[Julien M]

Hi all,

As my yeoman project below is currently on hold because I can't find an effective way to drill through 1 cm of mild steel for a peen block (yeah, simple things can delay completion for month in my world ), I decided to start working on another blade, the squire, which I was lucky enough to grab from the moat, as a second blade (again, pristine though I will regrind the tip to a needle).

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=21636

For the yeoman, I went all the way for the cross guard, from anvil to grinder. I took a long time and efforts to get it right, so I decided to allow myself a shortcut here, and ordered a bunch of hilt components form Armour Class as they are UK based.

My intention was to rework most on the anvil/grinder, but to use these as a base, the idea being to spare me some painful steps such as punching the tang slot on the anvil etc...(Though some might say I could invest in a drill press...).

I ordered a pommel an 3 crosses. All serviceable and quiet nice but they will need some work to match the precision and finish of an Albion blade (the tang slot is not centered, and the guard much too thick for an Albion).

As soon as I took this guard out of the box, I knew it would be a good fit for the squire, and to be fair, the pommel is adequate as well for a type XVI sword. After some time filing the tang slot, there it is below.

My initial idea what to go for the Copenhagen sword below, which I always liked, but to be fair, I like the ecusson area of the current cross and will likely keep it as it is. It is possible that this time I'll take the easy route without complicating things too much.

So next I will round the pommel and tweak it to adjust weight, will also need to fill the sides of the tang slot with a dab of weld (one thing I don't like is a squarish recess for the blade) then create the blade recess and thin the cross. Then I will even it and fine tune its geometry to match the aesthetic of the blade. Then the usual: grip, leather, scabbard done I'm really excited about this sword and glad to have reached that stage of completion with so little efforts.

Let me know what you think!

J

[JE Sarge]

Looks great, man. I always enjoy seeing your work!

[Randall Moffett]

Looks really nice! I will have to keep my eyes open for their next moat sale. That said I have intentions to buy some of their bare blades some day as well and make a sword.

Angle grinders are a super useful tool. I have to say I have found it useful around the house as well butting bolts and such down.

Everything looks good so far and lined up. What is your plan for the grip and such? Do you have a design for he grip itself, barrelled or the likes?

RPM

[Julien M]

Thanks guys, glad you like it.

[Robert Rytel]

[Leo Todeschini]

Great work as ever Julien.

[Julien M]

Thanks Leo and Robert for the comments and tips.

Yes there is a stong possibility I might be trying to drill trough a piece of spring steel...I'll buy a cobalt bit online and will give it a last shot maybe...or by then I will have had access to a drill press, or will just peen the damn thing as it is, bare pommelled and coutersicked.


Cheers,

J

[Randall Moffett]

You might want to make a stand or jig for the drill to sit in while you drill. Unless you think the torque is going to jerk the drill around a simple unit with two vertical boards and a support behind it will guide the drill up and down. Just put the boards close enough the drills back can nestle inside it. This will keep it steady.

RPM

[Sean Flynt]

I usually just use modified mild steel hex nuts or wing nuts for such blocks. You can easily form donut-shaped blocks from hex nuts or inverted cones or floral blocks from the wing nuts. Very handy! Just be sure to get a size slightly smaller than the tang because you'll probably want to file out the threads. And make sure you don't pick up stainless, of course, because they'll give you a heart attack trying to mod them like this.

[Sean Flynt]

A gallery of reborn hex nuts! The black hilt sports an inverted wingnut (sans wings, of course) and the Type XIV has a block made from a bit of cheap stock (that's the battered Sculpy model atop the piece that became the block).

[Sean Flynt]

By the way, these mods go easier if you screw the nut onto a bolt. The bolt gives you something to hold in the hand or vise. If the bolt head gets in the way you just reverse the nut and work on the unhindered side. You can even insert the bolt into your drill like a bit and do the polishing by simply running the drill while holding a sanding sponge or paper against the block (only for rounded blocks, of course).

I typically leave the top of the block roughly finished because I file and sand the peen anyway. Blending peen and block requires doing that whole top surface together.

Another tip: The mild steel block I made for the Type XIV drilled easily but you should cut the blank longer than you need, drill and THEN do the faceting/shaping. Drilling a finished piece is much dicier, as it will be obvious if you're even a few mm off center. Shaping the piece to the hole is much more forgiving. You probably already know that drilling a small pilot hole makes everything much easier. I use hand-drill bits rated for stainless steel, and they go right through pommel-size pieces of mild steel without any trouble at all. You need a solid bench and vise, though, because you have to lean into the drill.

[Julien M]

Nice work above Sean.

The hex nut method obviously works well for round/oval peen blocks.
For this one I want to drill through that thing, and won't rest until I succeed!
The peen I have in mind for the Yeoman should flare on both sides, making it rectangular.

J

[Jason Mather]

You could try to anneal it. Heat it up good and red, then quickly push it into wood ash or vermiculite. If its tool/spring steel that should do it. When you drill it, use 3-5 different sizes and step them up to the final size you are after.