Kodachi-making experiment
So in frustration over the whole ordering weapons thing, and surely there has to be an easier way . . . I built my own kodachi (short sword).
It's not the greatest-just a proof-of-concept and trial run-through with truly unsuitable wood (poplar), but it let me try things out without trashing a good piece of wood.
Laminated blank
It's poplar, and I wasn't sure if the stock thickness was enough so I laminated two pieces of dimensional lumber together, let dry, and marked out the shape.
Rough cut
Rough cut with the barrel-handled jigsaw (Bosch, super-sweet-cuts like a hot knife through butter).
Thinning
Too thick, so I ripped a sliver off each side. Side one . . .
Shaving complete
Side two. Boy, a joiner would make this sooo easy . . . but hopefully I can work with dimensional that I can get in. In retrospect, a 2-by would work as long as I can get decent grain.
Shaping and stock removal
I used the belt sander to trim the cuts, then the router to round-over the ha and tsuka edges. I need a proper round-over bit, that doesn't leave a seam. I think this is the type actually called an ogee. Because of the seam/lip I ended up with a weapon that's less substantial than I want. Lesson learned, and this is just a proof of concept anyway.
Rounding complete
Break for the night, basic shape with the seam taken off.
Finished weapon
After the chamfer bit to define the mune. You can see the two layers of wood here-poplar can be rather greenish in places. I don't know if that's sapwood that makes it green, but I know it lends an interesting effect.
Mune
Slightly out of focus . . .
Ha to mune transition
I think I did a pretty good job with this, as most of the shaping was done with the rather clunky belt sander. Mune lines are nice and crisp.
kissaki
I also think I did a pretty good job with shaping the kissaki. All in all, I think the project was a success, and I'm ready to try this out on a harder wood. I have some NA white oak kicking around, and some 1x2 maple.
Mmmm . . . maple . . .
It's not the greatest-just a proof-of-concept and trial run-through with truly unsuitable wood (poplar), but it let me try things out without trashing a good piece of wood.
Laminated blank
It's poplar, and I wasn't sure if the stock thickness was enough so I laminated two pieces of dimensional lumber together, let dry, and marked out the shape.
Rough cut
Rough cut with the barrel-handled jigsaw (Bosch, super-sweet-cuts like a hot knife through butter).
Thinning
Too thick, so I ripped a sliver off each side. Side one . . .
Shaving complete
Side two. Boy, a joiner would make this sooo easy . . . but hopefully I can work with dimensional that I can get in. In retrospect, a 2-by would work as long as I can get decent grain.
Shaping and stock removal
I used the belt sander to trim the cuts, then the router to round-over the ha and tsuka edges. I need a proper round-over bit, that doesn't leave a seam. I think this is the type actually called an ogee. Because of the seam/lip I ended up with a weapon that's less substantial than I want. Lesson learned, and this is just a proof of concept anyway.
Rounding complete
Break for the night, basic shape with the seam taken off.
Finished weapon
After the chamfer bit to define the mune. You can see the two layers of wood here-poplar can be rather greenish in places. I don't know if that's sapwood that makes it green, but I know it lends an interesting effect.
Mune
Slightly out of focus . . .
Ha to mune transition
I think I did a pretty good job with this, as most of the shaping was done with the rather clunky belt sander. Mune lines are nice and crisp.
kissaki
I also think I did a pretty good job with shaping the kissaki. All in all, I think the project was a success, and I'm ready to try this out on a harder wood. I have some NA white oak kicking around, and some 1x2 maple.
Mmmm . . . maple . . .