How to Make a Sword
Draw a sword on paper., Cut and copy the stencil., Cut your wood., Mix epoxy and glue the pieces., Sand your sword., Check your hilt and make final adjustments., Add decoration.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Draw a sword on paper.
More specifically, draw the outline of a sword.
Use rulers to make it reasonably straight, and be as creative with the design as you want.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
This will be the master stencil for your sword.
To make a long sword using this method, you'll need longer paper.
Consider using a length of butcher paper, or buy oversized sheets of craft paper from a craft store. -
Step 2: Cut and copy the stencil.
Carefully cut the sword stencil out of the paper, and then lay it down on the wood you plan to use, which should be a fairly thin (no more than 1” thick) board of whichever wood you like.
Copy the stencil onto the wood, and then copy the hilt (the handle and crosspiece) of the stencil twice more.
The hilt will be thicker than the blade, so you'll cut three pieces of wood for it and glue them together. , Using a jigsaw, cut out the three pieces of wood you've outlined – two hilt pieces and one full sword design.
The cuts will probably be fairly rough; that's fine.
Be sure to cut a little wide rather than a little narrow: wide can be sanded down, but narrow can't be fixed so easily. , The next step is to take a strong epoxy wood glue and mix it to activate it.
Mix it on a piece of paper for easy cleanup.
Once the mixture is active, spread it evenly on one side of each hilt piece and glue them firmly to the center piece, one on each side.
Once the pieces are glued, wait for the epoxy to dry fully, at least 10 minutes.
Get the pieces as evenly lined up as you can, but don't worry if they aren't perfect yet. , Start with the hilt area.
Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand down rough edges and even up all three parts.
You can use a rotary tool to expedite the process, if you want.
Once the hilt is even, use your sandpaper to bevel each side of the blade, making it “sharp.” , Check to be sure your sword's hilt isn't too thick to hold easily; if it is, sand in from each side to make it more slender.
Lay your sword on a graph-lined surface and check to be sure both sides of the crosspiece are even, and the blade is reasonably even on both sides.
Sand down uneven parts until your sword looks more or less symmetrical. , Begin by painting your sword.
At the very basic level, you should spray paint it with a gray primer coat.
Once the primer has dried, you can add metallic paint for a shiny blade, or colors like blue or red to make a “lightsaber.” Once the paint is dry, add a grip.
Duct tape works well, as does wrapped cloth held in place with glue.
You can also wrap leather cord around the grip and tie it off.
Finally, using whatever decorative elements you want, add finishing touches.
If you cover the hilt of your sword when you spray the paint and primer, you can leave it with a natural wood appearance.
Alternatively, consider spraying the hilt gold and the blade silver.
Try gluing large rhinestones to decorate the center of the crosspiece and the pommel (base of the hilt).
Once you're done spray painting, you can use small paintbrushes and acrylic paint to add details, if you want. -
Step 3: Cut your wood.
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Step 4: Mix epoxy and glue the pieces.
-
Step 5: Sand your sword.
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Step 6: Check your hilt and make final adjustments.
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Step 7: Add decoration.
Detailed Guide
More specifically, draw the outline of a sword.
Use rulers to make it reasonably straight, and be as creative with the design as you want.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
This will be the master stencil for your sword.
To make a long sword using this method, you'll need longer paper.
Consider using a length of butcher paper, or buy oversized sheets of craft paper from a craft store.
Carefully cut the sword stencil out of the paper, and then lay it down on the wood you plan to use, which should be a fairly thin (no more than 1” thick) board of whichever wood you like.
Copy the stencil onto the wood, and then copy the hilt (the handle and crosspiece) of the stencil twice more.
The hilt will be thicker than the blade, so you'll cut three pieces of wood for it and glue them together. , Using a jigsaw, cut out the three pieces of wood you've outlined – two hilt pieces and one full sword design.
The cuts will probably be fairly rough; that's fine.
Be sure to cut a little wide rather than a little narrow: wide can be sanded down, but narrow can't be fixed so easily. , The next step is to take a strong epoxy wood glue and mix it to activate it.
Mix it on a piece of paper for easy cleanup.
Once the mixture is active, spread it evenly on one side of each hilt piece and glue them firmly to the center piece, one on each side.
Once the pieces are glued, wait for the epoxy to dry fully, at least 10 minutes.
Get the pieces as evenly lined up as you can, but don't worry if they aren't perfect yet. , Start with the hilt area.
Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand down rough edges and even up all three parts.
You can use a rotary tool to expedite the process, if you want.
Once the hilt is even, use your sandpaper to bevel each side of the blade, making it “sharp.” , Check to be sure your sword's hilt isn't too thick to hold easily; if it is, sand in from each side to make it more slender.
Lay your sword on a graph-lined surface and check to be sure both sides of the crosspiece are even, and the blade is reasonably even on both sides.
Sand down uneven parts until your sword looks more or less symmetrical. , Begin by painting your sword.
At the very basic level, you should spray paint it with a gray primer coat.
Once the primer has dried, you can add metallic paint for a shiny blade, or colors like blue or red to make a “lightsaber.” Once the paint is dry, add a grip.
Duct tape works well, as does wrapped cloth held in place with glue.
You can also wrap leather cord around the grip and tie it off.
Finally, using whatever decorative elements you want, add finishing touches.
If you cover the hilt of your sword when you spray the paint and primer, you can leave it with a natural wood appearance.
Alternatively, consider spraying the hilt gold and the blade silver.
Try gluing large rhinestones to decorate the center of the crosspiece and the pommel (base of the hilt).
Once you're done spray painting, you can use small paintbrushes and acrylic paint to add details, if you want.
About the Author
Jennifer Parker
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
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