Crescent Rose WIP Part 1

Consider this the beginning of my blog for the production of Crescent Rose, the weapon of Ruby Rose from Roosterteeth's newest IP, RWBY.

At the time of writing, I'm half-way done.

It's not the prettiest WIP, but it's a working WIP. The barrel is a two-stager, and it extends two and a half feet from the body of the gun. The bolt is a floating bolt that rotates and loads in my custom nerf darts into the chamber, and the end of the bolt has a nipple for a compressed air cylinder that will be optional in case I want to shoot someone.

The gun's completed to my satisfaction, apart from it's decorations. The frame is solid and reinforced by steel tubing, which incidentally also are load-bearing for the barrel itself. Inside the steel tubes are zinc rods that slide freely and are attached to the extendable barrel for support. When the whole thing unfolds, the tubes and the rods will carry the scythe's weight quite well. (Note the tape on the front of the barrel- that's where the rods are connected to.)

The whole thing, once I finish the decorative coating, will be epoxied together so it doesn't come apart from a wild swing (Not that it does that right now, it's really sturdy) and bound with a bit more fiber tape for strength. The decorative coating will go on the outside and will screw or glue in place. Not sure on that last bit if I want to make it removable so I can fix things just in case.

I love fiber tape. Almost as strong as weld, and removable so I can check strength before I make a final cut or whatnot. Ran through 3 rolls of it already.

The gun portion is made from:

2x Steel curtain rods
1-1/4' ABS pipe
1-1/2' ABS pipe
2" ABS pipe
Numerous misc plumbing bits and scrap metal I had lying around
Brass nipple
Plumb rod (PVC)
2" metal bracket
Two 10/24 -3" screws and nuts
Two 4 foot solid zinc rods
Four salvaged steel tubes from a metal dish rack
Numerous salvaged nerf gun parts
Half of a Nerf Centurion

Tools I used:

Hacksaw
Dremel with every bit imaginable (Broke a bit cutting the acrylic. Damn that stuff is tough.)
Glue gun
3 rolls of fiber tape
Superglue
Screwdrivers of various sizes
Drill

Estimated cost in materials, parts, tools and bandages

150-200$ So far. (Gun was $100 with shipping when I ordered it online)

The next blog will contain detailed information on the gun's workings while I ponder the spatial dimensions of the scythe.

Feel free to ask questions about the construction and I'll respond when I can.