rohan spear
DECEMBER 2016
Rohan is a kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, who are known for their horses and cavalry. Their lances were featured in The Two Towers film.
Rohan is a kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, who are known for their horses and cavalry. Their lances were featured in The Two Towers film.
Karl Urban as Éomer with a spear in the background. I was able to cobble together enough reference from various shots in The Two Towers.
After drawing up full size plans, I turned the central shaft on the lathe.
The blade profile was cut from 1/8" plywood. I used balsa wood to frame out the high ridges of the blade.
I spread Bondo between the ridges to form the curved channels on the blade.
The completed shaft and blade.
The shaft has two decorative rings around it. Strata can map the pattern around the ring but the geometry would have to be built from scratch.
A kind soul on Facebook with more sophisticated software was able to model the ring for me. The other one I sculpted and printed at Shapeways.
The decorative rings test fit on the shaft.
I cut away the parts needed to join the shaft and blade.
Test fit of the blade on the shaft.
I masked off the edge of the blade and used Bondo to complete the tip of the shaft.
Bondo was also used to fill in the seams.
A coat of filler primer completes the spear head.
The spear head on a clay bed, ready to be molded in silicone.
First side done and clay removed for molding the other side.
A cold-cast resin copy of the spear head fresh from the mold.
After the spear head was polished with steel wool, I painted the decorative rings.
A wash of black acrylic paint brings out the details.
The completed and polished spear head.
I used a forstner bit to hollow out the end of the shaft.
I narrowed the end of the ash spear shaft to fit inside the head. I also added a threaded rod for a more secure joint.
The spear head glued on the shaft.
Finally, the wood grain was brought out of the ash with stain.
The final 9' spear on display.