Skyward/Breath of the Wild Master Sword

myminifactory

This is my rendition of the Master Sword from the most recent Legend of Zelda games (Skyward Sword & Breath of the Wild). This was created based on the artwork from Skyward Sword as well as the statue that came with the collector's edition of BotW and a pair of dial calipers, then scaled to human size. The split halves of all of the major parts (blade, pommel, hilt and guard) were assembled with small pins for alignment (McMaster Carr 98381A469) and two-part, 5-min epoxy (Loctite Quickset). The tip of the blade has a threaded insert (McMaster Carr 92395A116) installed to hold a 1/4"-20 threaded rod (McMaster Carr 94210A168). The blade is further assembled with these pins along its length and glued in place with the same epoxy, held in compression with the threaded rod and a nut until dry. Once said nut is removed the blade can be inserted into the guard, followed by the hilt and pommel (with another threaded insert) completing the assembly. Any assembly steps that involve keeping the blade straight, I would recommend doing on a nice flat surface. Perhaps even constraining the model with tape while the glue dries. My intent for the final assembly and paint will also include some strips of leather braided along the guide trenches in the hilt. Note: The threaded rod will need to be cut to length before the pommel can be installed. This should be about 5/8"-3/4" of threaded rod beyond the end of the hilt. Also, depending on your printer's accuracy you may need to use epoxy or super glue (CA) to get the threaded inserts to stay in place. Optional: This model includes a pour spout and bleeder hole for 2-part resin to be poured (injected with a syringe) into the blade to surround the threaded rod, stiffening the overall assembly of the blade. I used Smooth-On Smooth-Cast 327 in mine for fear of the exotherm (heat) melting the PLA, this stuff has a much longer setup time thus should not produce as large of a heat spike. Warning: If you follow in my footsteps and solidify this model with resin as stated above make sure you have really good top and bottom layers. There were a few thin spots on my print and the resin sweated its way through the pores of my blade. Minor inconvenience, I had to do a little more sanding. Enjoy!