Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker (artifact version)

Having completed two projects following Volpin Props and one from Punished Props this is the first I will do purely from scratch. Also having made 3guns I wanted to try a melee weapon.

I started out by creating a blueprint on Inkscape using the useful 3D model viewer on Wowhead.com. I also took lots of screenshots to help with the build. A blueprint for this build is available from my etsy store here.

I decided to try mdf for this project as other woods types of the right size I could get my hands on weren’t suitable. I began by roughly cutting out the blade on a bandsaw. The smaller,curved sections were done on a scroll saw.

Next I began to work on the bevels.

The MDF sections were coated in resin to seal the wood, this also enabled me to get better defined edges.

I didn’t photograph it but the raised section was created by adding styrene around the sides and then filling the space with scrap plastic and finished with milliput. This was then filed and sanded.

Next the whole thing was sanded down, it was then primed, any holes were filled and it was sanded again. Metal studs were added where needed. I used up my supply of these, so made a silicon mold so I could cast more if I need them in the future.

It was then sprayed silver, masked and painted blue and then finally the other parts were sprayed dark bronze.

After weathering the sword the silver and blue I’d chosen weren’t working so I went back to have a look at the 3D model. I did the keep the bronze as it was working really well. After a little sanding I sprayed the silver parts grey and gave the blue a darker blue wash. The whole sword then given a series of washes to better match the in game model. This was then followed by some highlights.

The grip was wrapped in faux blue leather and then painted to match the rest of the sword. It was then sprayed with clear varnish. To finish I cast some gems in resin using an  icecube tray. Yep, it was just the right size for the sphere and gems. They were then primed and painted. The pommel gems were attached with hot glue, while the sphere was attached to the blade by some thin wire. Lastly they were coated in gloss varnish.

The only thing missing now is the lightning…

Materials

Mdf

Foamex

Milliput

Resin

Silicone ice cube tray

Styrene sheet

Domed metal screw covers

Blue leatherette

Spray paint and varnish

Acrylic paint.