Belegarth

hi guys im just starting out and want to learn how to make swords and shields.

well i was looking on the angelfire website and its not much help on where to buy things at. http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/alcon/construction.html

i was wondering where do u get fiberglass cores for swords cuz ive checked all the stores around my area and couldnt find one

also what is blue camp pad is that just regular foam u can get from target?

any help on this would be greatly appreciated because the specifics like names and stuff are left off on the angelfire site so i really dont know what to look for at stores and the people working at the stores dont know anything that you ask them =(

the blue foam is thetype that wal-mart sells its by the sleeping bags. get the ozark brand.
you can use pvc for cores or try to fing Fiberglass electric fence post at a farm n fleet or other such store.
some people use the fiberglass driveway markers they are usely orange. if you make a long sword you will need to double the core.

You can also order full sword kits or individual kit components from Edhellen.com (kits are here.)

From that link I like to buy:

[$4] Kitespar .505 (will make 2 blue weapons)
[$5] Re-blade Kit (aka Edhellen fry)

and buy the rest locally. The other materials I use for sword building are:

Camping foam (pommels)
Duct tape
Welder's Glue (some people prefere DAP)
Pennies (to shape/weight handle)
Thin Cotton rope (handle)
Grip tape (aka hockey tape)
Tights (cover)

Zzyzx wrote:Tights (cover)

It is always funny when you (by you I mean a few guys) go to the check out with 4+ boxes of tights and the person looks at you and says nothing. Then you say 'Do you think those will look good on me?' and watch them become flustered.

Of coarse we explain what they are for afterwards


on topic, look for fiberglass poles at fence shops (like back yard fence, not fencing-rapier fighting) and kite spar at any kite/hobby shop.

Yeah, the easiest way to find good fiberglass is usually some sort of farm supply place, where they'll have it as electric fence posts. 3/8" or 1/2" rods work best for most blue weapons (though 3/8" can only go so long... 30" or so?).
You don't say where you're from so it's hard to say, but the Tractor Supply Company seems to be one of the most widely spread chains out there that I know sells fiberglass fenceposts - Fleet Farms and Farm & Fleets also sell them if either of those are near you.

You can also use PVC pipe, which is available everywhere (incl. home depot). It's heavier than fiberglass, depending on how you use it, and is more likely to break, but will work just fine. For a blue weapon you'll want 1/2" or 3/4" sch40 (3/4" for long weapons) or 1/2" sch80 PVC. Schedule 80 PVC has thicker walls than schedule 40, making it heavier but stiffer and more durable. You can find it at Home Depot in the electrical section as Conduit (which also comes in sch40, you'll have to look at the tag or the pipe itself to be sure). PVC is also dirt cheap.

As Peregrine said, the default "camping pad" comes from wal-mart, is flat (not egg-shell style), blue, and about 3/8" thick. It sells for a bit under $6 a roll, and is enough for a number of swords. The stuff at Target in particular is usually worthless for our weapons - it's too soft and doesn't recover quickly enough.

It might also be helpful to you to check out the weapon construction section of the Belegarth Wiki - it includes almost all of the angelfire guides, as well as articles on all sorts of materials - be sure to check the subcategories.

Hope that helps!

Actually for around $7.50 you can get a nice camping pad from Big 5 too

ok well i live in akron / canton Ohio soooo any idea of a place around that would sell the fiberglass rods some place close i dont want to drive like an hour away to buy a like $5 item or should i just go and try and find the reflector ones at a hardware store?

The reflector ones work okay for flails, but they are too skinny (in my opion esp?) for swords because the blade woud slip off the core too easy.

But hey go for it if you want to. That would make a wicked fast sword.....

I buy my cores at Farm & Fleet they are a dollar a piece. So if you are headed up the Alliance way then buy alot of cores and save yourself the trip.

There you go, then - go wherever Faolan goes, or try the tractor supply company in North Canton.

Hope that helps...

oh and you can use double sided carpet tape

it doesn't hold up too well in the cold though, so if you'll be fighting in winter i wouldn't recommend it

hope that helps

Chicken wrote:There you go, then - go wherever Faolan goes, or try the tractor supply company in North Canton.

Hope that helps...

that's the store I go to (the one in alliance or salem, though, as I am in Sebring)

4 ft. long fiberglass rods. works great for every weapon i've made. (other than reds of course, due to flex)