|
Post by twiggy on Jan 25, 2024 18:46:41 GMT
So I just got my D-Guard Bowie I purchased from Windlass, and well it looks nice, and I am generally happy with it, an issue came up, while backyard cut testing.
It cut perfectly fine, but during the testing I think I hit the tree stump once instead of the bottle (I'm still new to all this). When I went back inside to clean it off, I noticed that the handle was loose, and that it can twist a little. Now While swinging I can feel the handle move a little in my hand.
The handle is in-between the d-guard which is peened, so it's not easy to remove and re-attach. Are there any ways of fixing the issue?
I mean the sword still works fine, and there wasn't even any edge damage after hitting the stump, but a lose handle is a little annoying, and kind of disappointing that all it took for that to happen was hitting a tree stump once.
The one think I can think of is that since the handle does have some metal at the top, I could get that welded to the guard. My father has a friend who is a welder (among other things) so I could probably get a small quick job like that done, cheap if not free.
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 25, 2024 19:29:41 GMT
If you can get to the inside, you can fill it with glue, but on the D-Guard it would be pretty hard. Many times the grips aren't 100% contoured to the tang, so it probably is a problem on the inside. You might get some glue in through the guard, where the blade goes into it. I am not sure if it would not work itself loose again if you welded the ring to the guard. It might work if the ring isn't round. On mine it is slightly ogive, so it might actually work.
Gotta be extremely careful not to heat it up too much when welding
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 25, 2024 21:05:01 GMT
I see on the bottom it goes back in towards the inside of the guard a bit with some force. I think maybe if I used a mallet and more force I could get it back in fully and have it tight again.
of course I'd need it held securely in a vice (which I have) it's just gonna have to be padded with some towels, or rags, or other soft material, last thing I'd want is a bunch of scratches.
Maybe If I put some sort of slow drying glue on the bottom of the handle, that would help seal the bottom in more as well.
|
|
|
Post by hawthorn on Jan 26, 2024 7:49:43 GMT
If it were mine I'd just re-handle it. Split the handle off and shape some slabs to fit onto it with epoxy, then give it a leather wrap, maybe a strip of suede. Or tape, if I feel like being cheap.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 26, 2024 12:12:19 GMT
I would too, if I knew how to do any of that lol.
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 26, 2024 13:04:19 GMT
With the D-Guards the ring on the grip might be a problem. Unless you split that off too, it's going to be hard to get a good fit. It might be that that ring prevented movement in the beginning but has come loose, I don't know if this is normally attached to the guard or loose, but I suspect it belongs fixed to the guard. As I said before, you should be able to fill some glue through the guard from the blade end. I think I added like 4g of superglue until it didn't want more. I totally forgot I did that.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 26, 2024 13:23:39 GMT
Did you need to use needle or something to get the super glue in?
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 26, 2024 13:30:25 GMT
No, I dripped in the gap and let it wick down, either by tapping the blade or gripping the blade and using centrifugal force (carefully, with gloves). A needle would have certainly helped and if I do it again I'd use one. It took 3 days of filling and waiting, you should wait a bit because it takes time to go all the way down. It might drip out a bit because your handle is loose, so you should go slow and look for leaks. You can buy needles forsyringes, they fit snugly on superglue tube spouts. something like 23gauge works well.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 26, 2024 15:09:38 GMT
I have some needles noses i bought previously for other uses, i'll see if those will fit.
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 26, 2024 15:44:56 GMT
Be sure to wait a long time for the glue to dry, it takes a day or so for it to harden in a confined space like inside the grip. And if you move it too early, you will break some already formed bonds and weaken the end product. Also the finish on the wood is very solvable, even 40% ethanol will remove some colour, so you can't wipe off the glue without damaging it if it goes there. So try only to get the glue onto the metal. It is "mahagoni" colour wood oil if you need to repair the finish. I always put in a bit of glue at a time until I see some slight leakage and let it dry, after that it should not leak as much and you can put in more glue. Wish you success.
|
|
|
Post by hawthorn on Jan 26, 2024 16:45:59 GMT
With the D-Guards the ring on the grip might be a problem. Unless you split that off too, it's going to be hard to get a good fit.
Oh...it's one of those things. Well then if I don't remove it I'd work around it, by making the new handle slabs only 3/4 their intended length. And after fitting those in I'd add smaller handle slab pieces in the back. Would probably get worried about the structural durability of the new, now 4 piece wood handle, so I'd pin the handle here and there. On second thought I'd use wood screws instead, because those would give a guaranteed hold. The look wouldn't matter anyway because I'm leather wrapping the handle.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 26, 2024 16:53:19 GMT
I'll try to use my mallet to beat the handle back in so its tight and doesn't move easily, before gluing, so it doesn't move while glue is drying.
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 26, 2024 17:04:09 GMT
Maybe it would be helpful to show on a picture what exactly is loose, I thought it rotated around the tang. Or is it moving front to back? I am not sure about the mallet, be very careful hitting the wood because it could easily split on a hit.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 26, 2024 17:16:40 GMT
When I am back at home, I will take a picture. The best I can describe it now, is that the wood is moving, along with the ring that's on top. I think the internal part is still fine.
|
|
|
Post by mrstabby on Jan 26, 2024 17:26:51 GMT
If ring and wood are moving, you won't be able to do anything with the mallet. You might be able to tighten the peen a bit (that probably needs a lot of clamping force to bring everything together again), but if it rotates around the tang, you'll have to position everything riight and fill it with glue or remove the wood and put something new on it. My guess is you broke a bit of the glue Windlass uses on the inside of the grip.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Jan 31, 2024 4:22:52 GMT
I should be able to buy glue tomorrow, finally since we are going to a place with hardware store on the same plaza.
I will do the best I can to re-glue the wood. IF that fails, then I'll have to cut or crack the wood off, and create a new handle cover.
|
|
|
Post by twiggy on Feb 1, 2024 18:23:38 GMT
Well, I did try with the superglue, and using needle tip. I could find no way to get the glue inside of the handle, even when I went though the crack between the blade and the guard, the glue started building up right there.
I think unfortunately, I will need to remove the wood and make a new cover for the handle, maybe an inner core of foam covered with leather wrap, or could I just keeping wrapping leather over itself until I am happy with the thickness?
|
|
|
Post by hawthorn on Feb 17, 2024 3:53:38 GMT
foam? lol
|
|