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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 6:51:52 GMT
Could this be the ultimate sword? Depleted uranium is 70% denser then lead. They use it to reinforce the armor on M1 Tanks. They also use it to make armor piercing bullets that I have seen turn Russian made tanks into swiss cheese in video. My idea would be to make a rapier like mine out out depleted uranium. The extra density would the thin rapier some mean cutting power while maintaining maximum reach. Here is a link with some info on depleted uranium: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium |
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 10, 2007 6:56:40 GMT
Wouldn't that be a tad heavy?
Otherwise, could be interesting. The only thing I know about depleted Uranium, mind you, is that my favorite military aircraft, the good ol' A-10 "Warthog" fires 30mm rounds consisting primarily of depleted uranium. Excellent against those pesky tanks.
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Post by kidcasanova on Dec 10, 2007 7:04:19 GMT
I'd be looking more at cost than anything....that would put a massive hurtin' on your wallet.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 7:08:30 GMT
This the style sword I had in mind.  One of them is 47 inches long with a 40 inch blade. I use it one handed in a thrusting style fight. It weighs about 2.5 lbs. It can't cut anything because there is not meat to the blade. I'm thinking of combining steel and depleted uranium into some alloy so that a sword of the same exact dimensions as above weighs 3.5 lbs. It could then be used for effective cutting strikes. The added advantage would be the extra reach. The long, thin blade would be extra dense. It would hold and edge better too. Yeah, cost is off the scale. We are talking fantasy-world here were we are billionaires... or own the factory that makes the tank armor for M1's. |
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Post by kidcasanova on Dec 10, 2007 7:15:00 GMT
Or RAID the factory that makes the tank armor. See, you have to think outside the box here, Tsafa.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 13:28:50 GMT
Tsafa,
I'm not sure but I think that it is not good for sword making material in that there is no springiness (forgot the metallurgical term for that) in depleted uranium. It makes great armor and a good bullet only by virtue of it's density.
Kinda like using gold or osmium for a sword blade. If you wanted something with a lot of striking power, an alternate idea would be to have a beryllium tube or a hollow channel made into the sword blade and fill that with a few ounces of mercury.
The mercury would flow to the end of the blade during your cut.
Just a thought on unconventional sword stuff ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 13:38:55 GMT
hmmm... but the reason for the springiness and flex is so the sword does not break. I would expect that this sword would not need that. I don't know the properties of a long thing strip of depleted uranium and I don't know if we can find out. It may turn out to be like graphite which is very strong in one direction but weak in the other... or it may not be weak at all. Maybe it would have flex if it was combined into an alloy with another mettle. Something for us to try to find out more about.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 13:50:20 GMT
Tsafa, Here's some good information on DU and it's applications. Kind of a long read but interesting nonetheless. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uraniumInteresting allow of DU and other materials. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StaballoyWhat's fascinating is that a sword blade made with some of this stuff (Staballoy) would be very carcinogenic. If you didn't kill them they get cancer a few weeks later. BTW .... if you are looking for an alternate metal or alloy or compound to increase the density of the sword. Consider tungsten or tungsten carbide. TC is brittle but might made a good filler material. And it has the density of 14K gold, a hardness of 9 on the Moh scale (equal to a ruby) and a host of other interesting little properties. Densities iron 7.87 g/cm3 uranium 18.9 g/cm3 gold 19.3 g/cm3 lead 11.35 g/cm3 tungsten 19.35 g/cm3 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 17:04:11 GMT
hahaha
Great idea on paper. I could see someone using it while wearing a hazmat/nuclear waste suit.
Seem like it would be hot, literally.
The mercury would flow to the end of the blade during your cut.
Or when it got really hot outside, right Centurion? ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 19:41:00 GMT
Maybe tungsten is a more practical choice, but there is something cool about the idea having a sword make out of the same material that top military armor is made out of. The idea that you have a uranium swords should also should also send chills down peoples spines.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2007 20:27:54 GMT
I think the tungsten and mercury tube would be a good solution for you tsafa. The mercury would increase the impact of your swing and flow back to the hilt during your recovery.
The balance of your weapon would certainly change a lot so you'd have to adjust to a lot of things.
Personally I'd be more worried about DU bullets than a sword made of it. ;D but hey .... that's just me.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2007 6:25:51 GMT
I had thought about this question years ago. I looked up all the Imfo I could. On DU. First I don`t think the public is aloud to own it.If you could own it It would cost about as much as gold, its not good or heathy to touch or even be near at all... So to my dissapointment it just won`t work Bummer...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2007 4:24:20 GMT
Actually uranium is used in armor and bullets for many reasons. First, it is incredibly dense. Second it is really really hard. Third, the shear stresses on it make a penetrator self-sharpening. Fourth, it is pyrophoric so the little bits that are shaved off going through the target set things on fire. It is pretty much the perfect material to use as a penetrator.
Uranium is a metal so its mechanical properties are probably isotropic not orthotropic like graphite. I'm guessing it is probably too brittle make a good sword blade. It is definitely too environmentally hazardous. Every time that your opponent parried, he's probably chipping little bits of uranium off your blade, that you're breathing in.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2007 6:12:20 GMT
That was good additional info Mracheson. Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2007 6:39:41 GMT
Depleted Uranium causes cancer and birth defects. To handle this metal without the proper safety gear is essentially the same thing as killing yourself slowly.
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Post by swordboy bringer of chaos on Jan 1, 2008 21:34:31 GMT
may be you get an even blended alloy with a wire damascus? that way you could mix metals evenly . heres my blend 70%steel 15%titanium 10%tungsten carbide 5% cromium silica alloy  no uranium ...I don't want to glow in the dark |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2008 6:54:51 GMT
In the novel "Riptide" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, which is loosely based on the mysterious "Oak Island Money Pit" legend, the prize in the treasure hunt is the so-called Sword of St. Michael. This turns out to be a sword with a nasty looking pitted blade that was forged from a highly radioactive metal meteorite, and anyone who gets too close to it once it's out of its lead casket dies of radiation poisoning. Pretty good cliffhanger-type novel.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2008 7:05:52 GMT
may be you get an even blended alloy with a wire damascus? that way you could mix metals evenly . heres my blend 70%steel 15%titanium 10%tungsten carbide 5% cromium silica alloy no uranium ...I don't want to glow in the dark That sounds like a good mix. |
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Post by swordboy bringer of chaos on Jan 9, 2008 7:14:18 GMT
my be I'll talk to brenno about it
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Post by salvatore on Jan 10, 2008 8:03:46 GMT
may be you get an even blended alloy with a wire damascus? that way you could mix metals evenly . heres my blend 70%steel 15%titanium 10%tungsten carbide 5% cromium silica alloy no uranium ...I don't want to glow in the dark Well, tungsten is actually used to cut steel, titanium, while beingh very light, is pretty brittle. And as far as uranium goes, I don't want anything radioactive in my sword! No matter how depleted! I hate the stuff, causes a lot of environmental affects. |
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no uranium ...I don't want to glow in the dark
