I'm going to build my own padded sword as soon as the foam gets here, and so I'd like to make sure I have the construction of the new type down. The instructions below are a combination of the directions on this thread and the instructions on G. Wade Johnson's page at
http://www.anomaly.org/wade/paddedsword/index.html
My questions are in parenthesis throughout the post. I welcome any comments or insights anyone may have. So, without further ado:
The Core:
1. Cut a piece of 3/4" sch. 80 PVC to 48".
2. Heat the PVC in sections and compress it into an oval shape. Be sure to wear insulated gloves when you do this. (What are the approximate dimensions of the cross-section after shaping?) A wire and foil apparatus on an electric grill seems to be ideal for this, though a heat gun will do. (Should I leave the handle portion circular, or should I flatten it as well?)
2.5 Using 3/4 flat 1/8 thick steel cut 10" and 6" on both sides of the hilt and strong to balance and weight. (So the 10" piece goes on one side and the 6" piece goes on the other. Do they go over the cross, or under it? How are they attached to the PVC?)
The Cross
3. Cut another piece of sch. 80 PVC to 11". Hot-punch (using what tool?) a hole in the middle for the core to go through. While the cross is still hot, push the cross into position on the core. Once it has cooled, attach the cross to the core. (There have been concerns about PVC glue weakening the core, should I leave the cross on and apply strapping tape instead? Or would some other glue work here?)
The Pommel
4. Using flat washers and gorilla glue, construct a wheel style pommel and attach it to the sword using duct or strapping tape, or use a metal pipe cap with lots of glue on the threads. (For a safer pommel, could I use a piece of 1/4" iron pipe with plugs at both ends, placed in the handle as a counterweight? The pommel could then be constructed entirely from foam, making pommel strikes much safer.)
The Foam
5. Cut a piece of 1/2" high-impact foam, 3/4"-7/8" wide for the sword edge. You can either cut two pieces that extend the length of the blade or one piece long enough to go all the way from the cross, around the tip and back down to the cross (on the sword edge).
It is better to cut these pieces too long, because the foam should not be under tension when it is over the blade.
6. Apply spray adhesive to the edge of the blade from cross to tip on both edges. (Since this is PVC, would another glue be better?)
7. Place the high-impact foam so that the 1/2" side is against the wood. The foam should stand out 3/4" from the sword blade. Run the foam all the way to the tip. Run the foam around the tip, applying as little tension as possible. Run the foam down the other side to the cross and cut off any excess.
8. Wrap a piece of masking tape once around the blade and foam in two or three places to help hold the foam until the adhesive cures.
Padding the Pommel (Regarding steps 9 - 13, can I use a weight inside the handle for balance and build the pommel entirely out of foam?)
9. Cut another piece of high impact foam 1-3/4" wide and 9.5-10" long. This piece should be wide enough to cover the height of the pipe cap plus about 1/4" on either end. It should be long enough to wrap completely around the circumference of the cap.
10. Cut a square of the high-impact foam 1-3/4" on a side and cut off the corners of this piece to give an octagonal shape.
11. Apply the spray adhesive to the long piece and wrap it around the pipecap. Try not to compress this foam too much.
12. Apply the spray adhesive to the octagon and stick it in the opening at the butt end of the pommel.
13. Use duct tape to cover and protect the foam covering the pommel. You can use the duct tape to shape the pommel, somewhat, by compressing parts of the foam a little.
Blade Padding
14. Cut a piece of open-cell foam 1-1/2" wide and 6" long. (Should I use more closed-cell foam for safety?)
15. Apply the spray adhesive to the high-impact foam at the tip of the blade.
16. Place the open-cell foam so that it stands out 1-1/2" out from the tip of the blade.
17. Use masking tape to hold the open-cell foam in shape around the tip of the blade.
18. Run a 2" wide piece of thin leather or a double thickness of cloth along the edge of the blade.
I've received suggestions to use plastic wrap, like painters tarp, instead of cloth or leather. Stay tuned for possible changes here. (Which material should I use?)
19. Wrap a single layer of masking tape around the blade in a couple of spots to hold it in place. This only serves for temporary holding, the masking tape will not survive for long inside this sword.
20. Cut two pieces of 1/8" thick, 2" wide, self-adhesive pipe insulation long enough to run from the cross to the tip. Cut the corners off the tip end so that they fit on flat of the blade. (Should I use the pipe insulation or more high-density foam here?)
21. Peel the paper backing off the pipe insulation and stick it to the flat of the blade, overlapping the leather/fabric some to help hold it in place. This should be done on each side of the blade.
22. Wrap duct tape lightly in a spiral around the entire blade. Leave approximately 1/4" to 1/2" gap between successive spirals to reduce the weight. Do not wrap the duct tape tightly. We don't want to reduce the cushioning effects of the high-impact foam.
I've received suggestions to run the duct tape lengthwise. this reduces the accidental compression of the foam and is supposedly easier to do correctly. (I take it length wise works better when I put the duct tape on?)
23. Wrap duct tape around the ricasso to hold the bottom of the spiral in place, and place a small amount of duct tape over the tip to protect the open-cell foam.
Cloth Covering:
(The instructions say to use sailcloth or denim. Would something like high-denier, slippery nylon more accurately simulate steel-on-steel?)
24. Cut a piece of fabric to serve as a cover for the blade. It should be wide enough to cover both sides of the blade with an overlap that will be the seam. The fabric should be durable, like denim or sailcloth. By convention, the expected color is gray.
25. Pin the fabric inside out over the length of the blade. Mark where the seam will go. The seam should be oriented down one flat of the blade.
26. Remove the fabric from the blade and sew the seam from the cross end to a point 3"-4" from the tip. I sew a second seam outside the first for extra support.
27. Fold the fabric over the tip and pin it so that the tip is covered without a seam actually on the tip. I use three seams running from the long seam to the two edges and the middle, forming a Y bisected by a third line.
28. Sew these seams as you did the long seam.
29. Trim excess fabric from the seams, leaving about 1/4" of fabric so the seam won't unravel.
30. Turn the fabric tube inside out leaving the seams on the inside.
31. Slide the fabric tube over the blade. Secure the tube to the cross with duct tape.
32. Wrap a couple of layers of duct tape around the ricasso to hold the fabric in place.
Finish the Grip
33. Apply tennis racket grip wrap to the grip of the sword.
34. Use a half-width piece of duct tape to secure the two ends of the grip wrap so that they do not come loose.
