If you've ever dreamed of having Wolverine's claws, now you can get an idea of how to make them. Taking advantage of the release of Logan, the Hacksmith got to work and built Wolverine's claws — and electrified them!
The man behind The Hacksmith channel is known for creating prototypes of objects from comics, movies, and video games. Among his most distinguished works are Captain America's magnetic shield, Batman's grappling gun, and the Call of Duty exoskeleton. In fact, one of his first projects was Wolverine's claws, originally built a few years ago when the Hacksmith was interning at a machine shop.
Building the Claws
Based on the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), the claws measure 33 cm and are made of high carbon steel, nickel-plated for a mirror finish. They took approximately twenty hours to fabricate. The outline was cut with a water jet, the blade details were machined on a CNC, and it was welded with tungsten inert gas. The entire set was then nickel-plated to create a mirror finish.
The Electrified Version
Taking advantage of the release of Logan, the Hacksmith decided to revisit this project by electrifying Wolverine's claws to give them a very realistic spark effect (and much better than CGI). To create a spark effect, he used a car battery connected to the claws, positive on one claw, negative on the other. With about 100 amperes of power flowing through the claws, they produce an incredible shower of sparks every time they clash, very similar to the effect Wolverine makes in the X-Men animated series. The sparks are actually tiny pieces of overheated metal from the claws, so the effect slightly damages the accessories.
Now comes the big question: does the electric charge help these homemade claws cut through thick metal doors or concrete walls? The truth is no. At most they seem capable of cutting chicken wire and aluminum foil. Conclusion: They are not as deadly as Logan's adamantium claws, but they are certainly quite intimidating to someone who doesn't know the subject.
