woodworking resources

[PhillyB]

i'm building an RPG prop for a project. i'm doing most of it with pvc pipe and some metal fittings, but the base piece is supposed to be wood. i'd like to create the replica as faithfully as possible, so i've developed exact dimensions. the trouble is i can't find a piece of wood that will pass for what i need, and since i don't own a lathe i can't just pop a rough piece in and trim it down myself.

does anyone know of resources to either find specialized wood stock or a crafter who i can pay to do a quick cut for me?

here's what i'm building:

 

and here's what i need:

 

 

sixteen-inch piece of hard or soft wood 2.75" at the largest diameter and 2 inches at the smallest with a beveled slope in the middle. rough cut is fine since i can sand and finish it myself. where should i go?

 

[Jimmy]

Is that an RPG-7?

[PhillyB]

1 minute ago, Jimmy said:

Is that an RPG-7?

yep, my choices are to buy a plastic one from hong kong for $300, buy an inert one from a surplus outlet for $1000, or build my own for $50. easy choice even though i really fuging want to buy the real thing and then mount it on the wall in my office.

[Kevin Greene]

Your neighbors are going to turn you in as a terrorist!

[PhillyB]

i'll tell them it's a clock

[Doyle]

5 hours ago, PhillyB said:

i'll tell them it's a clock

Pack your bags for the White House in that case.   

[Anybodyhome]

Seems to me you could find and an old wooden furniture leg/table leg.....

[cookinbrak]

Go to a swimming pool store, the pool fittings taper gradually. They should have a 3" to 2" reducer that looks just like that.

[Bronn]

I'd cut up an old wooden baseball bat or a piece of Goodwill furniture's leg...

 

[PhillyB]

3 hours ago, Anybodyhome said:

Seems to me you could find and an old wooden furniture leg/table leg.....

this was my initial thought, but after wandering every store in town i couldn't find anything that worked, either in shape or in diameter.

[Bronn]

Hell, if you have a few tools, an old aluminum bat would work too...

[PhillyB]

3 minutes ago, Bronn said:

Hell, if you have a few tools, an old aluminum bat would work too...

i need that transition to be as accurate as possible, which is the main holdup

[Jase]

can't you rent a lathe at a home depot?

[Bronn]

Just now, PhillyB said:

i need that transition to be as accurate as possible, which is the main holdup

ahhhh... true... I would legit look for an old wooden bat... The diameter is already close, and you could sand down the transition part to be pretty damn accurate... You'd only need a saw and some sandpaper...

I've never really used a lathe too much, and they can be damned dangerous... but you could turn this shape pretty easily if you had to. You might be able to find someone with the ability and a lathe to do it relatively cheap. Let them know what it is for, and supply the wood, and it might cost nothing. Start asking around some of those reenactment people and you might hit payday.