Tutorial: Ends of the Earth Keyblade

Hey SE! Gonna post a quick tutorial on how I made this Keyblade.

Things you'll need:

:diamonds: [This|dunkmeinariver.deviantart.com] template

:diamonds: 3/4 inch thick styrofoam

:diamonds: 3/4 inch PVC Pipe cut down to size

:diamonds: Old newspapers

:diamonds: Mod podge

:diamonds: Hot glue

:diamonds: cement or another type of strong super glue

:diamonds: Scissors

:diamonds: Exacto knife or a hot knife

:diamonds: Sand paper

:diamonds: Bondo (optional) or wood filler

:diamonds: Wall putty

:diamonds: craft foam

:diamonds: popsicle sticks

:diamonds: paint (acrylic or spray)

:diamonds: clear coat (I used semi gloss)

:diamonds: Pleather to wrap the handle

Something to note, the template was made in Photoshop. If you don't have that program youll need to find an alternate way of scaling the template. I used PowerPoint to make them a manageable size and then printed it all out and taped it together.

After everything was cut out I glued it to the PVC pipe (hot glue here, super glue etc will corrode the foam) and then started layering it in paper mache.

This is helpful on two levels. First it helps secure everything and make it a little less fragile. Second it seals the foam. So if I use any harsh chemicals like spray paint or resin on it, it wont eat away at the foam.

After the paper mache is applied I took the hand guard template and cut out a portion of it in light craft foam and used cement to secure it to the handle. This gave it a bit of dimension.

Then I started carving the details into the blade with an exacto knife. This can also be done with a hot knife.

It's best to first mark everything out with a Sharpie and shade it in so it's easy to see.

Then i needed to seal the foam again so it doesn't get eaten away by harsh chems. So I applied a few layers of mod podge to the exposed foam.

Next it's time to fill in all the dips and cracks. You can do this with bondo like i do, or use wood filler. I haven't tried the second method so I'm unsure of how well that would work.

When working with Bondo or any other hazardous material it's important to wear protective gear. At least latex gloves to protect your hands. I use popsicle sticks to mix the hardener in and a deck of cards to spread it evenly over the props surface.

¡IMPORTANT!

The more hardener (which is colored red) you mix into the Bondo the faster it cures. Mix in small batches.

Now it's time to sand. This can be done by hand or with an electric sander.

Once you've sanded the Bondo you can apply the wall putty.

After the bondo has set. (Give it a few hours to do so) you sand one more time. This time by hand wall putty is easier to sand than Bondo.

And finally it's time to paint.

And for the finishing touches you can paint the handle portion or wrap it in some grey or black Pleather.

Boom. Keyblade!

Feel free to make comments, ask questions or add suggestions!