Post Apocalytic Wasteland Ax

The world as we know it has been destroyed. Civilization has crumbled. Law and order is handled at the end of the blade...

Immediately after hearing about Wasteland Weekend my mind began to fill with ideas for props and costumes, and I began to search through the junk around our house to get the supplies for this build.

This is my first Instructable, and as such I forgot to take pictures for some of the early steps and was unable to take pictures for some of the later steps that required both of my hands.

Enjoy!

Step 1: Disclamer

***Disclamer***

This is NOT a con-safe prop. This is a weapon and should be treated as such even after the blade has been dulled. Do not swing this with any people or animals within reach, and be sure to wear safety equipment and such.

And seriously, safety first. This was built using found materials, with metal that means rust. So if you're following along take precautions. Wear gloves, tape over sharp pieces, closed toed shoes, etc...

Step 2: Materials and Tools

The materials I used were found around the house. Feel free to substitute materials as you see fit and more importantly be creative!

Materials:

1. Baseball Bat
2. Edger Blade
3. Washers
4. Bolt and nut
5. Gorilla Glue
6. *Optional* Bicycle inner tube
7. *Optional* Loctite Clear Epoxy

Tools:

1. Power Drill
2. Drill Bit
3. Wrenches
4. Clamps
5. Hammer
6. Pencil
7. Block of wood
8. Chisel
9. "Applicator Sticks"

Step 3: Prep Materials

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures for this step, however this step only involved preparing the washers and the bicycle inner tube (if you wish to finish your prop with the same materials as I did).

Washers:

You'll see in the above pictures that the washers I used were bent to the curve of the bat. To achieve this I used a metal pipe with a curve similar to the bat and a hammer, and simply clamped the pipe and washer together and struck the washer with the hammer to bend it around the pipe.

Optional Bicycle Inner Tube:

To finish my prop I wanted it to look more thrown together than actually thought out. So to cover the nut and bolt I used a punctured bicycle inner tube.

First I cut the width of the inner tube making it a straight tube. Then, I cut the length of the tube to make it a flat strip. This part can get messy if you've used products like Slime or any thing like that to repair punctures in the tire.

Once I had a strip I cleaned it with soap and water, and allowed it to dry completely before cutting out the air stem and cutting it into three strips of about equal width.

Step 4: Drill Some Holes

So, the goal of this step is to create a hole in the bat for the edger blade. I did it this way to create a sturdy prop that could take some punishment. There are several ways to achieve this with different methods and tools, and frankly the way I did it was overly complicated. This is a simpler method and all you'll need is a Power Drill and a Drill bit that's longer then the bat is wide.

First, draw a straight line down the length of the bat by using a block or something similar. Place the block next to the bat on a flat surface and use the block as a straight edge. This needs to be a straight line because it will be a guide you on were to drill. You'll want to be careful to drill through the center of the bat along the line as many times it takes to match the width of the edger blade (or whatever you decided to insert into the bat).

Step 5: Make One Big Hole

After the holes have been drilled you'll need to connect those holes to create one large oval hole. To do this use the Power Drill and Bit from the previous step and drill at different angles connecting the holes under the surface until you've removed most of the wood. If you have little regard for your drill bit you can use it as a router to clear out more wood, but eventually you'll need to use a chisel.

Carefully use the chisel and hammer to clear out the remaining wood until you have a hole in the bat the size of the object you want to insert into the bat.

Step 6: Drill Another Hole

The size of the bolt compared to the hole in the edger blade will determine how precise you'll need to be in this step. The goal is to drill a hole in the bat so a bolt can go through the bat and the hole in the blade. Drill a pilot hole first to make sure the hole lines up the the hole in the edger before drilling the full size hole.

Step 7: Assemble and Glue

After the holes have been drilled you're ready to put it all together. Assemble the pieces and make sure everything fits how it should before starting to glue. If everything fits right take all the pieces apart, hopefully for the last time. Using a moist cloth dampen the surface of the edger blade, then apply gorilla glue on the inside of the oval hole on the bat. Try and spread the gorilla glue evenly on the inside on both sides. With the blade damp and the inside of the bat coated with gorilla glue insert the blade into the hole and then put the washers on both sides of the bat and put the bolt through the hole. Tighten the bolt and let the glue set. The gorilla glue will expand and fill gaps in the hole and secure the blade in place.

*Note: Yogurtland spoons make excellent disposable applicator sticks. Not a sponsor.

Step 8: Customize!

I wanted to add more textures to the prop so I used the inner tube strips from step 3 to wrap the end of the prop. Secure the strips in place with epoxy and clamps to hold until the epoxy is set.

Other suggestions for customizing would be handle grips, (fake) blood stains, notches, paint, etc... Be creative and make a story with your prop.

Step 9: You're Done!

Thanks for reading this! If you have used this to make a prop, even if it's completely different, please post a picture down below. Also, if you have an suggestions for this or future projects please comment. Any critiques are welcome since this is my first Instructable.

Thank you, be safe, and batters up!