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Post by downer on Dec 26, 2014 21:22:08 GMT
Hello I'm new to the forum.
I have a Roman Spatha sword made of EN45 spring steel, I would like some advice on how to care for it and sharpen it, oils and stones etc... It is kept in a wooden scabbard. The stabbing tip has been bent over slightly by the manufacturer, can I correct that?
I also have a stainless LOTR anduril sword which won't be used. I read that stainless just needs wiping with window cleaner and that's it, just checking that's correct.
I also just got a English civil war lobster tail pot helmet, unfortunately there are some small spots of rust, how can I remove those and make sure more rust doesn't appear.
Thanks.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Dec 26, 2014 23:51:45 GMT
To sharpen, a fine silicon carbide stone will be fine, or silicon carbide wet-and-dry sandpaper wrapped around a wooden block or a hard rubber sanding block (I like 400 grit for sharpening). Assuming it's already sharp. If the bent part of the tip is very small, just the last 1mm or so, just grind it off with the stone/paper. A light mineral oil will be fine (like 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil), or use a gun oil (Break-Free CLP is reportedly excellent; Rem Oil and Ballistol are good, too). Yes, stainless is low maintenance. Cleaners other than window cleaner will work too (there are specialised stainless steel cleaners (for stainless appliances in the kitchen) that can be found in the cleaning section in supermarkets). For the helmet, just polish off the rust (Flitz, Metal Glo, Brasso, whatever), or sand it off (wet-and-dry silicon carbide paper, fairly fine, or a fine sanding pad or Scotchbrite pad). To keep rust off, you might like to try wax. Ren wax, or some other wax. See sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/42872/renaissance-wax-review for some discussion of waxes. I've found lanolin-based oils to work OK (Lanox). If it's regularly worn/handled, then just whatever mineral oil you're using for swords works (or wax).
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Post by downer on Dec 27, 2014 15:32:26 GMT
Thanks for your help, where are the best places to buy these items? Oils and stones etc... And how much should I be paying for them?
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Dec 27, 2014 23:01:01 GMT
Stones: Hardware stores should have them. They'll have aluminium oxide and silicon carbide stones. Both work, but aluminium oxide stones are slower and wear out faster (but they're cheaper). You can also get diamond plates/stones, which are faster again.
Wet-and-dry, sanding pads, etc.: Hardware store, automotive supplies stores (in the painting section), paint stores.
Oil: Hardware store (gun oils, Lanox and Inox and similar), fishing gear stores (the same kinds of oils are used for lubricating and protecting reels and other gear), gun stores (gun oils), automotive supplies stores (various oils), supermarket (3-in-1, sewing machines oil).
Polish: Hardware stores, supermarkets, automotive supplies stores.
Or online via ebay, Amazon, and elsewhere. If you look at prices on Amazon, that'll give you an idea of fair prices. Maybe about $10 for a spray can of oil (or $5-$20 for non-spray, depending on size), $10-$20 for a stone.
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Post by Lord Cobol on Dec 28, 2014 0:26:53 GMT
Surprisingly, aluminum foil can also be used to remove light rust. The main advantage is that it doesn't scratch the surface so you don't have to spend extra post-rust time polishing out scratch marks. So for light rust it is faster than abrasives in the long run even if it seems to start slower.
Clean the metal, crumple up some foil, dip in water or vinegar, and rub. Then dry. There is something cosmically wrong about using something that causes rust to remove rust. But I swear it works.
This used to be mentioned in the wikipedia article on aluminum foil, but somebody edited it out. Grrrr.
There is a fancy chemical reason for it that I can't explain very well. Seems aluminum loves to react with oxygen to form aluminum oxide, so when you apply rub it on rust you rub the existing oxide layer off the foil and it steals oxygen from the rust. I guess the fluid helps the ions wander around.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Dec 29, 2014 1:36:01 GMT
for sharpening it's hard to go past the harbour freight 30x1 and some super fine belts - there is a three part youtube to start you off
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Post by downer on Jan 1, 2015 13:49:13 GMT
What kind of cloth/pads should I be using for polishing? I have autosol metal polish.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Jan 2, 2015 3:54:13 GMT
Lots of things work: tissues, paper towel, old bits of cloth - don't throw away worn-out socks, t-shirts, etc.; recycle them as polishing cloths. You don't want gritty dust on it (which can scratch things you're trying to polish), but otherwise, not a big deal.
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Post by downer on Jan 7, 2015 21:03:56 GMT
Whats the best way to apply the oil? Applying it to my helmet it obviously runs down and doesn't stay on the helmet.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Jan 7, 2015 22:09:00 GMT
You only need a very thin layer. Just a little bit on a cloth or a tissue, and wipe. There shouldn't be enough to run, or form drops. Just a thin layer.
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Post by downer on Jan 8, 2015 21:25:48 GMT
Ok ill try again, first attempt on the helmet and the oil smeared ruining the shine it had after polishing.
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Post by downer on Jan 9, 2015 20:58:36 GMT
Does anyone know any sharpening guides? The sword isn't what I think would be classed as sharp, I can press hard on the blade and run my finger along it and it won't cut me. Is there another way to put an edge on it if it hasn't got one already?
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