I may be insane, but I want to create a Soul Calibur 3 version of Siegfried. I’m not very confident of my ability to finish him by Halloween, but I do want to try making the costume, and if I finish by Halloween, so much the better. If I can’t do it for Halloween, maybe it’ll be complete for PMX.

I had started on the P1 sword (Requiem), and got about halfway done before deciding that it wouldn’t work as designed – I was using a plastic tube to form the hilt and support the blade, and it was just too weak where it made the transition from hilt to blade. Since I’d already fiberglassed the whole outside, that meant starting over. I’m now maybe 30% done with the new blade, which has a much stronger base rod.

Both versions of the sword were made using a plastic tube for the hilt/blade core, with foam blocks and sheets used to build up the overall shape. For this new version, first I wrapped several layers of fiberglass on the tube, from the pommel to about 2 feet into the blade, for strength. I then bonded some interior foam blocks to the tube using more fiberglass, to make sure the hilt won’t move independently of the blade and to give the blade thickness and shape. Next, I will bond outer foam sheets, which have been cut to the overall shape of the blade, to the inner, to give the exterior blade shape. Finally, I will coat the exterior of the blade with fiberglass, and add the crossguard and pommel.

If I have enough time each day, I should complete the sword by Sunday, minus painting. Then on to the armor…

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