Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 17, 2012 9:19:21 GMT
So here is my current situation.
A while back I bought a fullered H/T Longsword. Long story short, the threads at the end of the tang were stripped out.
So now I'm faced with a few options and I'm literally on the fence between two of them.
1) The first option is to push the shoulders forward a little to expose the tang, and then attempt to peen the tang overtop the hex nut. Basically put the nut on, tighten it enough to expose the tang through the bottom and peen... kinda like a threaded peening block.
2) My other thought was to trim down the hilt more aggressively and make the longsword an arming sword. I've handled the longsword in question (back before I realized just how stripped the threads were) single handed and found it to be quite maneuverable. I do understand that shortening the hilt would affect harmonics and weight distribution, but I wouldn't be opposed to taking an inch or three off the tip of the blade either.
Aside from keeping the heat controlled from any grinding or sanding, are there any pros/cons that I might not be seeing?
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Feb 17, 2012 9:40:32 GMT
This the longsword, right? You said fullered so just wanting to make sure you don't mean the fullered bastard sword as all H/T longswords sport a fuller in the bottom third. I'm not sure about that "peen over the pommel nut" thing. If the threads are stripped, the nut's not gonna hold onto there and I see a risk of the whole assembly being not that solid. The peen would have to cover quite a hole that is in fact not fitted well to the tang as it needs to swallow the nut... in the end if I wanted to peen it, I'd get a new pommel (made).
About shortening it down: As you said, chances are you'll mess with the harmonic balance and nobody can tell you what to take off where. It would be a matter of trial-and-error. Doesn't mean it couldn't work and this is in fact the way people make new swords so it would certainly be an interesting experience. I know I enjoy tinkering around with different weights when I get a blade done to see what fits best. I however always know it could in the end not work out.
In the end: what do you want more, a longsword or an arming sword? Both ways are certainly doable and good projects, I'd decide by choosing what I want more in my collection.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 17, 2012 15:32:52 GMT
Along these lines, I've trifled with the thought of ordering a *non*fullered bastard and turning it into something like this... It would be a matter of merely moving the shoulders up an inch or so, shortening the tang, finding the appropriate guard or fabricating my own and finding a fish-tail pommel... could come out real purty, eh? So I think the longsword-as-arming-sword notion has a lot of potential... personally I'd shorten it at both ends as otherwise you end up with a very pointy arming sword!
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Post by chrisperoni on Feb 17, 2012 15:40:12 GMT
you know you want to do it and hasn't that always been enough motivation for you Greg? DO IT! Coolness of the conversion alone deserves the effort regardless of possible outcome re. balance/harmonics etc. I don't think this is a situation where you weigh the pros and cons- it's a matter of 'me want it' besides any other fact. It would be awesome
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Lunaman
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Post by Lunaman on Feb 17, 2012 16:17:23 GMT
I'm with Lukas-- figure which you want more and just go for it, man. I remember that Sean Flynt over at Myarmoury converted an H/T longsword into a single-hander a while back and the result was gorgeous. I'll try to find it and post a picture. *EDIT* Found it HERE. He turned it into a 16th century cut&thrust sword along the lines of Italian fencing manuals. He used a cut-down Windlass 15th century longsword guard and a modified Alchem pommel.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 17, 2012 20:33:59 GMT
ALCHEM POMMEL!!!!
HOLY CRAP! I've never heard of these guys in the past, and holy semprini! They have a pear shaped pommel! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!
I've been looking for this company for all of my sword buying days. Well then, I'm glad that I noticed the supplier of the pommel this time. Yay!
But, yes Cheness, I did mean the bastard sword. When I made the post, I was tired and not thinking straight. I'm also working on repairing a friend's rapier, and took the complex hilt and held it over the bastard blade... which has concreted the idea of putting a complex hilt on the thing.
HOWEVER, I still haven't decided about the length yet. Now I want to keep it bastard griped but complex hilt. If I could mind my darn battery charger, I'd take some pics of the overlay and show you guys.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 17, 2012 22:27:05 GMT
I'd be interested to see how your project turns out, Greg. I've wanted to convert a Fullered Bastard into an arming sword for some time now. Talked with Tinker quite a bit about it...As I recall, he said that shortening the grip would move the POB out but likely wouldn't hurt the harmonics (but I believe he also said something to the effect of "but I haven't done it so don't quote me" and yet here I am, quotes be damned!). I think it would look slick even with the standard cruciform/wheel pommel. *insert my horrible MS Paint hackjob* Also damn you Zach for posting Flynt's project before I got a chance to! He did a superb job.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 17, 2012 23:21:32 GMT
The more I see the arming version, the more I'm inclined to the single handed option.
We shall see.
Does anyone know a place I could buy complex hilts?
Edit: Nevermind! Holy cow, this Alchem place is awesome! They sell complex hilts too! But... I have to weigh money towards a new hilt, vs saving money to start up my forge to make my own hilt.
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 18, 2012 0:42:02 GMT
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Luka
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Post by Luka on Feb 18, 2012 0:57:43 GMT
I actually like this quite a bit!
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 18, 2012 7:50:16 GMT
Chuck, yeah, I was looking at the darkwood stuff and the type I'd want would start at 90 and end up being 120 after I added all the bells and whistles. And for that much, I can get my forge up and running. So I'm gonna wait till I have that much, and just forge my own complex hilt
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 18, 2012 13:14:17 GMT
Good plan, the forge will enable you in many more endeavours than just one hilt.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 18, 2012 13:59:57 GMT
I've been tempted to do it on many occasions. Sorely tempted.
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 18, 2012 14:03:03 GMT
Throw a grip wrap on that sword, and perhaps a little pommel embellishment, and that idea is the hot ticket.
Good thinking.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 18, 2012 14:42:17 GMT
Yeah, I think a heavier pommel (a few ounces, nothing crazy) would be the way to go with it. Keep it around 2.5lbs. The standard model is already a pretty damn solid cutter, I think a cut down version with a new pommel would be ridiculous.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 18, 2012 18:56:09 GMT
I'm going to try it with the standard pommel first. I don't want to loose to much of the blade presence by moving the pob towards the hilt to much.
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 18, 2012 19:57:09 GMT
They start out at a 3.5 POB from the guard, so depending on how much you reduce the tang, it should have blade presence to go. You'll have to keep us up to speed with the details, so we can have an idea of where it winds up and if you have to bring the POB back any. It should, in all likelyhood, wind up being a demon of a cutter.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 18, 2012 20:03:17 GMT
I'll try to find the post buried in one of the "cutting force" threads (though you probably read it) that increasing the pommel weight, even though it moves the POB back, increases the polar moment/inertia of the sword and benefits cutting ability.
But using the stock pommel first is a good idea. If the one I had wasn't so damned pretty, I'd have used it for this exact type of project.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Mar 15, 2012 22:48:01 GMT
C'mon Greg don't let this die out! It must be done, FOR SCIENCE!
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Mar 15, 2012 23:35:46 GMT
LoL, I won't let this die out, I promise. But I'm starting my new job tomorrow, so I didn't want to get into a project and just let it die. Also, I have a very small workbench that isn't conducive to sword tinkering. So after my first paycheck, I'll be able to build a bigger bench.
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