Next to Iron Man’s repulsors and Spider-Man’s web shooters, the most iconic piece of equipment in the Marvel universe has to be Wolverine’s adamantium claws.
More a part of his anatomy than actual weapons, these claws (three on each hand) have varying origins. In some forms of media, Wolverine has adamantium claws grafted onto his body as a result of forced experimentation. In others, he is born with bone claws which then get injected with the metal… also as a result of forced experimentation.
The Hacksmith doesn’t condone any form of forced experimentation, but he does love the idea of having bone claws. So instead of making the iconic metal claws, he’s going a different route and crafting Wolverine’s pre-forced experimentation bone claws:
1. Make A Template
Using both his original claw design as well as the electrified variant, James makes a template using SOLIDWORKS. Since this new design harkens back to Wolverine’s pre-metal claws, he makes a couple of small cuts to mimic the appearance of bones.
He adds some curvature to the bones to give them a more natural look before thickening the “joint” area so the final claws won’t snap while slicing through things. After 3D printing a series of prototypes and iterating, James is happy enough to use this new design to start manufacturing the bone claws.
2. Cut And Shape The “Bone” Claws
Contrary to their namesake, these particular bone claws aren’t made of bone; they’re made of metal. So METAL.
Bone isn’t the material you want if you want to stab and slice items, so James cuts a couple of metal claws and grinds them down to give them the appearance of bone.
He eventually plans to give the claws a powder coat of paint to look more natural but, for now, shaping the claws certainly helps with the whole “bone” motif.
3. Make The Handles
To keep the claws positioned for his hand, James temporarily tack welds the pieces together after fitting them in between his fingers.
This allows him to craft and attach handles for a perfect fit. He welds the handles to the base of the claws before grinding down the edges to protect his his hands, then removes the temporary support piece.
4. Sandblast And Powder Coat
Before getting to the slicing and dicing, James sandblasts the claws and has them powder coated. While he sandblasts the claws himself, his workshop doesn’t quite have the tools for powder coating sends them out for the finishing touches.
5. Time For A Berserker Barrage!
Once the claws have been powder coated, James lets loose with his animalistic rage. Unsuspecting sacks of rice, cabbage, and various fruits are no match for these “bone” claws and a man who just shaved one-third of his beard on camera.
But what’s really impressive is how the bone claws cut through concrete blocks with no problem. He has to wrap his hands in protective gear to do so, but seeing someone cut through concrete with metal claws is still pretty darn cool.
If you want to see more fictional gear brought to live, be sure to check out The Hacksmith YouTube channel.
