Repairing a Windlass Threaded Sword
Mar 18, 2017 18:54:54 GMT
Post by pgandy on Mar 18, 2017 18:54:54 GMT
After nearly two years of use my Windlass German Bastard Sword began to fail me. I prefer threaded pommels for the ease of maintenance and this is the first time I’ve had a problem. Towards the end of a recent cutting session I noticed the pommel was rotating. So I tightened the nut. Ditto for the next couple of sessions before I decided that I had a greater problem. I obtained some Loctite 242 and applied to the threads and tightened the nut, again. The next session went OK and I was patting myself on the back and then the following session I noticed the pommel rotating. On examining I discovered the nut was fast, it was the pommel rotating, also the grip and guard had a little play. I was lazy and applied CA glue, as it was convenient, between the nut and pommel. That went before the finishing the next session, it was back to the Loctite which did only slightly better.
It was obvious another approach was needed and in my infinite wisdom decided to fill the voids with epoxy, actually Acraglas, a stock bedding kit. I ordered 1-2 weeks ago and it’s still out there somewhere in never land and looks like another couple of weeks of waiting.
So Plan C: Yesterday I disassembled the thing and found, to put it nicely, Windlass had left a generous space between the grip and guard group, and the tang. I had decided beforehand that since I would have the sword disassembled to polish out those cutting scratches and resharpen. After nearly two years of cutting about everything from tree limbs to pig’s legs, not to mention those cans,cartons, and plastics it still had the original edge that KoA had put on. I neglected to mention a flower pot and cutting stand. Oh, I had touched it up here and there but never really resharpened. I prefer to hold the blade while sharpening or polishing but with everything still in place that is difficult. The scratch remover, aka sandpaper, did its thing and I put a razor sharp edge on it to boot, which I find more eye pleasing the KoA’s edge with its grinding marks, although that worked fine.
Then it was time to apply attention in fitting the guard and handle. To do this I wrapped the tang with masking tape building it up just short of a tight fit. I slipped the guard on then took a thin sheet of bamboo and made a shim, wedging between the tape and guard. At first it appeared to work but found a matching shim on the other side was better. The handle almost fit at this point. It was so close that a single piece of tape on the other side was all that was needed. The handle then slipped on stopping just short of the guard. With a little thumb pressure it continued the rest of the way. I reinstalled the pommel and nut leaving a space in which I put Loctite as well as on the threads and tightened using slip joint pliers and piece of leather, the same as I did on removal, so as not to damage the surface.
In the photo you’ll see the grip wrapped with wrinkling rescue tape. I put this on to save the leather. From the way it has twisted I had the right idea there. I did not replace it at this time waiting until I receive more. I exercise almost daily with this sword in addition to cutting sessions at times and it’s showing.
All appears good. I gave it a brief cutting trial earlier today and afterwards polished out a few scratches and touched up a couple of places that I had missed the day before. It’s possibly better than new now.
After polishing. I like satin finishes as they don't show scratches as readily as a mirror finish.
The disassembled sword. There is tape on the tang with a black index mark to help with the orientation of the blade while working.
Showing the tape and one of the two bamboo shims to stabilize the guard block.
It was obvious another approach was needed and in my infinite wisdom decided to fill the voids with epoxy, actually Acraglas, a stock bedding kit. I ordered 1-2 weeks ago and it’s still out there somewhere in never land and looks like another couple of weeks of waiting.
So Plan C: Yesterday I disassembled the thing and found, to put it nicely, Windlass had left a generous space between the grip and guard group, and the tang. I had decided beforehand that since I would have the sword disassembled to polish out those cutting scratches and resharpen. After nearly two years of cutting about everything from tree limbs to pig’s legs, not to mention those cans,cartons, and plastics it still had the original edge that KoA had put on. I neglected to mention a flower pot and cutting stand. Oh, I had touched it up here and there but never really resharpened. I prefer to hold the blade while sharpening or polishing but with everything still in place that is difficult. The scratch remover, aka sandpaper, did its thing and I put a razor sharp edge on it to boot, which I find more eye pleasing the KoA’s edge with its grinding marks, although that worked fine.
Then it was time to apply attention in fitting the guard and handle. To do this I wrapped the tang with masking tape building it up just short of a tight fit. I slipped the guard on then took a thin sheet of bamboo and made a shim, wedging between the tape and guard. At first it appeared to work but found a matching shim on the other side was better. The handle almost fit at this point. It was so close that a single piece of tape on the other side was all that was needed. The handle then slipped on stopping just short of the guard. With a little thumb pressure it continued the rest of the way. I reinstalled the pommel and nut leaving a space in which I put Loctite as well as on the threads and tightened using slip joint pliers and piece of leather, the same as I did on removal, so as not to damage the surface.
In the photo you’ll see the grip wrapped with wrinkling rescue tape. I put this on to save the leather. From the way it has twisted I had the right idea there. I did not replace it at this time waiting until I receive more. I exercise almost daily with this sword in addition to cutting sessions at times and it’s showing.
All appears good. I gave it a brief cutting trial earlier today and afterwards polished out a few scratches and touched up a couple of places that I had missed the day before. It’s possibly better than new now.
After polishing. I like satin finishes as they don't show scratches as readily as a mirror finish.
The disassembled sword. There is tape on the tang with a black index mark to help with the orientation of the blade while working.
Showing the tape and one of the two bamboo shims to stabilize the guard block.