sunlight heart lance
december 2009
Buso Renkin ("Alchemical Weapons") is a manga and anime series following Kazuki Muto, who becomes a warrior in the battle against alchemical monsters known as homunculi.
Buso Renkin ("Alchemical Weapons") is a manga and anime series following Kazuki Muto, who becomes a warrior in the battle against alchemical monsters known as homunculi.
I was commissioned to build Kazuki’s weapon from the anime Buso Renkin. I constructed a 3D model in Strata 3D to work out dimensions and proportions. With unusual geometry like this, it was very helpful in understanding how this thing is made.
The shaft was too thin to embed a steel core so I started with 3/4″ maple for strength and rigidity.
The grip widens near the head so I needed to lathe wood that would merge with the shaft. I cut a channel for a temporary maple shaft in two pieces of bass wood, bolted them together.
I used a Dremel sander to shape the transition to the square shaft.
I used the same method to turn the three rings and then attached it to the shaft.
I inserted a threaded rod into the end of the shaft to hold the tail parts. The arrowhead was cut from a solid piece of maple, the ball is a wooden drawer handle and the part under it was turned from dowel.
The arrowhead inserts were made from scraps of maple. The tail spike couldn’t be glued to the shaft until these pieces were in place.
Before I attached it, I cut the details and panel lines into the arrowhead.
I cut the tail details from thin styrene.
I used a Dremel sander to shape the transition to the square shaft.
I filled small imprecations with spot filler putty.
The final shaft.
The recessed areas on the lance head were made from styrene. I used Pepakura to work out the geometry.
I cut the profile of the head from a thick sheet of styrene and cut a channel for the shaft to fit into.
I then used styrene to lock a flattened area of the shaft into place. The shaft will be removable for shipping.
I cut the recess polygons from 1/4″ MDF and used styrene to make the diamond details.
After the polygons were made, it became obvious that the recesses were too deep. I re-made both sides to the proper depth.
I attached the recesses for both sides to the profile.
I glued styrene side panels to the head.
I filled the interior with expanding foam to support the geometry while keeping it light.
The cured foam can be carved to shape.
I covered the exposed foam with Bondo.
More Bondo to form the tip.
After looking at the reference material, I discovered that the tip need a knife edge rather than the point I had. I added Bondo to build up some thickness and then sanded a proper knife edge.
After all the minor seams and flaws were filled, I painted the head with a base coat of silver.
I masked and painted the color areas of the head.
I cut the zig-zag detail from thick styrene and glued them into the recesses.
For some reason the polygons at the other end no longer fit after the orange areas were glued in. I would have to remove 1/8″ from each edge to make them fit properly.
The final assembled lance. It is over 5 feet long.
It ships disassembled and will be glued together by the client.
Detail of the finished tail spike.