was on QTV or whatever those shows are called, bein like these things are so durable... hit the table and basically what i said happend but in his own gut... it was more than a flesh wound... mucho blood.


i used to have a samurai practice wooden sword... i loved that thing, it was so hard to even dent it... so i kept pushing untill i finally broke it... on a metal pole. DOH...

this isnt the full clip, the original showed about 20 seconds more and the guy at the end was like OH MY GOD.

and you see blood on the otherguys hands etc.

but you get the idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gHtf4IIYNY

 

[JunkSabers1138]

Yeah... cheap metal swords suck. Just like my cheapo Anduril (or as I call it, "Crappy Narsil with runes merely scratched in the SHORT fuller in the WRONG order".). I am scared as hell to hit that thing against anything fearing that the THIN blade (slightly less than 1/8" thick) might break in half and go through the window or something. :lol (laughing because it would complete the circle of window breakers in my family. ALL my siblings have broken a window at my house in some fashion or another... and I'm the only one left). You can't pick that thing up without the blade tip sagging down because the fuller isn't long enough to lighten the blade tip, and swinging it is pretty awkward due to the blades wobbleliness.

 

[Jedirick]

I have a handful of very sturdy wood swords from Costner's Robinhood. From thirty feet away they'll pass but the metallic paint just doesn't carry well for closeups. It's pretty obvious from condition they were used for some fighting scenes. They are too light for oak and where a grain would be apparent if it were oak, there is no grain. I'd guess maple or maybe ash over oak simply because of weight and feel of the wood.

Also have several battle axes from the same film. They actually made the heads out of a potmetal and then added dings and dents to the blades to give them a weather battle worn look. They're hefty enough I would not want to get wacked with one.

 

[JunkSabers1138]

<div class='quotetop'>(oldken @ Aug 4 2006, 07:00 PM) [snapback]1294151[/snapback]</div>

this isnt the full clip, the original showed about 20 seconds more and the guy at the end was like OH MY GOD.

and you see blood on the otherguys hands etc.

but you get the idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gHtf4IIYNY
[/b]

Good God. What was that thing made out of? Chrome plated glass? Even MY sword wouldn't break that easily (I said that I was afraid to hit stuff with it now because my cousin hit a tree with it and it still looks good although I'm afraid it probably wouldn't stand another blow like that.)

 

[Sporak]

I'd love to see those swords Rick...

Oh and the only wood sword I've made was Links wooden sword from Zelda...
for my son a couple years ago.

I rough cut the shape out of a pine board and used my sander to shape it.

:lol I also made the magic whistle out of a piece of PVC pipe


<div class='quotetop'>(Jedirick @ Aug 4 2006, 08:40 PM) [snapback]1294178[/snapback]</div>

I have a handful of very sturdy wood swords from Costner's Robinhood. From thirty feet away they'll pass but the metallic paint just doesn't carry well for closeups. It's pretty obvious from condition they were used for some fighting scenes. They are too light for oak and where a grain would be apparent if it were oak, there is no grain. I'd guess maple or maybe ash over oak simply because of weight and feel of the wood.

[/b]

 

[JunkSabers1138]

Does anyone here know of a good metallic paint or whatever to make these wooden weapons look like metal? Thanks in advance.

And Rick, could you please post pics of those swords for Sporak and me :$ ? I'd love to see wooden weapons from an official film.

 

[Jedirick]

<div class='quotetop'>(JunkSabers1138 @ Aug 8 2006, 05:56 PM) [snapback]1296504[/snapback]</div>

Does anyone here know of a good metallic paint or whatever to make these wooden weapons look like metal? Thanks in advance.

And Rick, could you please post pics of those swords for Sporak and me :$ ? I'd love to see wooden weapons from an official film.
[/b]

I'll try to do it when I get back from Chicago around the 18th. Fortunately they just happen to be where i can easily put my hands on them.

 

[JunkSabers1138]

Well... I guess I'll have to practice some more patience until you can post the pics . Thanks for posting them in advance.

Seth

 

[JunkSabers1138]

I just found eBay member EasilySuede while snooping around for LOTR swords today. His products look really good and his methods of construction (albiet with TINY changes) are strikingly similar to my idea of making the stunt weapons. I personaly would do them with wooden, not leather, crossgaurds and change the pommel and hilt designs SLIGHTLY from this guy's swords, as well as paint (or chrome plate since I know someone who works in this field) the blades in a metalic color. For wall-hanging, belt wearing hero weapons, I'd go for more precise methods like the ones I posted earlier (tang construction, seperate hilt pieces, etc) since these wouldn't be for fighting and I could put all the detail I want into the blades and hilts without having to cut corners.

 

[jddurst]

<div class='quotetop'>(JunkSabers1138 @ Aug 4 2006, 06:20 PM) [snapback]1294206[/snapback]</div>

Good God. What was that thing made out of? Chrome plated glass? Even MY sword wouldn't break that easily (I said that I was afraid to hit stuff with it now because my cousin hit a tree with it and it still looks good although I'm afraid it probably wouldn't stand another blow like that.)
[/b]

That ID10T was hitting a sword against a solid, unmoving table. I wouldnÂ’t try that with any piece of hardened steel.

There is a story about Laurence Olivier performing in either Hamlet or Macbeth and having the tip of a weapon fling into the audience. After a pause to see if a doctor was needed, the performance continued. After the show an old lady came backstage with the errant tip to have it autographed.

 

[jddurst]

<div class='quotetop'>(JunkSabers1138 @ Aug 8 2006, 02:56 PM) [snapback]1296504[/snapback]</div>

Does anyone here know of a good metallic paint or whatever to make these wooden weapons look like metal?
[/b]

I have had good luck with using epoxy as a base coat (to get everything smooth) before handing it off to the scenic artists. I know there are lots of folks here that can provide info on metallic finishes. I've seen lots of advise about painting gun castings etc.

 

[JunkSabers1138]

<div class='quotetop'>(Hero of Canton @ Aug 13 2006, 11:55 PM) [snapback]1299879[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(JunkSabers1138 @ Aug 4 2006, 06:20 PM) [snapback]1294206[/snapback]

Good God. What was that thing made out of? Chrome plated glass? Even MY sword wouldn't break that easily (I said that I was afraid to hit stuff with it now because my cousin hit a tree with it and it still looks good although I'm afraid it probably wouldn't stand another blow like that.)
[/b]

That ID10T was hitting a sword against a solid, unmoving table. I wouldnÂ’t try that with any piece of hardened steel.

There is a story about Laurence Olivier performing in either Hamlet or Macbeth and having the tip of a weapon fling into the audience. After a pause to see if a doctor was needed, the performance continued. After the show an old lady came backstage with the errant tip to have it autographed.
[/b][/quote]

Pretty interesting piece of trivia there. Are metal weapons even allowed in theater plays?