| Ever want to swordfight... | |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired  |
but keep your limbs? A group of friends and I have rediscovered a solution that has been floating around since the invention of PVC. Apparently, it's called "Boffer" swordfighting, and it most prevalent among younger children and people who play Live Action Role Playing Games. (LARPs) But personally, I think that is ALL WRONG. Little kids and people who throw tennis balls and call them fireballs are simply NOT COOL ENOUGH for such an awesome sport. I encourage everyone here at the academy to try Boffer swordfighting at some point. To get started, all you need to do is take a trip to Lowe's or your favorite Hardware store. Here are the ingredients: PVC Pipe - 1/2" or 3/4", sch40 or sch80 (3/4" is recommended for longer blades.) Foam Pipe Insulation - This should be right near the PVC pipes in the plumbing section. Find a size that fits over the pipe properly. (Beware improper stock! Double-check to be sure you have the right size foam!) Duct Tape - A couple rolls will tide you over a while. Electrical Tape - Again, a couple rolls. Hand Saw - Gotta have something to cut the pipe. Measuring Tape - To measure the pipe. OPTIONAL: (For fancy crossguards/hilts.) PVC Cross, T and Elbow Joints - For various pieces of the hilt and crossguards. PVC Caps - To cap off all open ends. PVC Joint Glue - Be sure to get the right kind. (NOTE: You must be 18 or older to purchase glue! Go figure!) Sandpaper - To prepare the pipe for gluing. Now. There are two ways to prepare your weapons. The simple way is recommended, as it is cheaper/easier and requires less maintenance. I, however, prefer working with the more complex materials, as it adds a level of flexibility in the types of weapons you can make, and just looks cooler.  Simple Method: 1 - Cut a length of PVC Pipe - This will be your hilt/sword, so measure out a length and cut! 2 - Cut a length of foam insulation - This will make up the blade. Be sure to leave enough open area for the hilt. 3 - Slide the foam insulation onto the Pipe, leaving a little extra foam above the top of the pipe. Secure the foam to the pipe using your handy-dandy duct tape. NOTE: DO NOT wrap it too tightly with the duct tape. If you wrap it too tightly, you may as well just hit your friends with PVC wrapped in a wad of duct tape. (Not recommended.) 4 - Cover the foam insulation in duct tape, remembering not to compress the foam. I recommend making several overlapping vertical stripes of duct tape, all around the blade. Tape off the end with a cross of duct tape, so the tip is rounded off and covered. 5 - Wrap the hilt in electric tape. (Much as you would a tennis racket, baseball bat, etc.) This is for grip alone, so be as sloppy or neat as you care to be. That's all for a simple Boffer sword. The complex directions are similar, except they involve seperate parts for the hilt, blade and crossguards, as well as joints. The only major difference is the added step of sanding and gluing. I would go more in-depth, but I fear this post has become too long. Enjoy! (Safely... Please...) |
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Is this idea...
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| Comments |
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Fire - Student 
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hahaha, The Star Wars Kid owns!!!!!!! He got a free iPod  |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired 
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LOL Now nobody will try it! ... That may make me think twice about finding a way to tape this. Nahhh, I've got no shame! EDIT: Oh! I finally won a round this weekend! WOOO! This comment was edited by NofrikinfuN on May 11 2004 12:23am. |
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JavaGuy - Student 
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If anybody is doing this, try to post an AVI. Maybe we can do a Star Wars Kid-esque edit. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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I got to do this again yesterday! This is like the only form of exercise I'm interested in doing. lol I've also been growing on my "smithy" experiences. I've been discussing this on a handyman forum, how to at least lessen sword breakage and lengthen the life of the things. So far it's been a fairly productive discussion, so maybe I'll come up with some new/improved directions later. I also started with some heavy maintenance on several of the older swords, cutting bad spots out of the foam and patching, reforming tips, etc. It's fun stuff, and I'd recommend you try being the smithy for your group of friends! Just thought I'd tell everyone I had fun this weekend! |
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Rosie - Student 
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I've tried it when I was younger, I got a very heavy sword so it was a bit difficult. I kind of got slapped around This comment was edited by Rosie on May 02 2004 09:22pm. |
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Command13(JAS) - Ex-Student 
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I have a suggestion for anyone who dosent wanna do all that alough i would do that but anyway you can very easily buy alrady made swords made out of strong yet flexible bamboo it looks decent it dont hurt as much and its already got cross guards and stuff about 10 to 20 dollars a piece just an idea for people who dont wanna custom make a pvc one Edit oh yea when i said 10 to 20 a piece I meant per sword not piece of a sword.Just to clarify that _______________ Do not show fear for if you do you cannot claim Victory This comment was edited by Command13(JAS) on May 02 2004 07:44am. |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired 
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Actually, I knew someone who trained a bit in kendo. (I think it was kendo, anyway.) He said that some of the toughest opponents are untrained, simply because they're absolutely unpredictable in their actions. Go figure. I wish I had a digi cam... Next week I think we're going to be having another tourney and all. This time I want to snag some piccies to post on here. If all goes well, maybe I'll actually win a round this time. lol (I had a 2-10 and a 6-10 loss last time. Both times I went up against people using a staff, too.  ) |
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3th - Retired 
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i might try to talk the two guys in the office into doing this both are taking lessons from a tai-chi master, one is learning staff and one is learning sword. me, i know nothing, so i'd be the crazy guy coming after them all freestyle. would be good to see if their training works against it! _______________ this is the internet, be serious damn it! |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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LOL I had forgotten about that. I've gotta say though, I don't like pain very much, so this was a great solution for me. It's too bad though... I thought more people at the academy would be interested. Ah well! |
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JavaGuy - Student 
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This reminds me of an early Simpsons episode where they went to family therapy with Dr. Marvin Monroe. He had them take out their aggression by hitting each other with foam-covered bats. It took Bart all of ten seconds to figure out that it's more fun if you pull off the foam padding and just use the wooden stick. He hit Lisa in the shins with it, whereupon she pulled the foam off hers, and soon the whole family was pounding on each other with wooden sticks. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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Acey Spadey - Student 
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heh a friend and I had to cut down this thicket of bamboo we had heaps of fun with that. hehe.. cut some long enough for swords and got the thick ones to use as holsters.. and yes.. after that.. we made a working catapult with them. that launched a rock about 20 feet _______________ .Lag Bro to Xanatos. Adopted Twin to Bubu. Big-Brother to SmilyKrazy ---- JATSRAD Guru, JASE Member, JA SP Mod Staff ---- The Order of the Stick -- Big thanks to Mango for my avatar -- Quote: Sometimes you've got to specifically go out of your way to get into trouble. It's called fun.
Quote: (Random hella old quote) <Fizz of Belouve> .. in sovjet russia, cereals spit at YOU!
Quote: whats the point of growing up, if your not allowed to act childish!
Padawan - Henkes
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Axion - Student 
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hmm i did somethin like that.. with a plastic yellow bat and a toy lightsaber.. _______________ Axion - Yeah. |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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Oh, and just a rough cost estimate... I got out for about $30 for over 6 weapons worth of materials, and that's even counting the hand saw I had to buy. Plus, I still have spare materials. (Though the Buster sword may sop up all the remains... lol) |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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Trust me, this can last a whole lot longer than flogging each other with sticks. No matter how tough you are, eventually one of you will go "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Then you will pass out from blood loss. lol On another note, using the complex method, you can make some pretty need stuff. We attempted a Bardiche, but my friend did the taping... Very badly. Plus, we had nothing to support the shaft, so it was too wobbly. Ultimately it was divided into a sword and an axe... Our more successful experiments thus far include tonfas, (Basically a police baton.) and staves. (Think double-saber. )My newest experiment is a severe resource hog, but I'm willing to bet it will be pretty cool. It's based on the "horsekiller" swords in some anime, and clouds buster sword. The construction is a tad more complex, so it uses a cross joint, 2 elbow joints and three blades, meaning it uses almost 3 times the materials. I'm taking steps to make sure it stays fairly solid and together without making it heavy and dangerous. If everything works out, I'll have an interesting new sword to play with. (Try to make a non-lethal buster sword with a stick!) Basically, right now I'm trying to find new ways to construct these things while keeping them safe. I've actually been probing a handyman forum for information on how to keep pvc from shattering, best ways to glue joints, etc. If anything revolutionary comes my way, I'll pass it along. |
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Nitram - Ex-Student 
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Or you can just grap 2 sticks and just start hitting on each other _______________ Please Lord forgive me, for I know now what I have done... |
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DJK - Student 
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Hehehhe awsome mate, sounds cool, ill chech on it. |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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I like this way because theres little to no pain involved at all. Plus, unlike martial arts, its totally freestyle. Emulate your favorite TV show or Movie, because no formal training was involved! lol I need to do this more often though... After 2 tournament rounds I was whipped. Those High Schoolers and their "energy". |
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Perry - Ex-Student 
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Very cool, hope you can get some pictures soon Although I don't think I will start with that - im going for kendo  _______________ .: Perry aka Whatever :..: Da smart guy - from time to time :. |
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Ash - Eats Babies 
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yeah seriously it is an amazing workout. and when i was doing it we had a pretty big crowd forming. we were pulling off some pretty cool moves so everyone was enjoying it. then again this was a college crowd. everyone is too zoned out to riddicule. _______________ "We keep odd hours...." ----------------------- They Live, We Sleep |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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lol The cool kids never much liked me anyway. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's actually a great workout! |
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Ulic |retired| - Student 
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Yes Halendor, you can't be seen fighting Nero with a plastic saber by cool people like me. They'd find you popping out of the ground in New Zealand. _______________ Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam |
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Nero - Student 
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Yeah I have done this kinda thing, I used wooden sticks though instead of the entire foam uber-creation-thing...it did hurt, but come on it hurts less than a katana _______________ -Nero Quote: Curious, Smartass, what else? This comment was edited by Nero on Apr 28 2004 08:07pm. |
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Halendor - Ex-Student 
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Sounds cool, and I would love to do it. Wouldn't want to be caught in the act by the 'cool' people from my school though, would be social suicide I have two left hands and no imagination (for constructing things), so some pictures would be nice indeed This comment was edited by Halendor on Apr 28 2004 07:16pm. |
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Ash - Eats Babies 
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bwhahahhahahahhaahhahahah omg ive actually done this. its crazy fun. homeless people were watching us fight. it was awesome. my friends were getting pissed with me because i would keep fighting after they supposedly delivered a fatal blow. all i felt was a foam sword hit me so i would keep on coming. _______________ "We keep odd hours...." ----------------------- They Live, We Sleep This comment was edited by Ash on Apr 28 2004 06:01pm. |
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NofrikinfuN - Retired
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I wanted to get some pics and stuff of both swords I have and me and my friends using them, but alas, I don't have a camera. Maybe the next time I get together with them, I can post some piccies. Also, a note to anyone who chooses to try this: They WILL break. It is as unavoidable as death. Just be sure you have spare supplies on hand to either repair or replace your broken sword, and the fun will go on. (I played the role of smithy throughout most of the day me and my friends did this... I was constantly repairing things that came unglued or lost an end. (Which results in them getting shorter instead of junked, if you repair them properly.) |
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