Sword Bookends

This instructable will show you how I made a set of bookends that look like a sword has skewered my book collection.

Supplies

1 - small cheap sword
18 - 2mm × 1mm neodymium magnets
2 - 3/8" × 1/8" neodymium magnets
1 - 6" × 24" 22 gauge sheet metal
Epoxy
Paint

Step 1: Prepare the Sword

The first thing I did was cut the handle and the tip of the blade off the sword using a hacksaw and smoothed any sharp edges with a file. Then I attached the small magnets to the cut end of the blade tip using epoxy. The magnets are very tiny and I had to cover the entire surface with them to have enough magnetic strength to hold the blade in place.
Next I attached the two larger magnets to the handle with epoxy. Originally, I was going to countersink them into the handle so they would be out of sight but drilling the holes proved to be too difficult. Instead, I cut a small piece of the sheet metal and bent it into shape with pliers to fit around the base of the handle and hide the magnets. This was also held in place with epoxy.

Step 2: Make Bookends

I cut the sheet metal into two pieces 3 1/2" × 12" and filed all the edges smooth. Then I used a hammer and a piece of 2×4 lumber and bent each piece in half to a 90° angle. Finally, I gave them each a quick coat of paint.

Step 3: Put It All Together

Now all I had to do was insert the bookends inside the front covers of the books with the bottom sliding underneath the books so that they were hidden from view. Then I took the handle and blade tip, stuck them to the covers and aligned them so they give the illusion of a sword stabbed through the books. The neodymium magnets provided plenty of strength to hold them securely in place.