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Post by Anders on Aug 30, 2011 17:22:11 GMT
While it has held up admirable over the last year, my DF o-kat seems to need a bit of adjusting.
First of all, the sword feels rather loose in the saya. IIRC, I'm supposed to glue rice paper to the inside of the mouth, though I'm not sure where to get a hold of rice paper around here so I'm wondering what would be a decent alternative.
Also, the seppa, tsuba and habaki are all kinda lose, there being a tiny gap between the fuchi and the seppa. (A millimeter at the very most.) Do I just insert some kind of spacer in the gap?
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Post by Elheru Aran on Aug 30, 2011 17:33:25 GMT
Rice paper strikes me as being way too thin; I'd try thin cardboard or extra-thin balsa wood, if that's available for you.
And yes, my understanding is that one would traditionally use another seppa to solve gaps between seppa, tsuka and habaki. That's what they're for, really...
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Post by Anders on Aug 30, 2011 20:11:06 GMT
Well, it's not that poor a fit - the habaki just doesn't fit as snugly as it used to. My thinking was gluing on several layers until I get a nice fit.
Guess I need to find some very thin sheet metal, then.
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Post by chrisperoni on Aug 30, 2011 20:21:08 GMT
Yep, the reason you use rice paper is because it's so thin- you can add layers until it's just right. Try an art supply store for it or a similar thin alternative.
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Post by Anders on Aug 30, 2011 22:57:17 GMT
Does the consistancy of the paper matter much, or is any thin paper good?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2011 0:56:41 GMT
Well I'd think that you'd want a paper that will saturate fairly well with the glue - my assumption with the rice paper method was that it allowed fine adjustment and also ended up soaking up the traditional rice paste glue well so that it was a relatively hard and solid piece after the glue dries, as opposed to a paper that doesn't soak up the glue so much and the layers could de-laminate later. Again, just my assumption based on my crafty past. So when I try this - which I will be since I have a saya that needs it - I was going to try craft tissue paper. I also considered that some papers may be acidic, so I was going to test some with the glue against scrap brass first, just to be safe - don't want a stained habaki.
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Post by Anders on Aug 31, 2011 3:32:09 GMT
Those are good points, thanks.
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Post by Lobster Hunter on Aug 31, 2011 5:29:16 GMT
Glue a thin piece of wood veneer on to either the edge or spine side of the saya mouth with wood glue and file it down if necessary to get a perfect fit. Paper sounds like a decent solution but it'll erode faster, I'll bet.
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Post by Anders on Sept 1, 2011 15:40:33 GMT
For the spacer, I just cut a piece out of Joker from a deck of cards and put it between the seppa and the tsuba. I figure the gap is so tiny it doesn't matter what I put there. Seem to hold up fine for now.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Sept 2, 2011 19:06:42 GMT
Hmm, playing cards brings up an idea-- what about a plastic playing card? It might be less likely to wear down over time than a cardboard card... That's really not a bad idea right there.
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Post by Anders on Sept 3, 2011 17:47:57 GMT
So, I stuck some paper I happened to have to the inside of the saya with wood glue, and now the habaki fits just right. If it holds up, mission accomplished. Otherwise I'll need to use something more permanent. Still, I've proven the theory at least. I'm sure any thin material will work - I could probably find something more durable but wear should only occur when there is movement against the spacer, which is pretty much exactly what it's supposed to prevent in the first place. I admit my repairs are a bit ad hoc, but I'm a very lazy man and if the sword still works it's not too important to me.
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