Sword tips trouble

Making Weapons and Shields

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Sword tips trouble

Postby Sph6x3 » Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:25 pm

All right so after a bit of use, the tip of my blades keeps breaking! it gets anoying to fix it after a while, i'm hoping there is a solution to this or something (just the foam tip breaks, not the core)
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby Mint » Tue Sep 25, 2012 7:41 pm

Could you post a picture? Knowing exactly how they fail out will help us help you.
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby Sir Thurat » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:56 pm

If the tip blowout that you're experiencing is from the core punching through the side, you can help prevent this by A) working on the range at which you fight, and reducing the amount of striking you are doing with the tip, B) practicing blade control so as to reduce flatting with your blade, and C) reinforcing the tip of the weapon with thin leather, pieces of foam, or something similar. The leather reinforcement, which is what I use on my own weapons, involves cutting out a teardrop shaped piece of leather that will fit approximately 3/4" from the outside of the weapon edge (approx. 1 1/2 blade layers, if using 1/2" blades, such as with blue foam), and extending down roughly six inches. These leather tear drops can be DAPed to the flat of the weapon, and will result in strong tip support. This can create other stress points, but I haven't experienced any such adverse consequences while using this method.

Put stress on points A) and B). Good weapons do nothing if paired with poor technique.
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby Magpie Saegar » Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:24 pm

I've had this trouble too, with all blue foam weapons. I've just started using 4lb foam for the box of the sword, and I'm pretty confident that this will help avoid the problem in the future.
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby Triton » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:10 pm

Another thing to consider with all the other good advice is your use of tape. If you followed the tutorial you might have a strip of athletic tape on either side of the blade holding down the stabbing tip. The actual science has been explained on the forums before, something to do with surface tension, but you either need to run tape all the way down the blade or have none at all(people's opinions on this vary greatly, but I think that using a very thin layer of packing tape will make your sword last longer without affecting how it hits). My first sword tore right were the strapping tape ended near the tip, basically how you described. Good luck!

ps
If you are still having problems for whatever reason, or you just fight with the tip a lot(personally don't see an issue with that), you could always try making a bat which tend to have sturdier tips.
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby jester kaiu » Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:35 pm

Put a biscuit on the tip of the core first off. When making the sword from scratch: put your initial two foam lengths on as normal with dap (the striking side strips) and have your flat side strips already measured and cut out. Dap up everything as usual but put a very fine line of Sumo glue on the core that is showing. Since everything is already Dapd you wont need to wait for the Sumo to dry to complete the weapon. Youll still have to wait the day or so to let it dry before using it though.

Also, cores usually wont just rupture out of the sword. They tend to tear away from the inside foam first. Make sure there isnt tip twisting... basic weapons check... if there is and you want to try and fix it from there with out scrapping the whole thing, take a razor down the flat side of the to where you can feel the twisting stop. Put a few lines of Guerrilla glue down the core. NOTE: IF THERE IS ANY FOAM THAT IS TORN APART INSIDE, DO NOT DO THIS! Dap the foam seam that you cut to get in. Once that dries together smear a light amount down the same seam and let it dry. Put foam/leather side flaps on the tip and tape them down.
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Re: Sword tips trouble

Postby Remdawg Killionaire » Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:13 pm

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 6953_n.jpg
ala Dexter Woodbrey
Image
Obviously wait a full 24 hours to let all DAP and PlastiDip cure or the two will cancel each other out and then you will cry.
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