Ultralight/Fiberglass Weapon Questions

I'm looking for some tips and info on making an ultralight or fiberglass weapon.  I'm looking to make a pole-arm though and I'm concerned about the safety issues of using the ultralight cores or kite rods.

I've been looking through the links for the kite rod suppliers and I'm unsure of what size and diameter to get.  Obviously for something this large, I think I want something fairly thick to prevent whipping.  What is a good size of thickness to work on for something about 60 inches long?

What kind of pipe foam am I going to need to cover the kite or fiberglass rod?  I'm guessing there is a different type since the rods are smaller then PVC.  If not, how do I get the pipe foam to fit to this size rod?

Any tips or info would be appreciated, I haven't made a boffer weapon in almost 8 years and I've never used ultralight stuff :)

The page on the KR site should still be accurate for most of the stuff.  Use strapping tape (the kind with metal wire in it) to wind around the pole, Spiraling down one way, and up the other, forming a criss-cross pattern to prevent whip.

I forget the pipe sizes, but yes, as thick as possible on the core.  Usually at 60", there's only one size available...  Foam, I think it's 1/2" inside - go for Copper, not Iron, pipes as the pipe type.

Assuming you don't want to drop $70 on a single Graphite core, this is your best bet:

www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/product_info...5_55/products_id/190

It's 75" long, so you'll need to cut it a bit, but nothing else is long enough for a 60" weapon.  (You can use the extra to make daggers or brawlers, it's handy!)

Thickness of the outside is .505", or 1/2" - remember you'll be wrapping that in tape, so the inside diameter of the pipe foam should allow for 3/4".

If the whole thing is going to be a striking surface, go with 5/8" walls on the foam, otherwise, you can go with 3/8" walls for the handle / shaft / non-striking surface.

Also: www.knightrealms.com/weapons-a-armor/49-...-boffer-weapons.html

I use the carbon (graphite) tubes, which are amazingly light, won't likely break under larp use, and do not whip at all. Im currently making a polearm with one of these bad boys. They are not cheap, but worth it if you plan to use the thing often.