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Post by illustry on Oct 27, 2019 13:49:19 GMT
Thought I'd share photos of this project.
I've removed the flattened diamond profile and made the blade lenticular, thinned and sharpened the edges, thinned and refined the guard. The steel is hard and the blade has good stiffness. I added some distal taper, around ~1mm worth, to the last 1/4 of the blade. Weight is about 2lb 13oz with a POB around 6"... POB was further out when new.
This has been one of my favorite swords in terms of value and enjoyment, and one of my all time best buys... less than $150.
A "before" shot of the guard.
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Oct 27, 2019 15:01:58 GMT
Cool!
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Post by markus313 on Oct 27, 2019 15:24:34 GMT
Great project! Mods like those improved handling and performance of my Deepeeka William Marshal, which I enjoy for its toughness, authenticity and low price point. Some Deepeeka stuff doesn't seem too bad, if you're willing to put in some work.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 16:00:40 GMT
Very handsome looking sword! I am really getting into modification projects as a way of not having to spend a fortune on custom swords and high-end replicas.
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Post by tancred on Oct 27, 2019 16:05:40 GMT
Looks like a nice sword. I recently got two Deepeepkas. My first ones from them, and they were a pleasant surprise. At least one more of their models is tempting me.
Sorry for the stupid question, but how does one go about adding distal taper to a sword? Was it a lot of time and work? Thanks!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 16:10:16 GMT
Tancred, I have distally tapered a sword blade before. It just involves a lot of sanding on a belt grinder with frequent pauses to cool the blade down, which is REALLY important so you don't wreck the temper. It's a rather time consuming and annoying job to do after a blade has been heat-treated, but it can be done. Deepeeka's steel tends to be on the softer side, so it's not as difficult as a higher carbon steel blade.
Illustry, did you remove all the fittings and re-peen everything?
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 27, 2019 17:09:33 GMT
I didn’t realize that Deepeeka made so many Viking swords. Good job. I like the appearance of your modification of the guard.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Oct 27, 2019 17:09:49 GMT
For the truly patient hand-sanding it down is also an option. I did that to a couple blades like a CS 1796 before. An order of magnitude higher in how long it'll take than a belt sander, but no worries about overheating. Most of all, unlike belt sanding you can make it a side activity while, say, watching TV shows or movies or YouTube listening to books on tape. A half hour or an hour a bunch of times a week, months later, voila.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 17:13:21 GMT
For the truly patient hand-sanding it down is also an option. I did that to a couple blades like a CS 1796 before. An order of magnitude higher in how long it'll take than a belt sander, but no worries about overheating. Most of all, unlike belt sanding you can make it a side activity while, say, watching TV shows or movies or YouTube listening to books on tape. A half hour or an hour a bunch of times a week, months later, voila. Is this an activity designed to reduce mass along the blade, or is this an activity designed to strengthen muscles and promote patience? Belt sanding is annoying. I'd feel with my bare hands when the blade was getting too hot, and then douse it with cold water. I don't think I could wait as long as you once did, but kudos for doing it!
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Oct 27, 2019 17:29:17 GMT
Haha, "necessity is the mother of," well, going retro. Didn't have a work space for a belt sander. ;) But seriously, as long as I was just watching/listening to something while doing it, it was surprisingly less onerous, even a lot less boring, than when I had thinned things down with a belt sander, go figure. Low stress about messing it up, I guess! Coupled with something else occupying my conscious mind.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 27, 2019 19:37:15 GMT
Before I got my Work Sharp I sharpened, from scratch, many a blade. It took weeks to do what I can do in one day now. As LeMal said, watch TV while working, it helps. Hurray for the Work Sharp.
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Post by MOK on Oct 27, 2019 20:42:39 GMT
Honestly, I'd start with drawfiling, and use sandpaper only for the finish. Because I'm neither looking for an around-the-clock workout, nor crazy.
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Post by illustry on Oct 27, 2019 21:04:04 GMT
Thanks for the compliments, folks. Markus313, yes, like that Marshall model too.
LOTS of filing and hand sanding. This took forever. But it was gratifying at every step of the way... these cheap swords are like the "gift that keeps on giving". I would not say I'm truly patient, but I get the project to a satisfying point each time I take a crack at it. What you see here is the result of many sprints over several months.
I did do a few passes with an angle grinder on the guard, but felt it was creating too much heat. I didn't want to soften the glue (or the metal...). So back to the file.
Many passes with a sanding block thinning the edges. Then some shallow angle passes on the worksharp with 80 grit belts. Finally after it was decently slimmed up, switched to a hardier angle for the final sharpening.
If the peen ever loosens up -- which it probably won't due to all the glue Deepeeka uses - then I will shorten the grip a little.
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LeMal
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Post by LeMal on Oct 28, 2019 1:12:20 GMT
Honestly, I'd start with drawfiling, and use sandpaper only for the finish. Because I'm neither looking for an around-the-clock workout, nor crazy. :) Yeah, done that. But then you gotta pay a lot of attention to it--really can't do it while watching or listening to something else. ;) Seriously though, as slow as sanding over a long number of sessions sounds, getting in a "zone" with it isn't bad at all. I suppose it's like jogging is to some people.
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Post by illustry on Oct 28, 2019 1:51:25 GMT
Honestly, I'd start with drawfiling, and use sandpaper only for the finish. Because I'm neither looking for an around-the-clock workout, nor crazy. Yeah, done that. But then you gotta pay a lot of attention to it--really can't do it while watching or listening to something else. Seriously though, as slow as sanding over a long number of sessions sounds, getting in a "zone" with it isn't bad at all. I suppose it's like jogging is to some people. I agree!
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