Ingore - Advice on a prop for a Halloween costume

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#1

I’ve got a couple of bits I want to do for a Halloween costume (the plan is spy family)

The bit I’m umming and aching over at the moment is the “hairpins?” That the female character has

SPYxFAMILY_YORFORGER_SWEAPONMINIREPLICAS_1
SPYxFAMILY_YORFORGER_SWEAPONMINIREPLICAS_1.jpg790×739 53.3 KB

I’d love to make these out of solid metal. For no reason other than I think it would be cool.

In terms of alternatives the costume would likely work without them. But also I could try and 3d print and electroplate or something similar.

But my preference would be to actually make a nice weighty solid piece of metal. Because I like the idea of it and I think it would feel cool.

So my question is, is this feasible/sensible/achievable/affordable
I’m not inducted in the metal workshop at the moment.

My thought is that this would be something to lathe, and then maybe solder on the ring at the end?

But I’m really not sure on the best way to go about it, or the best material to try and make it in if it is feasible. So if anyone has any advice, I’d appreciate it

#2

I’ll leave this up here in case anyone sees an option I’m overlooking or knows different. But for a couple of brass rods ~400mm by 25mm the cost absolutely seems to be the prohibitive factor. When a 3d print and a can of spray paint will likely achieve a good enough finish

#3

are those 25mm thick… that’s a big hairpin, is it a couple of meters long?

#4

On a serious note, yes, you’re overlooking that you have more approaches than additive and subtractive manufacturing. As you stated, objects on your picture are usually made out of two parts connected together. Thus you don’t need to remove material from 25mm rod, but one small chunk to make the ring and one long chunk to make the pin. That would be a joke about toothpicks making out of pine taken seriously.
Rods with different diameters made by industry are extruded or cast, so there’s no lost material in the process.

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#5

If time is not an issue you can make this out of lots of parts to bluff the weight. Use some tube for the hangle

welde a metal ring on the back (I would do that out of the same metal)

fill the center with lead (eather shove it in or while nobody is looking use a butane torch and melt it in https://www.wikihow.com/Melt-Lead

then put a sewing needle in the end and spray it

The weight will be off if you try throw it or anything but if it is for show that will do the job.

If I didn't care about weight I would buy the same tube and just put it over a sewing needle melt a whole in the bottom and put in a key ring

#6

They’re meant to be half a metre. I’m struggling to guage the required diameter

1 Like
#7

Something like this might be a good base:

#8

Here’s random link from ebay with reasonable material pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232665772926
1m (enough for both pieces) 5mm diameter for £7.90 including delivery
170 gram

Objects on you first image look rather thick actually (my guesstimate is around 10mm and 15mm in the thick part), are you sure they’re that long? That’s more like 1.5kg

#9

Yea exactly.