DIY Windlass Eglinton Mods for a lazy day.
Jan 23, 2016 18:11:12 GMT
Post by Uhlan on Jan 23, 2016 18:11:12 GMT
Was bored on my day off, so I decided to do something about the clean and impersonal looks of the Eglinton.
The review of the sword can be read here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/44322/windlass-eglinton-basket-hilted-backsword
and a post on its inner workings can be read here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/40975/sword-construction-data-base
Since I am not very impressed with it, I did not want to spend money, nor much time or energy.
So, no scabbard making, or plating, or whatever. Nothing complicated.
The separate mods can easily be done at home, in the kitchen.
There is no need for expensive equipment, nor any expertise. It is totally home grown. Costs all in? I don't know. $5 ?
What I did.
Unscrewed the pommel and took off all parts at around 12.00 hours and cleaned the factory gunk and grease off by putting them in hot water and soap in the kitchen sink and brushing them clean.
Works wonders for such a complicated basket. No need for expensive degrease products here.
The grip is covered in real ray skin, but had this cheap looking paint finish, so I dunked it in acetone. In 30 minutes it was paint free.
The clean basket went on the kitchen gas range and got blued and partly burned dark lead grey by rubbing the hot metal with oil.
The bushings of the grip were fire blued too. They have a fantastic sparkling dark blue finish now.
The scabbard is the standard Windlass leather one, although this one is quite stiff. At first I thought about gluing fresh leather right over it, but I decided to remove most of the black paint, (it is paint, it lays on top of the leather).
The best way to do this is with sand paper, Not with acetone or paint remover gel! That will spoil the leather. 80 grid for overall - and 60 grid for detail work. 60 grid goes right through the top layer of the leather, like what happens under heavy use. Just sand up and down, left and to right, doesn't matter. If there is still black paint here and there, just let it be. No problem.
I wanted a worn out but cared for, kind of antique natural leather look, so after sanding I splashed on some dark walnut stain I make from walnut powder dissolved in hot water.
I mix this, after cooling, with a little water based mahogany stain to bond it together. 100 grams of the powder will last for years. I bought mine at least 5 years ago and have still some left.
I attacked the wet stain with a rag, as to get thick and thin spots.
After the stain was dry, in about 30 minutes, I cleaned the fittings ( still in place on the scabbard ! ) and the pommel with acetone and covered them with gun blue.
After that was worked out I took off the top layer with a piece of the 3M grey sanding mat, just rubbing gently every which way, so there are light and dark spots.
I did not fire blue the pommel. It weighs a solid 362 grams and that is too much for a kitchen stove to heat up. After all you need around 350C.
Covered the lot in Ren Wax, polished it out and screwed the sword together and was done at 20.00 hours. 7 hours work, because I did my 1 hour siesta somewhere in between. In reality far less, if time for coffee and cigarettes, lunch and checking emails is substracted.
You know, a lazy day off, just pottering and humming about a bit.
The point of the exercise was to turn the characterless, clean looking new Windlass sword into a well cared for, semi restored, great great grandpa's campaign relic sword kinda thing.
Whether I hit the spot is up for debate, but for me it looks much better now. Even interesting here and there. Maybe I am going to like it. Someday.
Cheers.
The review of the sword can be read here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/44322/windlass-eglinton-basket-hilted-backsword
and a post on its inner workings can be read here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/40975/sword-construction-data-base
Since I am not very impressed with it, I did not want to spend money, nor much time or energy.
So, no scabbard making, or plating, or whatever. Nothing complicated.
The separate mods can easily be done at home, in the kitchen.
There is no need for expensive equipment, nor any expertise. It is totally home grown. Costs all in? I don't know. $5 ?
What I did.
Unscrewed the pommel and took off all parts at around 12.00 hours and cleaned the factory gunk and grease off by putting them in hot water and soap in the kitchen sink and brushing them clean.
Works wonders for such a complicated basket. No need for expensive degrease products here.
The grip is covered in real ray skin, but had this cheap looking paint finish, so I dunked it in acetone. In 30 minutes it was paint free.
The clean basket went on the kitchen gas range and got blued and partly burned dark lead grey by rubbing the hot metal with oil.
The bushings of the grip were fire blued too. They have a fantastic sparkling dark blue finish now.
The scabbard is the standard Windlass leather one, although this one is quite stiff. At first I thought about gluing fresh leather right over it, but I decided to remove most of the black paint, (it is paint, it lays on top of the leather).
The best way to do this is with sand paper, Not with acetone or paint remover gel! That will spoil the leather. 80 grid for overall - and 60 grid for detail work. 60 grid goes right through the top layer of the leather, like what happens under heavy use. Just sand up and down, left and to right, doesn't matter. If there is still black paint here and there, just let it be. No problem.
I wanted a worn out but cared for, kind of antique natural leather look, so after sanding I splashed on some dark walnut stain I make from walnut powder dissolved in hot water.
I mix this, after cooling, with a little water based mahogany stain to bond it together. 100 grams of the powder will last for years. I bought mine at least 5 years ago and have still some left.
I attacked the wet stain with a rag, as to get thick and thin spots.
After the stain was dry, in about 30 minutes, I cleaned the fittings ( still in place on the scabbard ! ) and the pommel with acetone and covered them with gun blue.
After that was worked out I took off the top layer with a piece of the 3M grey sanding mat, just rubbing gently every which way, so there are light and dark spots.
I did not fire blue the pommel. It weighs a solid 362 grams and that is too much for a kitchen stove to heat up. After all you need around 350C.
Covered the lot in Ren Wax, polished it out and screwed the sword together and was done at 20.00 hours. 7 hours work, because I did my 1 hour siesta somewhere in between. In reality far less, if time for coffee and cigarettes, lunch and checking emails is substracted.
You know, a lazy day off, just pottering and humming about a bit.
The point of the exercise was to turn the characterless, clean looking new Windlass sword into a well cared for, semi restored, great great grandpa's campaign relic sword kinda thing.
Whether I hit the spot is up for debate, but for me it looks much better now. Even interesting here and there. Maybe I am going to like it. Someday.
Cheers.