1. sports
2. fencing

How to Make: Axe/Hammer Core
Tools and Materials
The tools you will need are the same as the tools used to make the sword core. Remember
to be safe and cut away from all body parts.
From left to right: Foam (as found in seat cushions or similar) stiff fiberglass rod (mainly
used to line driveways with), 1/2 inch PVC (white in color), and 3/4 inch pipe insulation.
The foam usually comes in 2 and 4 inch thick increments and can be quite expensive to buy
at fabric/craft stores. Recycle old cushions wherever possible to save money.
close up of the writing on the PVC pipe used for this project.
The Core
The fiberglass rod used for this project
came in a 4 ft length. measure to 24
inches and cut. you will need two 24 inch
lengths of fiberglass rod.
tape the fiberglass rods together using 1
layer of tape.
Cut the PVC to 3 ft in length. Pictured is the 3ft of PVC and 2ft of fiberglass rods taped
together
slide the fiberglass rods into the end of
the PVC.
if you are having trouble getting them to
fit, go to a cement sidewalk or similar and
tap/pound the fiberglass rods into the
PVC. the tape may curl and strip off - do
not worry about that.
be sure to leave at least 1 inch sticking
out the end.
once you put enough tape on that is is
about the same diameter as the PVC, tape
over the joint and join the plug to the
PVC.
use strips of tape to build up over the end.
Finished end. You can skip coring with
Fiberglass rod if you wish, but your
axe/hammer will wobble a bit when
swung. You can reduce the wobble by
cutting the PVC to only 30-32 inches.
The Tip
cut a strip of insulation about 6-8 inches
in length.
slide it into the end of the PVC leaving 34 inches sticking out the end. tape around
the joint.
tape lengthwise across this.
finished tip.
The finished core.
Axe
Cutting Foam
This project needs only a 2 inch thick piece of foam for the
blade. However if your foam is thicker, here is a method to
cut it so that it is 2 inches thick.
start by tracing a line around the rim of your piece so that it
measures 2 inches from one edge. Cut along the line with a
box cutter (essentially a long razor) 2-4 inches deep all the
way around.
Separate the foam with one hand and continue to cut
keeping parallel to the lines and cuts you have already
made.
final cuts.
Shaping the Axe Blade
The axe blade should be 2 inches thick
and about 12-15 inches long at the cutting
edge of the blade. The part that will meet
the shaft of the axe should be at least 8
inches long. Trace a rough design onto
the foam and cut away any excess.
Shape the cutting edge of the axe blade
by cutting the corners off to create a blade
edge.
Cut a hole out of the center. this will aid
in collapsing the blade on impact and help
later on when you affix the blade to the
shaft.
The rough finished axe blade.
Attaching the Blade to the Haft
small diameter nylon rope through the
hole.
Poke a hole through the axe blade 1 inch
from the point at which it will join the
haft (see pictures below). Thread twine or
Poke holes down the length, threading the
twine through. wrap it around the haft as
you go.
It should look similar to this when you
reach the end.
Slide the foam up so that it is 2-3 inches
over the end of the PVC. this will keep
the very top edge of the PVC from
causing injury when you swing it.
Tighten the strings to the shaft and tie the
ends of the strings together and tape over
the strings so that they cannot move on
the shaft.
use long strips of tape to tape through
your center hole and around the shaft.
Use layers of tape to cover the joint and
affix the foam securely to the shaft.
Use more tape than you think, as this
joint sees a lot of stress and can tear
loose.
Padding the Haft
cut a length of pipe insulation from the handle area to 2 inches past the top of the flexible
tip.
slit the insulation down the line on one
side only and pop it over the PVC.
tape the tip closed and tape the insulation
closed along where you cut.
Arrange the insulation like so and cut an
angle for a spike at the tip.
use strips of tape to tape the insulation to
the blade.
Finished joint.
Extra padding on the Shaft
When the weapon is swung, you may not always contact with just the blade. To help
prevent injury, the area from the blade to the handle on the haft needs to have extra
padding. cut a length of pipe insulation tube and cut it in half.
tape this to the shaft so that it faces the same direction as the axe blade.
Another view.
find a 2 inch x 6-8 inch long x 1/2 inch or
so thick bit of the foam that you cut away
from the axe blade earlier.
tape it just below the blade. Be sure not to
crush the foam too much while taping as
it will loose it's padding value if crushed.
cover with tape.
Pommel
For the end of the axe, cut a 3-4 inch
length of 3/4 inch pipe insulation tubing.
Slide over the end but leave 1 inch or so
gap at the end.
fill the gap with bits of pipe insulation.
this will help retain it's stiffness and give
an area of padding in case of impact on
another player.
affix to the haft with tape and close end with tape.
Spike
cut a 4 inch tube of pipe insulation and
cut it at a 45 degree angle to form a spike.
tape into place opposite the blade.
tape the tip closed. this is
more for aesthetic
reasons that an actual
attack surface.
Finishing Touches
tape insulation securely
at all points.
Cover the blade in tape.
it helps if you start at the
edges and work towards
the center.
Repair Points
At the point where the blade touches the shaft here, the tape will tear. you will need to
periotically add more tape at this joint to keep it strong.
The extra padding on the shaft will also need to be replaced as it will become damaged
from repeated impacts with other weapons.
Finished Axe
To make a double bladed axe, simply repeat the blade construction on the other side of the
shaft - it looks better if the blade is larger than on this design. Use the string method as on
the sword core for the handle.
Hammer
Hammerhead
Cut a block of foam 4 inches thick x 10-14 inches long x 6 - 8
inches tall. If the foam you have is only 2 inches thick, cut two
equal sized pieces instead and stack them together so that the
make 4 inches thick.
If you are using a 4 inch thick piece of foam, make a slit 1/2
way through the foam in the center. this is the slot the PVC will
fit into.
If you are using two 2-inch thick pieces of foam, place them on
either side of the PVC.
poke two holes though the center of the foam. Thread the twine or soft nylon rope though
them.
tie a knot across the PVC.
cut off the excess twine and tape over the
knot. Make sure that the flexible tip on
the core is not sticking out the top of the
foam.
if you are using two 2-inch thick foam
sections, poke holes through the foam
next to the PVC and thread the twine
through, tying knots and taping them to
the shaft.
Thread another piece of twine under the
PVC.
poke two holes at a angle through the
foam and thread the twine through.
tie the gap closed.
Tape over the gap to hold the knot in
place.
Cut a tube of 3/4 inch pipe insulation
about 12 inches long.
cut the tube in half, tape the two halves
together at the ends.
bend over the top of the hammerhead. this
will help stabilize the foam and keep it
attached after high impact.
Tape securely to the shaft.
you just did. Make a pommel like with
the Axe design.
Slide another piece over the end and
cover the area from the handle to the part
Add an extra layer of insulation to both
sides of the shaft as with the axe design.
Cut two thin strips of foam.
Place them on either side of the shaft.
tape the foam to the stabilizing insulation
strip so that it cannot slip.
they should measure about 8-10 inches
long.
as with the axe, be sure to tape them
securely but so not crush the foam too
much when taping.
use layers of tape at this joint - like the
axe this is the spot that will see the most
stress and tear. you will need to replace
the tape here eventually.
tape cross ways to hold the layers of tape
in place.
hammer at this point.
start by taping the edges.
taped edge. once all of them are done, fill
in the flat areas with tape.
to help cushion the blow of the hammer to areas like the head, poke holes in the side of the
tape to let air escape more easily.
finished hammer. Use the string method as on the longsword to cover the handle.