Modular Medieval Longsword (MMLS)

This is a 40" (102cm) modular sword inspired by traditional medieval longswords. I've carefully designed it so that each core component can be printed separately (no AMS required), with sturdy glue-less internal connectors that make remixing and swapping out parts relatively easy. I also tried to design it to look as good as possible without any sanding/painting required, just using Silk PLA for the metallic parts. It has also been cut to be printable on an A1 Mini. 

 

It can be assembled without any glue, and accepts a 3/8" x 36" wooden rod (typically costing just a few dollars from big-box hardware stores in the US) for stability. This makes it sturdy enough to properly swing around without breaking. If you don't have access to a wooden rod it can be assembled as a decorative piece using glue instead. 

 

Rods will need to purchased at 36" length (91.4cm) or cut to that length. Many hardware stores will cut items you purchase to length for free. I'm providing a profile for 3/8in diameter rods. If you would like a profile for a different diameter rod (such as a metric metal rod) and are willing to do some test prints to help get the sizing just right, let me know. 

 

Successfully printing and assembling this model is a bit more involved than you may be used to. Please read this entire description before printing to ensure you have all the information you need to be successful before you start. 

 

Alternate parts that I design will be collected in one place here: https://makerworld.com/en/collections/22293662-modular-medieval-longsword-mmls

Rod Selection

Many hardware stores sell generic “hardwood” dowel rods that will work well enough. However, if you're planning to swing this around a lot, I recommend going with a slightly more expensive and sturdier wood option, such as oak. Whatever you buy, do your best to select a wooden dowel that is as straight as possible, since some of the rod curvature will transfer to the assembled sword. 

Printing

• For best results use a smooth (untextured) build plate. This will help minimize the visible seam between parts. 
• Take necessary precautions to minimize print curling on the bed. The blade edges have a tendency to lift up, resulting in more visible seams between parts. 
• The blade and grip parts require supports for printing the connection interfaces. These have been pre-painted in my provided profiles. 
• The blade parts (except the tip) benefit from top-surface ironing to minimize the visible seam between parts. 
• Use Silk PLA for any parts that you want to look like shiny metal. I used Silver and Gold colors for the blade and crossguard, respectively. 

A “Tolerance Test” plate is included with each profile so you can make sure that your rod will fit into the center hole (slide them along the full rod length), and the interface connectors are sized correctly. Due to manufacturing variations in wooden dowels, and slight over/under extrusion in different filaments and profiles, you may need to slightly scale the model parts to accommodate your exact situation. 

Assembly

After printing, fully remove all supports and ensure that the supported model surfaces are completely clear of debris. 

 

For every blade piece, insert one small connector piece into each end. Place the connector in the center hole with the circular locking tab facing towards one blade edge, then slide it towards that edge to line up with the small hole. 

• Note: The base blade piece (the largest one) uses a larger connector on one end to attach to the grip/handle. 
• Note: Extra connector pieces are included in my profiles in case some of them don't print well. You won't need to use them all. 

Ensure that each connector is pushed in so it is flush against this ledge. You may need to use a flat metal instrument to help push it all the way in. Verify that you don't see any protruding pieces when looking down the center hole. 

Secure each connector in place with a piece of filament. First, press a long piece of filament all the way into the hole. Then use flush-cutters to pull the filament out very slightly (less than 1mm). 

Then trim the filament as close to the base as you can. 

 

You should then be able to press the filament back in slightly to get it flush (or below) the flat surface of the blade segment. If it's still sticking out, use cutters, a knife, or a file to carefully make it flush. 

• Note: The filament can't come out once inserted like this. This is effectively a permanent attachment. 

 

Assemble two blade pieces by aligning the center hole with the protruding connector pieces, then slide together. Repeat until the entire blade is assembled. 

Insert one of the larger connector pieces into the grip and secure with a piece of filament, just like the blade segments. 

[Remove the base blade segment from the other blade segments for the next few steps] Slide the crossguard halves into place over the bottom of the blade base. This may require some wiggling and squeezing past the protruding connector. 

Connect the grip and blade base just like blade parts. This will require some gentle wiggling and rotating to get the larger connectors to fit into the center hole, but once there they should be able to slide into place just like the blade parts.

 

 

[Now re-attach all the blade pieces] Slide the core (wood or metal rod) into the grip and all the way down to the end of the sword. You will probably need to slightly adjust the segments as you reach each boundary to get them perfectly aligned since there is very little tolerance. When fully inserted, approximately 5mm of the rod will be left sticking out. 

 

Rod insertion tips:

• If the rod is encountering a lot of friction, try rotating it. For unknown reasons, some rotational orientations were significantly smoother for insertion with wooden rods. 
• If the rod is getting stuck at one joint and adjusting the next segment is not helping, slide the next segment off and verify that the connectors at that joint are still properly in place. Occasionally they snap during assembly (in which case just add a new one to the opposite side), or maybe you didn't actually secure one properly with filament and it came partially out. 
• Buy a wooden rod that is as straight as possible. If you buy one that is noticeably curved, try to insert it so it curves towards one of the sword's “cutting” edges rather than the flat side. Less of the curve will transfer to the assembled sword that way. 

Once the rod is fully inserted, screw on the pommel. 

 

Finally, take a picture of your new sword and post it for me to admire! 

 

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Remixing Info

I'm sharing STEP files of not only the printed parts, but also the cutout shapes for the interlocking interfaces. This makes it easy to “Boolean Subtract” the interface from your own model to quickly make it compatible with these parts. 

 

Unlike the other parts, the pommel attaches to the grip using printed M18 threads with a standard 2.5 ("course") pitch, modified with an additional 0.3mm of clearance (0.15mm offset on each side of the spiral male thread surface) to make them connect smoothly when printed with a 0.2mm layer height. For simplicity STEP files are included of both thread sides- the male model can be attached to your grip, and the female model can be subtracted from your pommel. 

 

In the future the license for this model will be changed to allow sharing remixes on other platforms.