Warrior Gear: Pool Noodle Gladius

On the beach or in the backyard always be ready to whack your brother with style.

This is a pool noodle Gladius sword hilt and the first post in a collection I am calling warrior gear.  It is a set of interchangeable handles, pommels and cross guards that you can mix and match to make pool noodle sword hilts.  The core of the sword is made with a ½" PVC irrigation line, which gives the sword some stiffness and strength. (You can get it at home depot or other hardware store for less than $5)  If you don't have a core in the sword the pool noodle tears really quickly.  I suggest making your noodle an inch or two longer than the PVC so that the tip isn't hard.  You can also add duct tape to make your pool noodles last longer.  My kids have been whacking each other with these for a year now and no-one has been seriously injured.  

I suggest gluing in the handle so it can't slide and the noodle screws which hold the noodle on more firmly can be glued or screwed.

If you are interested in designing a compatible part the treading is M26x1.5 and the flats of the polygon hole are at the diameter of the PVC pipe 21.5mm.  If your tolerances end up too tight you can scale the x and y directions by 101% while keeping the z direction at 100%. that will make it a bit wider without changing the pitch of the threading ( assuming z being the axial direction ). 

Disclaimer: Use at your own risk.  There is always some danger in whacking each other.