Mythos/Sword Creation

= Sword Creation Tutorial= Mythos' foam swords aren't like those used by other LARPing troupes. This guide gives instructions for creating a normal one-handed sword. Use caution when deviating from these instructions - seemingly minor changes can render a weapon unsafe. All weapons must be approved by a signer before they can be used during Mythos.

Materials

 * 3/4" PVC piping
 * 54" x 12" x 2" Ethafoam board
 * Duct Tape

Tools

 * Hacksaw or PVC cutter
 * Box Cutter
 * Long (2"+) Bladed Utility Knife
 * Tape Measure
 * Straight Edge/ Metal Ruler
 * Permanent Marker
 * Highlighting Marker

Forming the Blades
Each block of Ethafoam is large enough to create 8 blades. First, divide the block in half height wise at 27"

Now take one of the 27"x 12" blocks and divide it in half lengthwise, to create two 6"/27" rectangles. Set one aside.

Along the top of the block, make a mark 2" from the left. Make another mark 4" from the left on the bottom, and connect these two marks with a diagonal line.

Cut along this line using the long bladed utility knife. Try to make the cut as even as possible; the smoother this surface, the better your blade will be.

You should now have two roughly symmetrical, triangular blade forms. To make these playsafe, we must round the edges so they will not cut or scrape others.

Place one of the blade forms on a solid surface and run your highlighter up the very edge of the blade. This makes it much easier to achieve a straight cut when we bevel the edges.

With the blade still on a solid surface, hold your box cutter at a 45O angle relative to the forms edge. Starting from the larger end of the form, carefully round off the edge of the blade by slicing it off in one long piece with the box cutter. Repeat this process for the other three edges.

Tips

 * Ethafoam dulls box cutters very quickly. If you are making several swords, remember to change your box cutter blade often to ensure that your cuts remain even and neat.


 * Very little foam needs to be removed when rounding off the edges - If you take off too much, your blade will be weak and will break quickly.