Fool, no man can kill the witch king.

While there are a few models for this sword out and about, I decided to take my own stab at this one while attempting to make the most movie accurate representation I could. This build makes use of the entire build height of a P1S--so sorry mini owners. While the build attempts to balance realism with trying not to make it so flimsy it breaks easily, this is still intended to be a mainly a display prop (which means no internal rod and probably not much heavy swinging). That being said, I tossed it around fairly haphazardly during post processing (and even dropped it once) and didn't have much issue.

Build Guide

The best thing for gluing that I can recommend is gorilla glue gel CA and baking soda. I will reference this multiple times below because this allows the most working time and the strongest post-gluing hold. Do not over use either glue or baking soda or you will end up either either over flow or something that sets too fast and not allowing for the placement to be where desired. A thin spread of the gel glue works wonders and you don't want any pockets of baking soda in crevices that might cause a part to bind before being in place.

1.  The blade can be assembled relatively with ease. Between each blade section is a corresponding blade connector.  The best way to attached them is the following:
   1. dry fit all parts to ensure no issues with dimensions after printing
   2. when ready, use a brush to scoop a small amount of baking soda into the top hole of the bottom blade piece. 
   3. brush the inside of the hole with the baking soda, then pour out and tap the piece to remove any extra
   4. add a small amount of CA glue to the bottom of the connector and spread thinly (try not to go higher than where the connector will be inside of the lower blade piece), press into place and hold for a few seconds
   5. add baking soda to the top piece hole the same as step b
   6. add a small amount of CA glue to the top of the connector and use a toothpick to spread a very thin portion on the bottom of piece
   7. place the top blade part into position and hold tightly for several seconds; repeat for each section 

   8. if planning on sanding or filling--wait at least 24 hours for full cure

       

2. The guard assembles side to side since this print orientation yields the best looking pieces. There are small pegs that connect the two halves together and larger pins that connect each guard half to the bottom part of the blade

   1. dry fit the parts to make sure the pieces are not warped or that dimensions are not off
      1. if not using my profile, I highly suggest to use a brim here as not doing so can lead to small warps which will then be very noticeable when putting everything together
   2. use the same baking soda technique to glue the pins in place (small set on one side and larger on each side)
   3. when ready to connect the two halves, make sure everything is aligned before adding more glue
   4.  I found it was best to add glue to the guard parts that will touch the blade pieces and spread some baking soda on the blade portion
   5. on one side of the guard, add a very small amount of glue and on the other brush on a small amount of baking soda
   6. press fit the two halves together and hold to ensure both sides bond to the blade and each other

    

3. Once the guard and blade and cured, glue in place the top tang

   1. dry fit to ensure dimensions are okay
      1. the upper tang is printed flat to ensure the layer lines are not easily broken during any flex. 
      2. because of this, some filament with over-extrusion could cause the thickness to be slightly too much and not fit into the the bottom of the blade
      3. if this happens, throw the top tang into the freezer for 5 minutes and try again
   2. if everything fits without being permanent due to over-sizing, baking soda works great here to make things sturdy and permanent
      1. add a small amount of baking soda into the hole and thinly spread glue on the top of the top tang then insert and hold

    

4. The lower tang slides over the top tang and sits between the two halves of the guard

   1. dry fit to ensure no issues
   2. add glue the top tang portion and guard hole and use baking soda on the lower tang side
   3. slide the lower tang in place and hold it inside of the guard recess 
   4. once set, glue the pommel screw  into the lower tang recess using the same technique (this can also be done first)
   5. let cure for 24 hours

    

5. My favorite part is that the handles actually just slide over the lower tang and the pommel is used to tighten everything together with no extra glue needed
   1. I did this because I wrapped the handle in faux leather and then use the compression of the pommel to hide the overlapping leather on the top and bottom portion
   2. in the future, if the leather is damaged I can remove the pommel and replace the leather
   3. do not over tighten the pommel or the screw can break
   4. I also printed the handles in TPU with fuzzy skin which give a shiny leather-ish look--this is a bit easier than using real or faux leather 

Optional Wall Mount

I have uploaded another print profile that represents a wall mount option for this sword. The mount is meant to mimic the look of the shoulder pauldron of the Witch King. This print is fairly straightforward, but there are a couple of caveats

1.  I prefer to not drill holes in my wall, so I have designed a hook that replaces the medium command hook piece and allows for integration into the back of the print. This allows the the print to be mounted directly onto the command hook (you can see more here and download the PETG version or step file: [https://makerworld.com/en/models/1609907-command-hook-for-medium-desinger-hooks#profileId-1698085](https://makerworld.com/en/models/1609907-command-hook-for-medium-desinger-hooks#profileId-1698085))

   1. this piece is best printed out of PETG since it won't creep with the constant stress
   2. the hooks are rated for 1.3 kg and the sword and mount together are just under 800 g

    

2. Each cross-guard mounting bracket attaches using two M3 x 14 screws 

    

3. It can take a little effort to get the mounting brackets into place. Best way is to place the bottom into position and then push down and back until the top is over the lip and set in place--then the brackets can be screwed into place.