Thor's Stormbreaker Foam Cosplay Weapon - SKS Props

Hey everyone here is a convention safe foam weapon that I built a couple of months ago but never got around to uploading it on Instructables it's.....Thor's Stormbreaker!!!

This build was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy the process!

Before we begin let me say some of the products that are use in prop building can be bad for you :(
So be safe!!! Always wear eye protection, wear gloves, and use a respirator when needed.

Lets get started!!!!

Step 1: I'm Now on YouTube!!!

Not only did I take a bunch of pics for the build thread, but I filmed a lot for my YouTube channel. I would recommend to not only watch the videos but read through the steps it took to bring this weapon to life.

Also be sure to Subscribe to my YouTube channel for future builds! https://www.youtube.com/SKSProps

Step 2: Reference and Materials

So like all of my builds I try and find some reference images...but at the time of this build that was near impossible! The best I could find were leaked hot toys pics and a kids toy on amazon. So even though I am building this off of those toys there was definitely some artistic license since I can not see all of the details.

Foam - https://tntcosplaysupply.com/?ref=yvknq84

Yoga Blocks - https://amzn.to/2LbAB3h

Foam - https://tntcosplaysupply.com

Dremel - https://amzn.to/2r7tdxy

Disc/Belt Sander - https://amzn.to/2r9DDvK

Barge Glue - https://amzn.to/2KLPtIZ

Bob Smith Super Glue 2oz - https://amzn.to/2r3LbzW

Bob Smith Glue Accelerator 2oz - https://amzn.to/2Khcsb3

Extra Tips for Glue Bottles - https://amzn.to/2JwuTuP

Rust-Oleum Antique Nickel - https://amzn.to/2IrHHSI

Mars Black - https://amzn.to/2I8kvIM

Iridescent Rich Silver - https://amzn.to/2KrQHoS

Raw Sienna - https://amzn.to/2Llbqeu

Iridescent Bright Silver - https://amzn.to/2LKywvq

1" Mop Brush - https://amzn.to/2HPta2X

Filbert Brush - https://amzn.to/2HPta2X

Liner Brush - https://amzn.to/2r4phN9

Step 3: Axe and Hammer Head Templates

So to start off I templated the axe head on some Bristol board and transferred that to some 2" thick foam. This foam was cut out on the band saw and shaped on the belt sander.

As for the head of the hammer, my wife had some yoga blocks she wasn't using anymore that were a pretty good size so I beveled them on the belt sander and glued them together with some Barge cement. I then detailed out the hammer by wrapping bands of 4mm foam around the head and down the sides.

Step 4: Axe Details

While the hammer head was drying, I moved back to the axe and drew out the blade details on bristol board. Those details were cut out of 2 and 4mm foam and glued into place using Bob Smith Super Glue. These details are by no means 100% but not a bad representation for poor reference and a couple hours worth of work.

Step 5: Gluing the Axe and Hammer Together

I scratch built the center piece that would join the two halves and glued that in place with barge cement. This needed to be fairly strong because the PVC handle would run up through the middle of the bracket and be secured in place with glue.

Step 6: Adding the Vines

To simulate the vines I glued foam dowels and 4mm foam strips around the axe / hammer and down the PVC handle. (check out the video to see how I formed the pvc pipe into shape) Building up and sanding the bark texture layer by layer took a lot of time but it looks great. Here is a shot of the smaller vines glued into place but they still require some sanding to give it that organic look.

Step 7: Don't Be Afraid to Fail

Important tip of the day, never be afraid to fail, learn from it, and correct you mistakes. At one point I took the entire weapon apart because I was just not happy with the scale and some of the details. So rather than continue to work on a piece I wasn't happy with, I spent about 2 hours cutting and reshaping to get the look I wanted.

I also added a PVC coupler in the middle of the handle so that it could easily be taken apart to fit within my suitcase.

Step 8: Additional Detailing on the Handle

Coarse rope was wrapped around the handle to simulate the look of organic vines. This rope worked great for the overall look but was a little difficult to install on the foam and not have it slide around. I eventually glued all of it down to the foam handle using Bob Smith Super Glue.

Step 9: Plasti Dip!!!

Once the entire weapon was built I could focus on prepping it for paint. Of course before the paint could be applied I had to completely seal all of the foam on the entire piece. To do this I applied Plasti Dip in several light coats until all of the foam and rope was thoroughly covered.

Step 10: Base Coats and Hand Painting

Finally I was able to start getting some paint on this beast. I primed it with some Valspar brown and Rustoleum Antique Flat Nickle. Hand painting was done by first doing a wash over the entire piece with Liquitex heavy body Mars Black. Metallic highlights were painted on using Liquitex Rich Silver, and the bark was a mix of Liquitex Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna