core issues

[wolfblade]

is using expanding foam in the hollow part of a pvc core leagle?

[ziglerrobertson]

why would you want too? Seems to me it might throw the balance off. Just stick a bolt into the hilt, close the hilt, add cloth tape and your done. I had some similar questions when I joined, only I didn't think of expanding foam, hard wood and metal yes .

[Baethor]

ziggy's right. theres no rule against it, per se...but why would you want to?

[Zaron]

The only reason I can see to do that is to add weight to a smaller light weapon or to make the PVC abit stronger, but if it's just strength your looking for, go with fiberglass. You can get driveway makers from any hardware store and double them up to make a very strong, reasonably light weight core.

[Stubbie]

We've tried using the expandafoam to strength the haft of a red axe a member made up here. Not sure it it was the foam reinforcing the PVC. sced. 40 or the face he slotted the PVC to attach the heads but it just SNAPPED off an inch or two under the head, which was where the expandafoam had stopped in the shaft.

[wolfblade]

okay the problem is i am making a 10 ft red barrel mace with a stab tip the problem is with a good swing it bends i little too much and i am worried about the wip on it hurtin someone so i want to make the core a bit more sturdy so i am not getting the extra force when i swing this thing.

[Baethor]

...why?

speaking as the only person i know of to have made a PASSING red barrel mace, a 10 footer is just ridiculous. mine is only just over 5 feet and its unwieldy as an elephant on a tightwire. fun and scary, but completely useless on the field. i can only imagine the impracticality of a 10 foot barrel mace if you yourself are not 11 feet tall and an olympic strongman. i could gaurantee anyone who knows how to fight against a red would beat you every time, and in a line or bridge battle, that thing would just be a liability.


if you want a veteran foamsmith and weapons checkers advice, it would cut the weight if you made a hafted mace, you have a smaller striking surface, but you cut the weight by a lot and its a LOT safer, and for the saftey of everyone, no taller then yourself man...its not a rule but its practical, and controllable

Best idea is to do what i did, get an edhellen red sword, like the claymore, strip it to the core and build the mace off of that core

[wolfblade]

no money but if i do cut it down i can make two wepons now ;D

[Zaron]

Hey, I've made a passing red mace before Beathor, but you are correct, that is a weapon like manslayer that is more for fun than for any practicality.

[Baethor]

I never knew ya did, when did you do that? I've only ever seen your swords.

the difference between Zaron, someone who works out like a crazy crazy man, and wolfy here. is that Z is strong enough to make people fall down when he hits them with a weapon that size.

[wolfblade]

;Ddont be to sure about that i can stun people with a single blue and ive broken a wepon by blocking. ;D one easy step to turn ingvars mace into a flail ;D

[Zaron]

It's not a matter of how hard you can hit them. With weapons of that size, they just aren't fast enough for a single opponent. I only use manslayer as a joke really. I built it for a bridge battle to knock everyone off the bridge, but it's a terribly ineffective weapon, no matter how strong you are.

And Beathor, I had to rebuild one my first year after we broke the only one in MM so we'd have our birthday beating tool.

[wolfblade]

oh i already agreed to cut i t down to 5 ft but still my favorite killing method a powered block then 1 dubble tap an arm 2 roll off hammer the back or 3 guid into the now exposed chest. my biggest problem is keeping form so i dont expose myself as zaron already knows but i found at the event the 3rd, block then a hard punch swing to the chest, is most effective and least exposing

[Zaron]

You're going to have to work on your footwork alot if you want to use reds as well. Honestly the only way for a red fighter to beat a good sword and board fighter is with footwork.

[wolfblade]

yes good point !

[Sir Storm Brightblade]

okay i've never made polearms before and im wondering if a 3/4 40 schedule pipe works for them? or do i need thicker?

[Baethor]

personally, i've found pvc in general is a bad core for polearms. Bandshoppe pole or solid fiberglass work best.

[Stubbie]

I'd suggest sced. 80 if your going to use PVC for reds. We made a 5' spear outta 3/4 sced. 40 and it whipped more than it stabbed, lol.

We've several glaives up here made out of 1" sced. 80 and they've held up well so far. Have much less flex than the 3/4" sced. 80 red sword that was built.

But if you can get the fiberglass, go for it. PVC doesn't take big vibration well. Snapped several blue's and a spear shaft of PVC.