I wanted to build some exhibition weapons that would not be part of the official electric knife competition. Since we haven't released the rules as of writing this, I decided that I would not enter with anything I built beforehand. The transparent handle knife falls into this category, even though the handle is the only non-spec material.
My first exhibition weapon would be a sword. I based my measurements on wooden practice swords, bokkens, but I made a straight blade, instead of one with a curve. I guess that makes it more like a ninjatō.
My first plan was to buy a practice sword, add the electrical parts, and call it a day, but I thought that would create some of the same problems as last year's knives, so I bought a five-foot piece of semi-flexible water pipe, which is what I used for the knife handles. I planned to heat and flatten the blade portion.
I cut a 40" length of pipe, scratched off the paint, and measured up for the size I thought would make a comfortable handle. The handle portion of the sword hung over the edge of a pair of 2x4s. I heated the pipe with a heat gun, but I couldn't generate enough pressure with hand clamps. The heat gun had a tapered attachment that I used to blow air down the pipe.
I drilled eight evenly spaced 1/4" (6mm) holes into the 2x4s, and inserted carriage bolts, washers, and nuts. This time, I heated the pipe with the same heat gun, and when it was hot to touch, I tightened the nuts and compressed the tube.
When the plastic cooled, the blade was mostly flat. I was not expecting perfectly folded plastic, which would have been very weak in one direction. The plastic at the handle end overheated, so it distorted.
When I marked off the handle, I didn't account for distorted plastic waste or the switch, so it went from being two hands long to hand-and-a-half. I drilled the holes to mount a switch, but I didn't add any electronics yet.
Hackaday.io EleKSco page.
Thingiverse page for switch adapter.
GitHub EleKSco repo.
The rest of the exhibition weapon posts have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2020-03-31
My first exhibition weapon would be a sword. I based my measurements on wooden practice swords, bokkens, but I made a straight blade, instead of one with a curve. I guess that makes it more like a ninjatō.
My first plan was to buy a practice sword, add the electrical parts, and call it a day, but I thought that would create some of the same problems as last year's knives, so I bought a five-foot piece of semi-flexible water pipe, which is what I used for the knife handles. I planned to heat and flatten the blade portion.
I cut a 40" length of pipe, scratched off the paint, and measured up for the size I thought would make a comfortable handle. The handle portion of the sword hung over the edge of a pair of 2x4s. I heated the pipe with a heat gun, but I couldn't generate enough pressure with hand clamps. The heat gun had a tapered attachment that I used to blow air down the pipe.
Semi-flexible pipe clamped between 2x4s
I drilled eight evenly spaced 1/4" (6mm) holes into the 2x4s, and inserted carriage bolts, washers, and nuts. This time, I heated the pipe with the same heat gun, and when it was hot to touch, I tightened the nuts and compressed the tube.
Pipe and wooden press
When the plastic cooled, the blade was mostly flat. I was not expecting perfectly folded plastic, which would have been very weak in one direction. The plastic at the handle end overheated, so it distorted.
Cool sword
When I marked off the handle, I didn't account for distorted plastic waste or the switch, so it went from being two hands long to hand-and-a-half. I drilled the holes to mount a switch, but I didn't add any electronics yet.
Switch on a hand-and-a-half handle
Hackaday.io EleKSco page.
Thingiverse page for switch adapter.
GitHub EleKSco repo.
The rest of the exhibition weapon posts have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2020-03-31
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