What's the best way to repair my LARP weapon?
LARP weapons and armour are built to take some hits, after all that's what they're designed for. This doesn't mean they can be used endlessly without taking any damage.
Fortunately, most surface damage on LARP weapons is easy to repair. If the fibreglass core or foam is structurally damaged, surface repairs won't be enough. So make sure to check your LARP items thoroughly for damage and the severity of it.
What do you need?
-Fine black sandpaper
-Glue
-Latex
-Water-soluble paint
-Brushes
-Talc powder
-Cloth
-Silicone spray
How to repair your LARP weapon or armour?
Use the black sandpaper to sand the damaged part of the item. If the latex layer is too damaged and light sanding isn't enough, you'll need to remove the latex layer completely. Wipe away the sanding dust with a cloth when you're done.
Step 2:
Use glue to repair the damage to your item. We recommend using LARP latex repair glue for this, as this glue is specially made for this kind of repairs. Let the glue dry completely.
Lightly sand the dried glue to remove any bumps and protrusions. Wipe away the sanding dust with a cloth when you're done.
Make sure that when choosing your paint it's water-soluble and flexible! Acrylic paint falls into this category, for example. Oil-based paints and paints with copper particles will damage your latex and should not be used.
Mix your paint of choice with latex. Make sure you don't use too much paint relative to the latex, as this will make your latex grainy. If your latex is a bit too thick to apply evenly, you can mix in a small amount of water or ammonia solution. However, don't add too much, otherwise the latex/paint mixture will become too runny.
Grab your brushes and start painting the part you've repaired. Apply multiple coats, not too thick, for a better latex coating. If the repair is done at an edge, pay extra attention to the edge, as the edge takes the most hits.
If you want to add some extra metallic shine to your item, you can apply some metallic paint/latex mixture with dry brushing after the base colour has dried. To dry brush you'll need a brush with completely dry hairs and only a small amount of paint. Wipe off some of the paint again on kitchen paper or a piece of paper. Brush lightly along the edges and raised areas to add some light highlights.
Step 6:
Once the paint and latex are completely dry, dust the item with talc powder to seal the pores of the latex. Wipe off excess talc powder with a cloth. Give the weapon or armour a good coat of silicone spray to make sure the latex doesn't dry out.
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