Sword Theater Prop

thingiverse

My son starred in a spring school play that required several prop swords. The initial wooden yard stick and duct tape swords were both unattractive and prone to breaking. Thankfully, 3D printing came to the rescue! I designed sturdy hilts for standard 1.5x2.5 in. oak boards, allowing for removable blades. The pirate-themed play called for a cutlass-style hilt, but due to time constraints, I opted for a quicker, medieval cross type instead. Future plans include revisiting the cutlass design and making it easily printable. The swords were printed on a Replicator 1 in ABS using minimum fill (5%) and two shells for strength. The handle was printed with the ball end down, and active cooling helped improve surface quality. Acetone was used to glue the handle and cross pieces together, ensuring proper alignment. Spray paint designed for plastics was applied to the hilt, with care taken not to apply too much paint near the blade. A coat of spray polyurethane protected the finish. For the blades, 1/2 in. boards would have been stronger but the existing ones held up well. After assembly, a small screw was inserted on one side to keep the blade in place.