by TSpawn

A sword once wielded by a hero in an ancient age. When grasped, a strange sense of nostalgia washes over you. Take it when going alone would otherwise be dangerous.

One of the item drops you get from the 8-bit Link Amiibo is an item just titled "Sword" which is a reference to the original sword featured in The Legend of Zelda. I loved the design which is almost reminiscent of Excalibur so I had to make it for myself. I took a little creative liberty with the gem in the pommel but I like the facets more than just a rounded stone.

Print Settings

Printer Brand:                          

Prusa

Printer:                          

i3 MK2S

Rafts:                          

Doesn't Matter

Supports:                          

Doesn't Matter

Resolution:                          

0.2

Infill:                          

10%

Notes:

Sliced it in pieces because my printer wasn't large enough. Used supports on the pommel but I probably didn't need to if you can bridge well enough.

Post-Printing

Metal Rod

I put a 1/4" metal rod in the middle for stability, weight and lining up the pieces. You could also use a 1/4" wooden dowel if you want the sword to be lighter but it might bend a little.

Casting the Gem

I wanted the gem to be clear so I molded and casted it in this transparent red resin and backed it with aluminum tape so it would shine better inside the pommel.

Batlte Damage

I didn't add battle damage to the model and instead decided to do it in post. I attempted to use a dremel and a triangular file to get sharp cuts and gouges in the print. You can either follow the reference material (sword in-game or in the artbook) or just do whatever. An amazing example of this technique is on most of the Broken Nerds videos on Youtube.

Leather Strap

Last step before weathering was to add a leather strap to the grip. Got some leather scraps for rather cheap, cut it into strips with an xacto and used Super77 spray glue on the back of the leather to adhere it to the grip.