Blayzer: Each core that you describe has its own inherent Pros and Cons:
3/8thPros:
- Light
- More durable than PVC
- Cheaper than greater diameter fiberglass (FG)
- Readily available
- Fast to wield
Cons
- Can be difficult to make weapons make weight
- Smaller surface area means foam has less to grab to, and thus core detachment from the blade is a common issue
- Only good for cutting the core up to 28-29"; any longer and the weapon will fail for flex quickly, or straight out.
PVCPros
- Cheap
- Readily available
- Larger diameters easier to obtain than in FG
Cons - Heavier than FG of similar dimensions
- Can be difficult to obtain SCH80 (gray PVC; best to use)
- Doesn't last as long (core breaking common)
- Core can only be cut ~30"; any longer risks failing for flex quickly, or straight out.
With the 3/8th, you can counteract the weight issue by counterweighting properly, and you can avoid the core detachment issue by using a routed 4# box on the core. If you don't have access to the routed 4# boxes, I would advise not using the 3/8th FG. Yeah, it will last longer than the PVC in term of core life, but if you can't get good adhesion, and you keep tearing foam, then are you really saving money? As for double coring 3/8th,
don't do it. A 3/8th core costs ~$1.29. Two of them costs ~$2.60. Assuming an 8% tax, that comes to ~$2.79. Throw in the cost of epoxy (or other binding adhesive) and tape for binding the cores together, and you're looking at well over $3 a core. If you order online, with tax and shipping, you can get a 30" piece of 1/2 FG for ~$2.15; Double coring is high maintenance, the weapons usually hit much harder, and need more padding, and are a mess to make. If you have to money to invest in that, skip it and go straight to solid round fiberglass.
As for PVC, seek out the gray, SCH80 PVC; I don't know what stores do or do not carry it. If you can't find that, then seek out SCH40 PVC. It's white, and is thick walled. If you're working on a low budget, and don't have access to better materials, then you may best off with your PVC weapon construction for now. Really, the best way to get yourself out of a rut like that is to stop making so many loaner weapons. At some point, interested members need to get their own equipment. You can make this happen by hosting a build day: take members with you to get materials so you can show them what to buy, and then meet up somewhere and show them how to build their own weapons.
Now, getting past all of that, a few basic questions:
-How long have you been fighting/building?
-Where are you located? Do you have an established group within reasonable distance?
-What materials are you using in your construction?
-What instructions/tutorials/methods are you using in your builds?
This can help me point you towards better materials and methods, or help you get in contact with an experienced foam smith from a local realm. Typically, if you can show there are enough people interested, you can get someone that's experienced to come host a build day with you (or you can travel to them individually or as a group to learn), and having somewhere there to show you, rather than explain it over the web, is much more efficient, and effective.
-Thurat-