Maker builds video game-inspired flaming sword, then slices stuff with it

When inspiration strikes, the maker’s thirst to build will not quench until he assembles the object of his desire. In case of Caleb Kraft, that object happened to be a real-life working replica of a weapon found in the recently released video game Fallout 4 .

Fallout 4 is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game that sets you in the shoes of a survivor, thrown 200 years into the future. Suffice to say, there’s plenty of maker-esque building and tinkering involved in the game; since it takes place in a dystopian future full of discarded technology, players have the opportunity to construct weapons and armor from salvaging discarded objects.

While all of the items are pure fantasy, none are quite as amusing as the Shishkebab, a motorized flaming sword named for its ability to cut things to pieces. Caleb replicated this sword to less deadly effect, using the game’s concept art as inspiration.

Caleb crafted the sword using a katana (a replica samurai sword), a propane barbecue grill, a can of butane, and a motorcycle brake handle to control gas release.  He explains that the design obviously cannot entirely mirror that of Fallout 4’s Shishkebab because its piping “doesn’t make any sense,” and the protruding water valve was purely added for aesthetics. Instead, Caleb used his maker ingenuity to attach copper tubing along the length of the blade to make the flames spread at key intervals. 

Next he attached a motorcycle brake to the sword’s handle and mounted a butane canister, wiring it so that whenever he pressed the brake, it would compress the gas and push it out of tubing attached to the copper wiring. Pressing the brake also activates an igniter — similar to the kind used in propane barbeque grills — which provides the spark to light the flame. Lastly, Caleb painted the device to resemble the game weapon.

While the project is pretty nifty, we do advice you to approach with extreme caution if it’s something you plan on building. Fire and swords can be rather dangerous to overly the excited.

 Source: Makezine