How to build a feather weight?

[Ellis]

Yeah, avoid chopping boards for full combat. Our first machine, Tormenta, was made almost entirely out of chopping boards of various thicknesses. After coming into contact with the later crowned 2012 Champs' weapon it...

[daveimi]

Yeah they're no good as armour, I've been using them as baseplates.

[Eventorizon]

And whatever you do don't use screws to hold the pieces together.



NST did the same to Conker even though I had used HDPE as armour (Chopping boards are either PET or LDPE) The screws provided lots of weak points. And the forces were so great it just snapped the heads off.

And don't use Nylon 66 as a base. Use Nylon 6 else this happens...

Conker 1 GSL 2012 Aftermath.jpg

[daveimi]

It may be worth mentioning that there is a huge difference between throwing something together for “half combat” events, and seriously building something capable of surviving “full combat” events.

[Ellis]

It may be worth mentioning that there is a huge difference between throwing something together for “half combat” events, and seriously building something capable of surviving “full combat” events.

Very true. For live events, even the shattery-type chopping boards (there is a soft kind which should be fine, in fact potentially quite good) will last some time. It's only in high velocity impacts that they act like glass.

edit: oh, and, chopping boards are a complete horror to work with. They will melt and re-seal behind any powertool cutter. There is actually a bit of scrollsaw blade permanently stuck in one of Tormenta 1's bulkheads to this day, heh. HDPE is much nicer to work with, and though I haven't used it, I imagine nylon is too.