/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

I've got two rather simple questions

1. I'm cosplaying ABA (pic related) and trying to make the giant key in the picture. I already have most of it built, but I'm stuck on the bit end of it. Due to a series of events, the bit is made out of basically styrofoam mounted on to a PVC base. It's very rigid and uneven.

What would be something good to coat the styrofoam with to make it look smooth and sturdy? I was thinking thin plexiglass, but it's a bitch to cut. Perhaps foam core? Any suggestions?

2. Also in regards to the key, I need to make it portable. I saw another guide that simply cut their key into thirds and cut grooves into each piece so they slid firmly into each other. They didn't use PVC.

Would that same idea work for PVC? The pipe itself is 6ft tall. Would just cutting it into thirds (or maybe even a half) and cutting grooves apply to PVC? Any other ideas for how I could make it transportable?