/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>7590715
Not going to comment on methods, because there's a lot available (would be easier to advise you if you have a certain time/budget, I'm not going to tell you to sculpt and cast it if you only want to spend $50 on it).

However, in terms of measurements, I'd just look at refs of Ryuko holding it and work out the proportions from there, then adjust to your girlfriend's height, especially if she's planning on cosplaying Ryuko. The proportions to the person holding it are more important than any arbitrary measurements that might have been released in official publications somewhere.

Wood with a metallic finish would be the best way to do it.

If you have a CNC machine, use that, or just carve it yourself.

First and foremost, you need an eye for shapes and contours, which most people simply don't have. The Scissor blade is a fucking nightmare or curves and complex shapes, all in a structurally questionable package. Seems nearly everyone, even the talented prop makers, fucks up or misses some detail on the damned thing.

Secondly, the easiest option might be wood, if you've got the tools, or possibly pink foam, if you've got the knowledge of how to work with fiberglass and resin.

>>7590715

Your idea for an injection mold sounds awful. Styrofoam is already really bad as a mold because of how bumpy/rough it is and an injection mold with spray foam will have tons of bubbles, not to mention it probably won't hold shape.

Even if you could cut out a perfect mold, I don't understand why you'd want to do that instead of just carving the thing out itself. The only reason you'd want to use a mold is if you want to make more than one.

>>7590768
Doesn't help that the shaping is so damn inconsistent in-series, and even with the official merchandise.

Anon's pic here shows the proper shaping of the flat and curved edges. Pet peeve is when a lot of cosplayers/prop makers don't give the flat edge the proper shaping (they're a pair of fabric scissors, after all). Based on which reference you're using, there are a ton of variations on how the holes are shaped, and what the handle detailing looks like.

>>7590768
>>7591680

Forgot to add, I'd also second pink foam over wood as a base material depending on how much upper body strength the gf has. Pic related is made of something similar in weight and structure to pink foam, and even though I'm weak as fuck I can lift it, swing it, and pose with it with ease.

Also seconding >>7590723 on proportioning the sword to fit the GF. 41 inches is about right for someone 5'2" to 5'4", but you'll want to go bigger or smaller depending on her height. I recommend tracing the general shape/size onto cardboard and having her pose with it a bit to see if it works.

>>7591696
The sword doesn't have all that much volume; wood really wouldn't be an issue unless she has the arm strength of a toddler.

>>7592513
This is true. I've noticed wood props usually end up weighing less than people expect them to and have been surprised to discover, upon asking, that people's large props are made of wood because they were waving them around so easily