My Mjolnir suffered some bowing due to shrinkage of the expanding foam I used so I resculpted the whole head of the hammer. I covered the Sculpty with QuikSteel (a 2-part compound that mixes like greenstuff but cures like metal. I was more aggressive with the weathering this time so the head looks positively ancient and the weight and sturdiness is much improved. Here are some pics of version 2...
Comparisons with version 1 (left)
With a user name like mine you can guess who my favorite comic character is. I've been reading Thor comics for over 20 years and have coveted his enchanted hammer, Mjolnir (Meeyolneer) forever. Mjolnir is arguably the most powerful weapon in comics. It has dented Cap's shield, destroyed more than one suit of Iron Man's armor and given Thor the edge over the Hulk. Forged from the Asgardian metal Uru (Adamantium on steroids) by the command of Odin, only warriors of sound moral character and integrity may lift Mjolnir. Aside from being a devastating melee weapon, the hammer can summon the elements of the storm: wind, rain, thunder, and lightning for the wielder to use at their discretion. When thrown, the hammer will return to the wielder's hand. It is able to open interdimensional portals, simulate flight, deflect or absorb and project energy and detect magic and illusions. Pretty sweet, right.
I own one of the expensive, licensed Mjolnir props that Diamond Select makes but I was never really happy with it. In my opinion, the head is too small, the handle is too long and much too thick, and both the metal and leather look to new (even on the later battle damaged version). I had hope that with the Thor movie coming out, we would get THE definitive hammer but Hollywood redesigned Mjolnir for the movie and the early toy pics are kinda lousy. So I set out to make what would be my personally definitive hammer - one that looked weathered and ancient from thousands of battles with Frost Giants, Rock Trolls, and elemental Demons.
Still with me?
Forging the hammer of the gods:
First I built the head out of cardboard (using the power of geometry). Then I cut a piece of wood dowel for the handle, making sure that when inserted it would run through the whole head for stability. Then I used super sculpty to cover the head and sculpt all the aged metal detail. To give the whole thing weight and strength, I filled the head with expandable foam that air hardens to a wood-like density. I wrapped the handle in real leather and used the tip of a hot iron to burn random groove marks to make the handle look worn. Last, I painted the head black; dry brushed it with flat aluminum, added some black wash and sealed it with a few coats of dull coat spray. I seriously can't put this thing down. It looks bigger and meaner than what is on the market but is light enough to be fun to swing around (even by the thong). HAVE AT THEE!
OH MY GOZER!!!! THAT'S FREAKING INCREDIBLE! I might have to try this one! Great job! It looks very professional!
