Welcome to What Are You Working On? where we talk about (and often display) our handiwork, whether yarn and fabric crafts, woodwork, metalwork, art, or anything else “crafty”.
Disclaimer: This is the first diary I have tried writing from my phone, since I no longer access Daily Kos on a computer, so I hope it turns out okay, and everything lines up so it's clear and readable.
I inherited a sword from a friend who was moving, but it didn't have a hilt.
Also, the end of the tang was peened into the pommel so I couldn't remove it, and therefore had to make a "sandwich" hilt.
I had a piece of antler that I thought was a good size and shape to make the hilt from.
I then cut the piece to length. I will find some other use for the tip I cut off, most likely as a clasp piece for a pouch or decoration for a quiver.
I then very carefully bisected it lengthwise using a miter box and handsaw.
I then traced the edges of the tang onto the inside of both halves of the hilt piece I had cut. Then came the tricky part.
I used a special power saw tool to cut slots at the lines I had marked for the edges of the tang, carefully cutting them just deep enough (I hoped).
Then I used a hand chisel to gouge out the grooves for the tang.
I used the chisel, the power saw tool, and eventually a file to get the grooves just right.
Once I got the fit right, I used epoxy and clamps to "sandwich" the hilt pieces around the tang and gave it time to set and cure.
What do you think of the result (see the title picture for a close-up of the hilt)? I'm reasonably happy with it.
I even dyed the scabbard while I was at it. Still debating whether to dye the baldric, make a new one, or just leave it as is.
So, what are you working on?
