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Post by TheMu on Jun 5, 2013 13:22:15 GMT
I was swinging my katana and I heard a cracking sound. After that when I shook the sword sideways it started to clatter. I took the tsuka off but I didn't find any cracks. But I noticed that the fuchi was really loose. I fixed the loose fuchi an reassembled the sword. The clattering was gone. What do you think, is the sword safe to use now that the clattering is gone? Or should I remove the ito to make sure there is no crack in the tsuka? I really don't want to do that because the ito is quite new... And I'm pretty sure the cracking sound was caused by loose fuchi that was glued and then came off.
Thanks.
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Post by frankthebunny on Jun 5, 2013 14:33:22 GMT
Sometimes the cracks are hard to see and the tsuka needs to be pried open with something to reveal them. This noise could have been the fuchi but should have been tested by inserting the nakago without the fuchi in place to see if there was noises or movement of the wood core when shaken side to side. If everything feels solid now it might be fine, but go easy at first to be sure.
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Post by TheMu on Jun 5, 2013 15:28:28 GMT
Thank you. I tried to shake it strongly without the fuchi and everything was solid. But then I carefully pushed wooden wedge in the tsuka and: The crack seems to be about an inch long. Can it be fixed (if possible without removing the ito because it's lacquered)? Attachments:
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Post by frankthebunny on Jun 5, 2013 17:54:47 GMT
I've just seen too many of these sneaky cracks to count at this point for them to hide from me, lol The answer to your question is sometimes. If the wood used was good quality and looks healthy with obvious grain lines and no sugar deposits, knots or rotting that you can see then with some good wood glue, you might be able to seal the crack. The main problem is that what has caused the core to crack in most cases is that the fit was too tight to begin with and getting it back on after you glue it will only crack it again. Without taking care of this issue before you fix it will most likely be a waste of your time and effort. You could try removing some of the wood from the interior with a thin file or a strip of sandpaper glued to a modified popsicle stick but it's difficult sometimes to know exactly where the pressure is. You could also try removing some material from the nakago (unless it's an expensive sword you will possibly resell one day) but again, you need to know where it gets too tight.
I've used some white out (old school liquid bottle) painted on the portion of the nakago nearest the fuchi to see where the friction was greatest but this is only a mildly accurate way to tell. Sometimes you get lucky and by slowly inserting the nakago (without fuchi on) while looking closely, you can see where it begins to get tight. Judging by where that crack is, it might be that the ha of the nakago is too thick in which case you could file a little to either side of the crack on the inside of the core and keep testing the fit. This however doesn't necessarily mean that it's just the ha that's too thick, it might just be the weakest point of the core.
On poorly made tsuka shitaji (read most) the seam is dead center of the two pieces and most of the impact of cutting hits this spot over and over. The seam is supposed to be offset to avoid this.
The crack must be clean and fit together without any gaps to be set properly if you choose to try and repair it.
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Post by Valandur on Jun 5, 2013 18:10:24 GMT
Which way is cheaper, fixing the crack and getting the Tsuka rewrapped, or buying an already wrapped Tsuka that's the correct size?
Sorry, don't mean to derail the thread, but I'm curious as to which option is cheaper? I seems like this is a fairly common issue given the huge numbers of swords being sold and the way they are made.
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Post by frankthebunny on Jun 5, 2013 18:28:08 GMT
To be honest, if the crack is fixed as explained above and is successful, there is no need to remove the ito and rewrap so would be a less expensive route. On the other hand if you cannot fix it easily and can find a pre-wrapped tsuka with a proper fit for a good price, then that would be the way to go. Chances are that the pre-wrapped one might need some of the same above prescribed adjustments made before it fits well or it might not be of great quality either in which case it's no better than what you have.
The best real fix if it's a sword you like and use often, is to carve a new core and redo the tsukamaki. I've seen and thought about using another method for a strong fix which is to take a thin (20-24 gauge) strip of brass or steel and fit it around the outside of the core's nakago-ana, and underneath the fuchi by welding it. This band along with some strong epoxy will strengthen the collar and still allow removal of the nakago when needed.
The last fix I can think of would be to make this a permanent attachment by filling the inside of the tsuka with epoxy, and gluing the nakago right in there, including the mekugi, and letting it all cure. The only way to remove the blade later on would be to completely destroy the tsuka
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Post by TheMu on Jun 5, 2013 19:59:34 GMT
Thank you, I used quality wood glue diluted with water. I used a long fine paintbrush to get the glue deeper in the tsuka. When I took the wooden wedge off, the crack snapped shut tightly. I wrapped strong acid-free paper around the cracked part. Fuchi fits now perfectly and everything feels solid.
Is it possible that only this part of the tsuka (that is under the fuchi) was cracked? The damn fuchi was so loose that the wooden core was probably the only thing holding the stress. I really tried to open the crack further but I didn't see it going deeper in the tsuka. Nakago fits well in tsuka, it's not tight nor loose.
I believe I got it fixed now! But I'll be careful with it at first.
Thank you once again, for your help!
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