Saruman's Wizard Staff
by Cation Designs on November 20, 2012
Intro: Saruman's Wizard Staff
Besides my Gandalf the Grey staff , I also made a "matching" staff for Saruman the White/Many Colors.
Just like Gandalf's staff, it begins with an approximately 1" wide wooden dowel from Home Depot ($3.50), cut to be about head height.
I also used E6000, super tacky craft glue, a sheet of black craft foam from Michael's (about $1), a wooden 2" doll head from Michael's ($1.50), black, white, and silver
paint, and glossy varnish.
Image Notes
1. Close-up of the top
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Image Notes
1. Here's what the whole thing looks like.
2. Yes, this is a Carol poster.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Step 1: Glue the doll head to the top of the staff.
Use E6000 to glue the doll head (which has a flat base) to the wooden dowel. Make sure you use the glue in a well-ventilated area, and let it dry/cure for at least 48 hours
before proceeding.
Image Notes
1. Make sure that the dowel is centered at the base of the doll head.
Step 2: Paint the staff.
I painted the doll head with a coat of white paint, then added a very thin, slightly watered down silver layer to get the misty swirly look that Saruman's staff has.
The rest of the staff I painted black.
Image Notes
1. Paint the dowel black.
2. The doll's head gets two layers: white, then silver.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Step 3: Make the fins.
Hold the staff over a piece of paper and trace its silhouette. You will use this shape to sketch the fins. I used a picture of the staff to help me estimate how long the fins
should be and where the curves were. Alternately, you could print out my drawing and use it as a stencil to trace your own fins. Cut four fins from the craft foam, making
all of your lines as smooth as possible.
Image Notes
1. I traced my fin shape onto the craft foam with a ballpoint pen, which seemed to work fine.
Step 4: Attach the fins.
Using a very tacky craft glue (Elmer's would be too watery), put a thin line of glue along the inner edge of a fin, and carefully stick it onto the staff, making sure that it
stays straight. You can adjust it quickly after you put it on; if the glue smears, don't worry, since it should dry clear anyway.
Let the first fin dry. Repeat for the other three fins, making sure to line them up so that they are all at right angles to each other. If necessary, you can sketch faint pencil
lines for guides on the staff.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Image Notes
1. I like this glue because it's tacky enough to hold the fin in place without having
it slide around due to gravity.
Image Notes
1. Line of glue on the inside edge.
Image Notes
1. Three fins attached! You can see in the closest fin that the glue does indeed
dry clear.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Image Notes
1. First fin attached!
Step 5: Varnish the staff.
To mimic the polished metal look of Saruman's staff, I covered the whole thing in glossy varnish. I just used what I had, this Delta Ceramcoat Interior Varnish . I needed
to do a couple coats to get the level of gloss I wanted, especially on the craft foam. Once the varnish has dried, be careful not to bend the fins since it will cause the
varnish to crackle.
The finished staff won't be passing for a polished metal collectible anytime soon, but it's a cheap way to get the overall look of Saruman's staff!
And if you need a duo of staffs for a wizard battle, you can make a "matching" Gandalf staff !
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Image Notes
1. All shiny from varnish!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/
Image Notes
1. Hey, Gandalf's staff, do you ever have problems with Gandalf? Saruman's
fingernails are super long and they're always digging into my side.
2. Yeah, dude, Gandalf's always smoking; it discolors my beautiful wood grain.
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http://www.instructables.com/id/Sarumans-Wizard-Staff/