My sword project- Plans
Jan 14, 2008 18:58:27 GMT
Post by Matt993f.o.d on Jan 14, 2008 18:58:27 GMT
After seeing Brenno's inspiring work on his various sword projects, I felt that it would be rude not to have a go myself. I initially planned to make it in the same way as Brenno did, by stock removal with an angle grinder, but then a chance visit from an old friend (the chap who sold me an anvil) allowed me to visit me his shop. He is an Engineer, and a bloody good one at that. His machine shop is extensive.
He has agreed to help me machine my bar stock, which is a flat untempered leaf spring of 9260, into a sword blade. I will do the hilting (and will send it off for heat treating).
The sword itself will be fairly basic in shape and profile. Initially I planned to do a leaf blade like Brenno's second effort, but I have since changed my mind as the machines we will be using will be very difficult to make such a profile on. And Brenno has done a leaf blade already, so I'd rather do something a bit more unique. The blade will be roughly Oakeshott type XII. We will make the rough shape, see how it feels and add taper etc it we think it needs it. With the machines, such things are easy.
The plan is to cut the rough shape for the blade out on the industrial guillotine. The fuller will be cut on a large mill. Profiling will be done on a large scale grinding machine (its huge, and I can't remember what exactly it is for, normally). If we're lucky, we may even be able to squeeze it into the dynamic balancer (normally used for giant connecting rods), to help us get the balance right (it will tell us where the COP is a lot better than we will be able to judge ourselves).
The blade will then be sent for heat treating at the place I got the steel from (a company called Rossendale road springs).
After heat treating, I will hilt it with a crossguard and pommel I will make myself (maybe even forge the cross, If I can make a forge that works by then) by hot peening them onto a bare hilt. The handle scales will be epoxied in place. I chose hot-peening rather than the more usual ways of doing it as I'd rather not thread it or cold peen it as I reckon the cross and handle will be less likely to come loose.
I will have the scabbard made by Dave Gullen of www.tinb.co.uk
We have the steel at the shop now. Eta for the machined bare blade should be about a week. Finished blade could be ages yet.
No point in posting pics of a bare bar of steel, so I'll just say that I'll be posting pics once I start working on it.
He has agreed to help me machine my bar stock, which is a flat untempered leaf spring of 9260, into a sword blade. I will do the hilting (and will send it off for heat treating).
The sword itself will be fairly basic in shape and profile. Initially I planned to do a leaf blade like Brenno's second effort, but I have since changed my mind as the machines we will be using will be very difficult to make such a profile on. And Brenno has done a leaf blade already, so I'd rather do something a bit more unique. The blade will be roughly Oakeshott type XII. We will make the rough shape, see how it feels and add taper etc it we think it needs it. With the machines, such things are easy.
The plan is to cut the rough shape for the blade out on the industrial guillotine. The fuller will be cut on a large mill. Profiling will be done on a large scale grinding machine (its huge, and I can't remember what exactly it is for, normally). If we're lucky, we may even be able to squeeze it into the dynamic balancer (normally used for giant connecting rods), to help us get the balance right (it will tell us where the COP is a lot better than we will be able to judge ourselves).
The blade will then be sent for heat treating at the place I got the steel from (a company called Rossendale road springs).
After heat treating, I will hilt it with a crossguard and pommel I will make myself (maybe even forge the cross, If I can make a forge that works by then) by hot peening them onto a bare hilt. The handle scales will be epoxied in place. I chose hot-peening rather than the more usual ways of doing it as I'd rather not thread it or cold peen it as I reckon the cross and handle will be less likely to come loose.
I will have the scabbard made by Dave Gullen of www.tinb.co.uk
We have the steel at the shop now. Eta for the machined bare blade should be about a week. Finished blade could be ages yet.
No point in posting pics of a bare bar of steel, so I'll just say that I'll be posting pics once I start working on it.