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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Nov 3, 2008 12:37:19 GMT
BRENNO!!! High time that you learned to cast. Aye casting would be a handy tool, but as mentioned the talent BB has for sculpting is the true value here. He is an amazing sculpter. To be able to visualise a 3d image in a block and get it out in proportion and such. There's much equipment needed, and a huge amount of time. Not to mention the time it would take to get adept. Butyeah, If I could do what BB does I'd make some damn amazing swords.
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Post by Matthew Stagmer on Nov 3, 2008 16:30:27 GMT
I am loving it. I like the new profile of the blade. Looks great.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2008 21:04:01 GMT
I like them a lot too...you turned a cool, purely fantasy piece into something far more realistic, and thus, cooler =). The slimmer lines are much more attractive anyhow. On the carving thing...there's a video on John Smith's page that is VERY cool. It's about a custom pattern welded sword named 'Elf'. The grip and pommel, if I recall, are ebony and fossilized mammoth ivory respectively. He carves the ivory into the figure of a female elf crouched down (it looks like she's coming out of an eggshell or something). VERY cool. I'll see if I can dig it up to link. I've got the file saved on my hard drive, but I don't know how to post it like that, and wouldn't want to without permission anyhow =). Ok here's the direct links: Part 1 - smith-forge.org/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=37&task=videodirectlink&id=27Part 2 - smith-forge.org/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=37&task=videodirectlink&id=28The video is long...but it's VERY cool. The carving is on the second link towards the end if you want to skip directly to it. Going to watch it again now =). I think that's something BB could easily pull off. Cris
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 3, 2008 21:26:26 GMT
Thanks Mythos ;D. Casting bronze props for ships may be considered industrial labor but there truly isn't much that goes on at an art foundry which could be classified that way. Maybe the grunt work of sand blasting and cutting off the gates and sprues. The people who do molding, waxwork, metalwork, and patinas are craftsmen and often artists themselves. At least the ones I've met are, and though I don't think you meant it that way, they might possibly be put off by being thought of as industrial laborers. Enough of that though, thank you for the many kind words. Tooling and mediums. Well that varies quite a bit. I usually start in clay or wax, occasionally using wood, plaster, or foam. The hand tools for sculpting the original are all sorts of things, some things that are made for sculpting and some things that just happen to work. Most of the time I'm using my hands and some small tools I made for myself. I don't have a lathe but for the symmetrical pommels, I chocked them in my bench top drill press and used that as a makeshift lathe. I filled a dixie cup with plaster and inserted a long bolt (threaded end out) in the middle before it set. When the plaster was set, but not yet dry, I removed the dixie cup and chocked the bolt into the drill press. I then used some water-clay sculpting tools to cut it down to basic shape. I made a few of these in some basic forms and then molded them. From there I can make a wax copy and further refine or change it to what I want for a specific sword. The pommel for the sword above started as one of the basic shapes that I turned further in the drill as a wax and then sculpted the fluting in. Brenno and I talked a bit about how he might best get started in casting a little while ago. I think it's been on the back burner while he's getting his heat treat kiln together. But really, he's been doing some awful cool stuff with his steel hilt parts lately. He's only getting better and better to the point that I don't know if he'd really be that well served by splintering off into casting. 'Wraith, ha thanks . I just finished a little group of four frogs, of which that little guy and the one from my DSA casting post were the first two. Glad you like him, I'd be happy to send one your way some time. I'll even try and give you a bit of a discount for being a fellow forumite. Funny you should mention bronze swords, I was just watching Troy last night and was thinking about what would be necessary to make a bronze sword. I don't think the silicone bronze that I cast with would make a good blade. It would probably need to be the old copper/tin bronze. I think it needs to be forged to have any strength too but I don't know much about it yet. Thanks Brendan, I'm going to have to go get a new hat now as this one doesn't seem to fit my head anymore Thanks Matthew ;D. It's still based off the original video game design but not constrained by it.
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Post by mythosequidae on Nov 4, 2008 1:37:30 GMT
Thanks for the terrific explanation. That was fun to read. No, I wasn't out to offend anyone, though it seems I mostly do....I just meant that the melting and pouring, as well as what you stated, are more like work than art. I guess art is work.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 1:56:31 GMT
Bro B: all of the bronze swords I have seen and heard about are all cast with a tin/bronze mix, I have never heard of a blade being forged out of bronze. There is a guy in england who casts bronze swords and axe heads and things so I know it can be done, it would be a very precise science though I think.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 2:00:58 GMT
Bro B: all of the bronze swords I have seen and heard about are all cast with a tin/bronze mix, I have never heard of a blade being forged out of bronze. There is a guy in england who casts bronze swords and axe heads and things so I know it can be done, it would be a very precise science though I think. They are cast, then work hardened on the edges. Check out Jeroen Zudwaeig(sp) on SFI or Don Fogg's forum...he's been casting historically accurate (and incredibly beautiful) bronze age replica's for a bit now...and goes deeply into the process. Cris
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 2:24:16 GMT
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 4, 2008 15:13:44 GMT
Thanks Cris . That link was great (I haven't watched the first video yet). That grip is awesome and that pommel is freakin' gorgeous! Seems a bit of a shame to spend 120 hours on a one of kind pommel but then I suppose that was the idea. Man, I'm sooo tempted to "borrow" his pommel idea and do it in bronze. You're welcome Mythos. Yeah, I didn't think you were being offensive, just wanted to clarify 'Wraith and Cris, thanks for the info. Well then I guess I could do that. Maybe I will make a bronze sword then, or at least do some experimenting. I saw the posting Vyapada linked to a while ago and thought it was a very attractive blade. I, personally, would go for something more ancient looking if I was going to do a bronze sword.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 16:42:35 GMT
Thanks Cris . That link was great (I haven't watched the first video yet). That grip is awesome and that pommel is freakin' gorgeous! Seems a bit of a shame to spend 120 hours on a one of kind pommel but then I suppose that was the idea. Man, I'm sooo tempted to "borrow" his pommel idea and do it in bronze. ~~~~ I saw the posting Vyapada linked to a while ago and thought it was a very attractive blade. I, personally, would go for something more ancient looking if I was going to do a bronze sword. No problem =). Doesn't help that the guy can only see out of one eye lol. Probably makes it pretty damn hard to carve in 3d eh? The crazy thing is that was his first sword. The bronze sword Vyapada linked is absolutely beautiful. I want to make it in steel =). Cris
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 7, 2008 0:34:50 GMT
Got the serrated blade finished. Here's a close-up of the funky texture. The draw filing has been very time consuming on these two blades but I really like the way it turns out. I'm trying to get it in the pictures but the crispness of the main bevels doesn't really show up in the photos. I may go back and draw file all my other blades over time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2008 1:00:55 GMT
Looks great!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2008 1:02:54 GMT
Yeah...not much compares to draw filing lol. I can't wait to try Jerry Bennet's pitch lap polishing method. I can make the lines ultra crisp draw filing, then use the pitch laps to really true them up and make things sparkle =).
Now, about your blade...that thing is absolutely awesome =).
I'd heard they were coming out with a movie in 2010...you should send in some pictures to the movie people...I think your version of the blade would be far more realistic for an actor to wield.
Cris
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 9, 2008 16:24:48 GMT
Thanks Sam and Cris . I checked out the link Jerry posted at SFI but it looked pretty involved so I didn't read the whole thing. I've attached the hilt hardware and thought I would show how the pommels were attached. I did the patinas on the guards and then installed them. Then I put on the pommels and then did their patina after they were on so the patina wouldn't get messed up by the heat. The cat head is pinned through the tang and then has a tiny spot weld to keep it from shifting. Then a bit of epoxy to fill in, the part of the bronze where the pin goes through is a bit wider than the end of the tang. The other pommel was hot peened. It's keyed at the base and the peen is counter sunk so that I could finish it smooth. The grips are a very snug fit and are pinned with bamboo pins but I put some epoxy in there as well. Just need to figure out how I'm going to wrap the grips and then I can finish them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2008 16:30:28 GMT
Nice. Interesting fitting technique.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 13, 2008 0:53:17 GMT
Thanks Sam. Here are the finished pieces... Close-up of the hilt. The guard. Close-up of the hilt. The Guard. The pommel. Wee! Gots to go find something to hack up.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2008 3:15:27 GMT
Awesome.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2008 3:45:52 GMT
Too cool =).
But...where's the picture of you slaying mats with them??
=D
Cris
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Post by brotherbanzai on Nov 13, 2008 18:45:29 GMT
Thanks Sam Thanks Cris ;D Sadly, none of the Matts I know cared to participate Actually, I'm looking around for some cheap pumpkins. Also, I was just reminded by reading Brenno's thread to thank Dan Davis for these things coming out straight. It was his information from another thread about normalizing until they come out straight before HT. These two were each normalized three times until they came out nice and straight. Then when they were heat treated and quenched, they stayed straight. Thanks Dan. Here's some pictures comparing them to the first set I made.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Nov 14, 2008 13:37:57 GMT
Oh man, you're legend at this. That serpent guard is awesome the way it mates with the blade! I wish I could do that stuff!
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