Essential Safety Considerations when constructing an LRP weapon ©Caroline Hayes and Mike Stringer 1999 This may be reproduced, unabridged, for non-commerical use, with the prior consent of the authors

It is important to remember that the LRP weapon is only a tool with which a careless or incompetent player can cause havoc; it is impossible to create a usable and practicable weapon which is safe in the hands of an unsafe player.  Given that, a weapon which is safe for use in the hands of a competent player who can pull his/her blows is not difficult to construct.

1.                  The Weapon Core

The most suitable materials for the weapon core are glass reinforced plastic (GRP) rod and tube and carbon fibre rod.  GRP and carbon fibre rods  are used for weapons of up to approximately 55” in length; for weapons of greater length GRP tube is a more appropriate core.

GRP bar is an alternative for the core, but as it usually has a rectangular cross section the weapons produced tend to be wider and heavier, which is why it is not the optimum core material.

2.         The Foam

Latex weapons are padded with closed cell low density polyethylene foam.  The optimum foams are:

·        Plastazote LR Polyethylene foam 45 kg/m3 (2.8 lb/ft3)

·        Evazote EVA Copolymer foam 50 kg/m3 (3.1 lb/ft3)

Other densities and textures of these foams are available, and may be used appropriately.

A bladed weapon should be padded to a minimum of 1.5 x the thickness of the core on the striking surfaces.  For example, a 6 mm cored knife needs a minimum of 9 mm around all its striking surfaces.  Bladed weapons should also be padded to a minimum of 6 mm on the flat side surfaces of the blade.  If the sword guard has a solid core this should also be padded to a minimum of 6mm, and 8 mm on any seriously protruding areas of hilts. Pommels should also be padded to a distance of 8 mm from the core.  As a point of reference, if the user is able to hit an opponent with the hilt or pommel areas of a sword this is too close for safety, as his opponent could equally well have been hit by the user’s fist. The handle may be padded for comfort, but this is not essential.

Any rigid gems or decoration on the hilt, pommel or handle of a sword should not stand proud from the foam.

A hafted weapon should be padded to a minimum of 10 mm on all striking surfaces.  This includes both ends of a staff and the haft of axes, maces etc.

Flanged mace heads can be constructed of sheet plastazote/evazote of a preferred thickness; ball mace heads should be constructed of an open cell polyurethane foam, such as sponge furniture foam.

3.            Adhesives

LRP weapons should be constructed using a tolulene/spirit based contact or impact adhesive, used in accordance with the manufacturers directions for non-porous surfaces.  (Plastazote and evazote are closed cell foams and therefore, unlike furniture foam, are non-absorbent.)  Contact adhesive provides the strongest bond, but impact adhesive is also acceptable.

Water based adhesives or double sided tape are not suitable for holding together an LRP weapon.

Hot melt glue gun is only suitable for gluing small areas (such as pommels, hilts, decoration etc), and is not appropriate for gluing a sword blade together.

4.            General Construction

Weapon blades are made from a “sandwich” of three layers of foam.  The central layer is of the same thickness of foam as the diameter of the core and the core is firmly glued into a slot cut into this layer.  As with all striking surfaces, there should be a minimum distance of 1.5 x the thickness of the core from its tip to the outer curve of the foam point.

A reinforcement of fabric of approximately 25 mm square should be glued diamond shape (so any movement of the core is against the warp and weft of the fabric for added strength) over the end of the core on each side of the central foam layer.  This is essential to prevent the tip of the core working its way through the foam and making it unsafe and equally importantly, prevent the tip being torn away altogether.

The outer foam layers of the “sandwich” should be of a minimum 6 mm thickness, in line with the padding guidelines.

Swords, axes and flanged maces (with a flange of more than 8 mm) should be carved with a bevel on all striking surfaces.  The angle of this bevel should be as acute as practicable, given the minimum padding guidelines, as this creates a flexible member which will absorb the impact of a blow more readily than a square edged piece of foam.

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