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xXSnowFrostXx β€” WIP - Ryuko Scissor Blade (Tutorial)

Published: 2014-01-27 07:38:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 28903; Favourites: 360; Downloads: 413
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Description So I received a commission for the scissorblade of Ryuko Matoi from Kill la Kill

this is a very interesting weapon and though i thought it was simple it proved to be quite detailed and i just wanted to share my process with you all>< All this was done in a process of 3 days and it will be finished tomorrow, so 4 days total to make this entire prop


Materials:

-good reference

-drafting things (paper, pencil, color pencil, ruler, etc.)

-insulation foam

-scroll saw

-dremel

-hand sander

-spackling paste (something to fill in holes)

-rough sand paper

-ultra fine sand paper

-wood glue (and something to apply with, so paint brush)

-plastidip (comes in red, black or white)

-acrylic paint

-gloss spray paint


Final Product: xxsnowfrostxx.deviantart.com/a…


Steps:

1) started off by finding a nice reference and making an accurate flat reference. I scaled it and pulled the ratio up to the size i wanted, for this sword, i scaled it to fit my commissioner and it ended up being 42 inches long. I like to also draw in all the beveled edges in my reference and make small notes of how i wanted each edge to be sanded.


2) I used a piece of insulation foam and scaled it from a 12 inch model to the 42 inch life-size sword. Drew it out on my foam, including all the beveled edges.


3) Using my 18 inch scroll saw, cut out the general shape keeping close to the lines I drew and then used a small drill to get the holes and then gradually sanding it to make it the size i want.Β 


4) cutting and sanding was on the same day, so i beveled all the edges using a hand sander, smaller areas like the hilt area where the handle and blade connected i had to sand by hand to get the small details. The entire handle is also rounded to it fits the hand better and is more comfortable. The detailing at the top of the hilt I kinda made up, probably not canon but looks nice so I kept it and it was more in-depth in my opinion to keep it that way. After the initial sanding with rough sand paper, i used a fine sander to make it smooth.


5) Up until step 4, the insulation foam is super weak and flimsy which is good since as your sanding and cutting you might be a bit more rough so having a very flimsy board keeps it from breaking, the tip was extremely bendy as well since I had sanded it down so much so it requires some hardening. I used speckling paste to fill in holes and also the uneven surfaces and used an ultra fine grit sanding paper and hand sanded the entire sword down. Afterwards, I took wood glue and applied 2-3 layers. This hardens up the foam as well as seals it from being ruined by the elements and chemicals. Between each layer, i sanded it down with the ultra fine sand paper so that each layer is ensure to be super smooth.


6) I took rubbing alcohol and wiped the sword down to make sure its free of dust before taking it to my spray station. Be careful and wear protective things like goggles and a mask!! I did 3 thin layers of red plastidip so it will be more solid and be able to take some damage, and then a thicker layer of plastidip to end. Did it in 15 minute intervals to allow some dry time and its now curing for the next 4-10 hours in the garage without being disturbed to make sure its completely cured.


7) not shown but it will receive some weathering/shadow effects with acrylic paint and then be hit with gloss paint tomorrow for finished look!!

Related content
Comments: 60

xXSnowFrostXx In reply to ??? [2016-01-09 06:38:58 +0000 UTC]

i just used spray paint i had which was red gloss spray paint, if you dont have something glossy, after you finish painting you can give it a gloss coat to make it shiney

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WolfsMoon1 In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2016-01-09 16:53:03 +0000 UTC]

Do you still know theΒ brand name of the spray paint? c:
I had to find out that not every spray paint isΒ suitable for it :/

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to WolfsMoon1 [2016-01-10 02:08:26 +0000 UTC]

krylon

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rainbowpartyghoul [2015-04-30 21:54:58 +0000 UTC]

With the installation foam did you get 1 or 2 in in depth , lIke how thick was it

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to rainbowpartyghoul [2015-05-02 06:34:37 +0000 UTC]

1 inch

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Trajectory54 In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2019-03-16 22:13:34 +0000 UTC]

do you think 10mm would work too?

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C0oK13-T0oTHP4ST [2015-04-28 15:57:29 +0000 UTC]

Hello--
Thank you so much for this tutorial. Just to make sure:Β 
Is spackling paste used to protect it from the chemicals in wood paint? I was thinking about just using the wood paint and plastidip to harden the foam.

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to C0oK13-T0oTHP4ST [2015-04-29 01:37:21 +0000 UTC]

i use spackling paste to smooth out the surface
the foam is not always smooth and sometimes you find these little black pellets inside that once you take out it leaves a little hole, so i just use to fill them up
the wood pain does nothing to the foam though

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rabbityRogue [2015-01-01 16:20:56 +0000 UTC]

Hi! One friend and I are doing this for a con, and I was wondering, is it really necessary to use plastidip? What do you use it for, other than the color? I'm making the purple one, and it's a color plasti-dip doesn't seem to have, so I was going to use a standar paint spray. Does it matter?
Thank you very much!

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to rabbityRogue [2015-01-17 17:11:08 +0000 UTC]

i used the plastidip to help make it more sturdy on top of color
you dont really need it for color, it just so happened to come in red haha but for stability it helps

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Night-Faun [2014-09-21 01:44:16 +0000 UTC]

This is really helpful! Thank you!
This'll be my first time making a prop though, have any advice?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to Night-Faun [2014-09-30 23:50:09 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad
honestly just take your time^^ its better to not rush and do it right the first time than having to keep remaking it
and don't make your expectations so high its your first time, theres bound to be mistakes! you just gotta learn from it!

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happy-coyote [2014-08-16 20:20:01 +0000 UTC]

Do you know if the finished product would be allowed for cons? I know they all are different but just a general guess?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to happy-coyote [2014-08-23 03:06:30 +0000 UTC]

I'm pretty sure it is allowed
so far no one who's gotten a sword from me or have used my method has said anything about having problems getting the sword into a con (its so lightweight most people are astonished and definitely not concerned about it being a hazard)
plus i've seen plenty of other scissor blades at cons that are made from far more sturdy and "hazardous" stuff than my own like plastic and wood

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happy-coyote In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-08-24 21:12:50 +0000 UTC]

Okay! Thanks so much, you're very helpful!

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unfayzable [2014-08-03 02:11:29 +0000 UTC]

love it!

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Johnscott2133 [2014-06-25 07:55:19 +0000 UTC]

I love the outcome! Also, never thought about using woodglue as a hardener for my creations. Thank you for posting this

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to Johnscott2133 [2014-06-27 03:49:25 +0000 UTC]

your welcome good luck on your projects!

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NekoJulio [2014-06-24 23:35:11 +0000 UTC]

THANK. YOU. SO. MUCH.

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to NekoJulio [2014-06-27 03:49:07 +0000 UTC]

good luck on your projects!

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NekoJulio In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-06-27 17:30:32 +0000 UTC]

thank you!!

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MQ-Studios [2014-06-18 13:14:50 +0000 UTC]

Great work thank you! Β I was planning on making my blade from insulation foam too that stuff is kind of amazing. Β One question though, is this pretty durable once it's all said and done? Β I usually seal mine with a bunch of layers of Gesso, then Modge Podge, then prime, paint, and seal. Β It's reasonably durable but it still can be dented if I'm not careful. Β I am wondering if trying your method with the spackling paste/wood glue/plastidip would make it more durable than my method? Β Thanks again really nice job!

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to MQ-Studios [2014-06-19 03:58:02 +0000 UTC]

it won't dent but if you hit it too hard or bend it a lot it of course will either crack the glue or break the sword
wood glue is more durable and thicker than gesso and mod podge so it will feel a lot stronger and have a hard outer shell

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bacongremory [2014-06-18 09:24:54 +0000 UTC]

Im not sure if i got the right type of insulation foam, mine basically looks like Styrofoam D: would this work???

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to bacongremory [2014-06-19 03:56:27 +0000 UTC]

it shouldn't be grainy and easily broken apart
if you ask any person from a general hardware store they should know what it is since its use in installing walls

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bacongremory In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-06-26 02:49:53 +0000 UTC]

oh gotcha, i might have to buy a new foam board then D: oh well, sorry for asking so many questions but for the wood glue did you use a brush to coat it?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to bacongremory [2014-06-27 03:48:54 +0000 UTC]

yes its very thick so after you brush it on it will naturally start to meld together and won't be streaky like gesso does

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bacongremory In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-06-29 22:35:29 +0000 UTC]

what kind of brush did u use? my brush isn't working D: lol

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to bacongremory [2014-07-01 02:33:45 +0000 UTC]

i just use a regular paint brush

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bacongremory [2014-06-10 08:19:25 +0000 UTC]

awesome scissor blade! aside from the power tools, we're the supplies relatively cheap?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to bacongremory [2014-06-12 16:31:53 +0000 UTC]

Yes, I get my stuff in bulk but for a full insulation board its around $15 (and I make around 5-6 swords from a full sheet), plastidip is $3-4 and comes in red, wood glue i also buy in bulk for $5 a bottle and lasts me a few projects for things like armor and props
cheap cheap cheap

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bacongremory In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-06-17 04:13:22 +0000 UTC]

oh wow that's awesome and super cheap thank you!!!

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dbnibbles [2014-05-21 01:16:15 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for sharing! I have a question; do i have to use a saw to cut the foam? what else can be used to cut the foam. Also, how much would you say it costs to get all the materials? can you estimate?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to dbnibbles [2014-06-12 16:33:38 +0000 UTC]

sorry for late response
I use a table saw but you can also use things like a hot wire or just a knife really
material wise I buy everything in bulk and that's around $30-50 and makes around 5-6 swords, 1 sword i think probably costs me like $10 in materials and the most expensive thing is probably the plastidip that comes at $3-4 a can

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dbnibbles In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-06-13 21:03:54 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! This is super helpful!

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ryuhia [2014-04-30 23:55:19 +0000 UTC]

Could you estimate how many oz you used for the acrylic ? ;v;
Also, what brands did you use for the plastidip and gloss paint??

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to ryuhia [2014-05-03 01:52:49 +0000 UTC]

sorry for late response but for your question
i didn't mean like acrylic paint in the tube, it is acrylic spray paint, so its just like a transparent gloss spray paint and it gives the blade a clear coat. I just sprayed 2-3 coats until its an even glossy coat

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mekkata [2014-04-20 19:29:45 +0000 UTC]

What size insulation foam did you buy (thickness)? Β 

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to mekkata [2014-04-21 18:13:44 +0000 UTC]

the insulation at my home depot only comes in one size so its 1inch

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Venegal [2014-04-16 18:21:08 +0000 UTC]

Oh this is sweet, just a question, after the glue coats and plasti-dip are on but the sword is still not perfectly smooth, should I just sand the bumpy areas, and apply glue and plasti on those areas again ?

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to Venegal [2014-04-16 18:27:27 +0000 UTC]

i would say go over the plasti with the glue and sand
generally you don't want to sand plasti since its rubber so the grains in the sandpaper will rip the plasti and make it worst than before, sometimes it will even peel off
you want to do the glue and just sand the glue until its the smoothness you want and plasti again. And to help the plasti come out more even and not bumpy, remember to wipe off the sword to get all the glue you sanded off completely off and do really thin layers of plasti in layers to start off, maybe 3-5 layers, then you can get more heavy with the plasti to make sure its smooth

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Venegal In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-04-16 18:31:54 +0000 UTC]

All right so; glue coats -> sanding -> plasti-dip -> (If not smooth enough) glue coat the plasti-dip -> sand the plasti-dip again.
Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β 

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to Venegal [2014-04-17 02:54:13 +0000 UTC]

yep

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karebear1012 [2014-04-09 00:01:12 +0000 UTC]

If I'm around 5'3"/160 cm, how tall would the Scissor Blade be?Β 

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to karebear1012 [2014-04-09 01:09:47 +0000 UTC]

around 36 inches

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SkyTh0rn [2014-04-07 05:24:38 +0000 UTC]

Can I ask something? What is that flat board thing on the second picture? Thanks!

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to SkyTh0rn [2014-04-07 06:59:44 +0000 UTC]

the flat board is insulation foam, i buy mine at home depot generally next to their variety of wood

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SkyTh0rn In reply to xXSnowFrostXx [2014-04-07 18:17:37 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I see. By foam, I thought it's the soft thing. Lol. Thanks for the reply!

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xXSnowFrostXx In reply to SkyTh0rn [2014-04-08 04:30:48 +0000 UTC]

YW happy constructing!

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usadere [2014-04-06 22:11:44 +0000 UTC]

How much would it roughly cost for me to commission a purple one for my Nui Harime cosplay?

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