Every Built your Own weapons?

[SeekerOfWisdom]

I am currently building my own 3 section staff. I looked at some webpages and looking at the design of them and found them rather poorly made. So instead of buying onw I am makeing my own. Anyone else every built a weapon to train? Cause I am also considering building my own 9-11 section Chain Whip. Any feed back is welcome.

[Stolenbjorn]

Well, I have for econimical and practical reasons made my own wooden sparring longswords. (Or wasters, as my teacher calls them as they all break after some time.) -Still cheaper than burning one for $80...

[dmiller575]

Yes I made a Chinese Straight sword to use in Tai Chi Chuan.

I found the whole exercise very useful as I first had to find out what dimensions the sword should have. I also had to make sure that it was safe (not fall apart) and also legal (not sharp ).

It was surprisingly difficult to find out any hard a fast rules about the dimensions.

I also made a few spears - again for Tai Chi Chuan. Again it is difficult to find out what dimensions to conform to.

At the time though I did not know about MAP so I guess that if I posed the question here I might get a flood of information.

So here are the few rules I found out,

Straight Sword
Width of blade - no more than 1.5 inches otherwise it becomes a broadsword of some kind even though it has two edges.
Length - If you hold the weapon in your hand butt down as in the ready stance the tip of the sword should come to the top of the ear. However most folk prefer to use a longer sword than this as it gives a better feedback.

Spear
Width - Tapering from about 1.25 inches down to maybe .75 inches.

Height - Put the butt of the spear on the ground and you should just be able to touch the point with your arm outstretched above your head. Otherwise go for the longest section of dowelling you can get up to 9 feet.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying these measurements are correct but these were the sort of rules that my research uncovered. Any other offerings.

[johndoch]

hehe,

One of the guys I work with made a bazooka out of a couple of plastic pipes, hairspray and a sparky thing. He showed us a video clip of it shooting an orange through 5mm plywood. Looked pretty cool

[Coyote]

I've made my own tonfa, after getting a couple of pairs from Century that were just unsatisfactory. When you make 'em yourself, you can make sure they are proportioned correctly, put a better knob at the top of the grip, and take that darned wobble out, but good.

[47Ronin]

Made my own Boku, made a number of bo's. Made my own tsuka for a sword. Thinking of making another boku for a friend...

[Cudgel]

i have made a series of weapons for sparring from kendo shinai.
I take the shiani apart and duct tape teh planks together in a more blade like shape adding weights as needed.
I right now have two knives I made from half of a shinai, a dagger for cut and thrust work and my baby, a grete-sworde, it weighs a wopping 3 lbs and stands about 5'4". It is quite effective against dual weilding foes. I've also made axes from heavey foam, pvc pipe with a wood core and carrige bolts for blancing weights. But I've managed to kill all of my good axes, not strong enough to do hooking techniques.

I also made a 'walking stick' in wood shop out of walnut, not the best wood for a weapon, too brittle and it transmits too much shock down it when it strikes.

[SeekerOfWisdom]

I got the rest of the parts for the 3 section staff today. Were the chain connects to the wood I used shackles and the staves are oak. Going to try it out tomorrow cause when I finished it it was night so to dark to do much. I also have use of a forge but currently it is down. I plan on trying to make folded daggers and swords but that is further down the road. I have already revamped some of the swords that I have bought over the years and made battle ready. Anyone got any good ideas for making a Chain whip?

[Brad Ellin]

I make most of my training weapons.. a kyoketsu shoge, 2 dozen tantos and kusarigama, all out of poly board (cutting board). I also made training hanbos and jo out of PVC pipe and insulating foam and electrical tape.

[peacfulwarrior]

I once made a pair of nunchakus just to play around but when I started to get good at it I bought a pair. A friend had a rubber pair but I didn't like it to much so I pretty much started training with wooden one's. This was my favorite weapon, the weapon of choice for me. I am now intersted in the 3 sectional staff but not the really long ones I like them a little shorter wth each section no longer then 20 inches I think the traditional ones are 24 and up.

[littlebird]

Practice weapons shouldn't be much of a problem at home,
with a power saw, a grinder. or even just hand tools.

With skill, some tools, and a bit of work, you can make a nice knife or spear head.. A sword is something else I would imagine.

Still a nice rubber version allows you to thrust a knife without bruising your opponent.

Improvised weapons are a bit differrent.

Walk through the woods or even the streets and look for things that with what is at hand can be turned into reasonable weapons.

For a little more sophistication, go see the movie.
"The Hunted"

Interesting ...

[Reiki]

I made our arnis sticks out of lancewood which is a native hardwood and is extremely strong but has good elastic properties so that the sticks do not shatter during hard use and are able to take a constant impact.

We've found this material to be really good for sticks, it is hard to work and get the bark off initially but using a small handplane it eventually came off and the result is really lively sticks to work with!

[Freeform]

I've made a couple of Kubotans in my time.

A bit of alloy, a lathe and pedestal drill, easy really.

Made some alloy tanto's too. A hacksaw, vice and some files, made a nice job of it if I do say so myself. I also sand down new Jo's when I get them to make them run a bit smoother.

Col

[YODA]

Made a nice stick once...

1. Bough 4 Cell maglite
2. Held in sweaty mitt
3. RESULT!

[Freeform]

If we're gonna get picky Dave ;)

1. Heavy Glass Ashtray
2. Held in trembling hand
3. RESULT!

:D

[YODA]

Nice one :D

Did the same with steaming hot chips & peas once :D

[littlebird]

1. lithe 5' 2" fire brand (edited)
2. held against hot sweaty trembling body
3. RESULT!!

(just about burned out every power cell I had.)

[ns_oni]

"hehe,

One of the guys I work with made a bazooka out of a couple of plastic pipes, hairspray and a sparky thing. He showed us a video clip of it shooting an orange through 5mm plywood. Looked pretty cool"

:D we used to make them aswell, they're called spud cannons here.

ive also made a non-sharp spear

[Stolenbjorn]

My brother in law have made a balista and a trebuchet once. The balista used a broomstick as arrow, it went about 200 yards!

they fired 10liter containers with the trebuchet, but it was a bit difficult to aim proparly. Once they hit a ferry in the fjord they were firing out on...

[shunyadragon]

Learning to care for and make your own weapons is a traditional part of all weapons Arts in the Orient.

Even though it is difficult to make sword blades every on can easily learn how to make good grips.

Wooden weapons should never be made of soft woods like soft pine. They should be made of select hard woods. Wooden weapons should never be varnished or laquored. They should be stained or oiled and maintained by light sanding and periodic oiling.

Wooden weapons should be stored lying flat in a dry place. Wooden weapons should never be left leaning agains a wall.

Rattan short staffs can be made easily and cheaply if you can get rattan.

[Chazz]

Ive got a weapon designed that has taken a few things from different weapons. I just cant find the stuff to make it or the person to make it.

[Knight_Errant]

I made a cannon once. Never used it, mind.

[LexS]

I make 'Koppo sticks' (AKA yawara stick with a finger cord) out of a plastic resin similar to police baton material.


And a Koppo with a surprise out front. Photo attached.

[LexS]

My apologies for that image size !

This is my first, ever, post.

I have few graphic editing skills and that image is only 42kb in size. Don't know why it's so big.

Sorry.

[Shyguy]

Right now I am training with my own made cardboard nunchaku and a metal bar that i found from an old wardrobe of mine. Both are very good. Hope to get a pair of nunchaku soon and a 3 sectional staff in the near future.

[Reiki]

Cardboard Chucks???!!! you're kidding, right?

mind boggles @ thought of cardboard chucks... :eek:

[Taiso]

nope isn't i'm he has attached 2 cardboard tubes with string and selotape holding them together.

I am getting the pieces to make 3 sectional staff does anybody know the length each piece should be.

[Shaolin Dragon]

When joined the whole staff should be about 6 foot long.