Making Boffers! (A lot of them!)

Hello there, ladies and gentlemen of Knight Realms. Most of you know me as Terzak, otherwise known as "A Fine Example as for why Travancians should not eat whatever they see." I am not a new player, but I am making a few weapons for people that will be, and I figure a new player might appreciate this information.

Anyway, I'm going to be making boffers for people, so I have a few links from all my time gathering knowledge on the subject. I want to know if anything I do in these videos will make really (and I mean really) unsafe boffers.

Complex, beautiful boffers/ not bad latex weapons
(From Dystopia Rising, thanks Deric!)


Simple, not bad looking boffers/ sort of bad but kinda OK latex weapons (Makes a hammer head entirely out of open celled foam, but uses enough to cushion the core, I think)


Level 2 boffer sword, (add open cell foam if you don't want to die)


Level 3 Boffer sword, modify with above


Boffer Shield, requires a lot of cardboard, worth it. (This is in accordance with the shield rules, as much as I can tell)


Axes! (actually adds open celled foam on an axe blade)


I'm going to be making a sword in accordance to the first link and an axe or two, but I want to know what I can and cannot do to make cool yet safe boffers.

www.knightrealms.com/game-play/weapons-a...-boffer-weapons.html (I have read this, but I want to know if you specifically can't use things like double-sided tape or certain brands of of contact cement.)

WOO BOFFERSMITHING!!!

Awesome hobby to get into, to supplement your other hobby.

I've made old-school boffers for a good long time, and am attempting to get into latex-style creations. Here are my notes and some links to vendors. Hopefully some of it helps you on your journey.

(Note: At work and cannot watch videos. Apologies if the following has been covered)

For cores, schedule 20 PVC makes for a nice light core for weapons up to around 45". For longer than that you will start to see whip and might want to go up to schedule 40.

The cadillac of cores are fiberglass kitespar tubes, which you can find here:
goodwinds.com/larp

If you go with fiberglass and need to cut it, take all precautions. Fiberglass can splinter and those splinters can embed in your skin and will ,best case, itch for 3 weeks or more, worst case cause blindness. Go in with a hacksaw. Wear gloves, goggles, and wrap the location where you intend to make the cut with duct tape to prevent it from splintering. After it's cut, wrap the entire thing in duct tape or strapping tape so if the weapon does break in combat, the fiberglass is contained and will not splinter and cause exacerbated injury.

Glue? Super77 by 3M, available everywhere from Home Depot to CVS. Use outside with plenty of ventilation, and wear gloves. No, seriously. WEAR. GLOVES. Otherwise you will stick to everything for a week. It will be like Peter Parker without all the useful super powers.

Foam is perhaps the most important aspect of the weapon and along with the core is the main factor in its safety. Make certain you're using the right kind of foam for the job. For larger weapons, camp mats tend to be a little on the dense side and can really clock someone.

I like these guys for my closed-cell projects:
www.foambymail.com/closed-cell-foams.html

I prefer the Cross Linked Polyethylene. They sell it by the sheet and it is great for everything from blades to shields.

For open cell, for axe/hammer heads, old couch cushions are good, but air-conditioner foam is choice (the stuff you use to line your window bay when you put in a window AC unit). It's extremely airy and crushes easily. Usually grey in color and comes in 1x1x36 or 2x2x36 lengths, ideal for forming weapon heads. While a cheaper/free option, old couch cushions can also be very dense/brittle/smell of butts, so check the foam out to make sure it's in good shape before using it. The best rule of thumb is "Would I really want to get clobbered by this?"

You can't use latex on open-cell foam, but you can get the 1/16" skins from foam factory, put them over the closed cell, and latex them.

I'm presently experimenting with Plasti Dip as an alternative to latex, as people swear by the stuff. Black as a base coat, paint to suit, and then the clear coat afterwards.

Happy smithing!

Don't use puzzle foam, it doesn't get approved.

Source: Made a sword out of puzzle foam for this event, was not approved.