|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 7, 2008 0:06:47 GMT
Hello all, a while back when I began studying German longsword I made some hickory wasters for my little study group to practice with (I made my own because I had specific weight and balance parameters in mind; 2.5-3.5 lbs depending on who it was for and pob at about 6 inches from the cross). I didn't save any money over buying some but I got the handling I wanted. Now I've made some prototypes out of high density polyethylene with the same weight and balance. We've found them to be a great improvement over the wooden wasters as the HDPE wasters have some flex, slide in the bind more like steel, and seem to be nearly indestructible. Anyone else into this kind of thing?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2008 0:18:43 GMT
They look better than a lot of wasters ive seen, thats for sure.
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 7, 2008 0:27:47 GMT
Thanks, they're still a little rough around the edges but for the most part they came out pretty decent.
|
|
|
Post by vayduong on Mar 7, 2008 1:56:38 GMT
those look outstanding. There is another company using some polymer for their wasters, but they're kinda plain. I like how you did the wrap and your pommel looks concave-ish. I wouldn't mind having one of yours in a heartbeat.
I've actually broken a waster before and my current new one is suffering some dents already. Are you planning on marketing these?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2008 9:14:06 GMT
Can you make a bokken out of something like this? Where do you get your supplies of this stuff? As I don't imagine it would be too hard to shape this stuff and weight it.
|
|
|
Post by swordboy bringer of chaos on Mar 7, 2008 13:27:47 GMT
yeah bud inquiring minds want to know how did you make those
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 7, 2008 14:55:01 GMT
Thanks Vayduong, not sure how I would go about marketing them but I can certainly make more if anyone wants one. We used the two in the pics for coulpe of days and then I found an easier way to make the guards so I'm actually going to make two more today.
Bloodwraith, I imagine you could make pretty much anything with this stuff though the hard part of making a katana would be getting a nice even curve to the blade. I cut the basic blade shapes out on these with a circular saw set up on a little jig I made to get the angle right. The rest was done with a jigsaw, a router, and a drill press.
I came across the stuff while I was at the local metal supplier(Alro Metals, there's probably one in your area). There was a stack of different sized pieces of other kinds of plastics by the door that they occasionally get as off-cuts from some other location. I noticed some 48" planks of this stuff and picked a piece up. While I was looking at it another customer there started telling me how tough the stuff is. His company used it to make bearings but it's also used for skids, wear plates, nucular storage containers... anyway I gave it a couple really hard whacks against the concrete floor and thought " I bet this would make an awesome waster".
Swordboy, I'll post some pics of the next two before I've assembled them in case anyone would like to copy the design for themselves. There's about $25-$30 in materials total and it took me around 4-5 hours to make each one.
|
|
|
Post by swordboy bringer of chaos on Mar 7, 2008 14:59:58 GMT
how much fore a set of two shipping shouldn't to bad cause we're in the same state
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2008 16:05:35 GMT
How much force does the plastic transfer? Aka, how important is your control to not hurt your opponent?
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 7, 2008 18:02:34 GMT
Hey Swordboy, I guess to make a decent hourly wage on these things they'd need to be about $90 each plus shipping. If I like the revised design I'm working on today better than the design of the first two, I could sell you the original two cheaper than that.
Do I need to move this to the classified section or anything? Not sure of the forum rules on this kind of stuff.
Oswyn, they're 3/4 inch thick and the edges are rounded so you don't need to be nearly as careful as with steel but the material is very dense (the blades on my hickory wasters are almost 1/2 inch thicker to be at the same weight). Since they have some flexibility (not a whole lot) getting hit with a thrust is a bit less painful than with a wooden waster but any other strike seems about the same as the hickory to me.
Lunch is over, time to go out to the garage to get back to work on the next two.
|
|
|
Post by vayduong on Mar 8, 2008 4:02:49 GMT
that's fine with me! My last waster was one from NewStirlingArms. $85, and it is a great waster. But if your wasters are heavier and balanced better, I'm all for it. Wooden wasters always feel..... too light.
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 8, 2008 16:02:24 GMT
Waster version 2.0 Not really a "better" design, just more esthetically pleasing to me. Here are the specs on the new version: overall length 47.5" blade length 36" blade thickness 3/4" blade width 2 3/4" at cross, 1" at tip cross width 10" weight 2lbs 14 oz (2.875 lbs) pob 6" from the cross The previous two have 10" grips and are 49" overall. The blades on the first two have slightly different tapers from one another and correspondingly different pommel slug thicknesses so one is 2.9 lbs and one is 2.7 lbs. Here is a pic of a third new one not yet assembled so you can see how they're made. The steel pommel slug is 1 1/2 inches in diameter and is held in place with two retaining rings. The cross is a 5/16" x 10" stainless rod held in place with a set screw. The quillions are covered with 5/16" ID x 1/2" OD vinyl tubing.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2008 7:56:05 GMT
The problem I have with these is that blunts are better for drilling and padded swords are safer for fighting. I am sure that without any armor, I would have to limit my hits to light touches just as I would with steel blunts. I feel the same way about wooden wasters.
I do think that they are a good substitute for wooden wasters if you use them.
I would recommend to the manufacturer to make a version with siderings. Even in just drilling siderings work well to protect the hands.
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 9, 2008 16:12:02 GMT
Tsafa, I agree that blunts would be better for drilling but at this stage of our training I feel that blunts would still be too dangerous for full speed drilling. Later on I'll make us some tempered steel blunts but for now I wanted something that would behave more like steel than the hickory wasters.
That's what they are, a substitute for wooden wasters.
I've often thought during our German longsword practice that side rings on the cross would be a handy addition but I never see them in any of the old fechtbuch illustrations or on the modern reproductions of swords meant to be used in the Liechtenauer tradition.
|
|
|
Post by swordboy bringer of chaos on Mar 10, 2008 0:58:37 GMT
I really want to know what you used to make them so I can make some for my self
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 10, 2008 16:09:05 GMT
I really want to know what you used to make them so I can make some for my self I've already told you what material I used, where to get it, what the dimensions are, what tools were used to shape the material, and shown an unassembled picture in addition to the completed picture listing all the parts. Not sure what more I can do for you.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2008 13:45:35 GMT
Very nice!!! I'm very interested in one of your new-style longsword length (~36" blade / ~45" OAL) wasters, please send me an email or PM with your price. Also, have you considered using a ball bearing in the pommel instead of the flat steel insert to bring the POB back a bit? What about a lead (vinyl coated/painted - plasti-dip?) insert? Thanks in advance.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2008 13:46:22 GMT
Oh, and +1 Karma for your work.
|
|
|
Post by brotherbanzai on Mar 19, 2008 0:51:29 GMT
Hey Rigormortis, thanks and pm sent.
A large bearing might be a nice look for the pommel weight but there are some complications with that idea involving attaching to the waster and cost. A slightly longer, beveled slugg might be an easier solution if you prefer the balance farther back.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2008 2:24:27 GMT
Yep - and/or drilling a long hole down the tip of the "blade" might also do the trick. I'm off to read your PM now. -thanks again.
|
|