Perhaps any boy, even if he had already grown up and started a family, imagined himself as a crusader, Robin Hood, Spartacus, Peter Pan or a fearless samurai. And what is a hero without a trusty sword? Nowadays, it is needed for a carnival costume, a collection of imitation weapons, battle reconstruction or fencing training. The necessary weapons can be purchased on specialized forums or made independently at home. In today's review from the editorial staff of the online magazine HouseChief, we will look at how to make a sword from wood and other materials for training, games or collection.
What boy hasn't imagined himself as a knight in shining armor and a sword?
PHOTO: andomir.narod.ru
Read in the article
What is a sword, types and main nuances of making it at home
A sword is a type of bladed weapon designed to deliver piercing and slashing blows. Initially it was made of bronze and copper, and later of iron and high-carbon steel. There are many types of swords, which differ in size, blade shape, cross-section and forging method. This type of weapon consists of a blade, handle, guard and pommel. The sword has always been a symbol of nobility, honor, an indicator of the status of the owner, and some specimens that have survived to this day have a rich and interesting history. They can even be called a work of art.
Sword of Stannis Barathion PHOTO: i.pinimg.com
The most common, simple, and easy to make and handle are straight, one-and-a-half and two-handed swords. The straight or Slavic sword is the smallest and most convenient for combat, since it can be operated with one hand. Two-handed is the longest and heaviest representative of this type of weapon and allows you to deliver strong and deadly blows.
Straight or Slavic sword
PHOTO: cdn.fishki.net 
Bastard Bastard Sword
PHOTO: worldanvil.com 
Two-handed sword
PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net
How to determine the optimal sword size
Before you make a sword at home, you need to know certain parameters: length (total and blade) and width. The size of this type of bladed weapon varies depending on the type of sword and the height of the swordsman. Short swords had a blade length ranging from 600-700 mm, long swords - more than 700-900 mm, and their weight ranged from 700 g to 5-6 kg. One-handed models, as a rule, weighed 1-1.5 kg, and long medieval ones had a length of about 900 mm and a weight not exceeding 1.3 kg.
There are the simplest ways to select the length of this weapon: a long two-handed sword, set with its tip on the ground, should reach the swordsman’s chin with its handle, and in Slavic - a weapon in a lowered hand should reach the sole of boots or boots with the tip of the blade. Guy Windsor, a modern fencing expert, recommends the following optimal sizes for this noble weapon:
- the length of the blade with the handle and pommel is equal to the distance from the floor to the swordsman’s sternum;
- handle - 2.5-3 palm widths;
- guard bow - 1-2 palm lengths;
- center of gravity (CG) - 3-5 fingers (width) under the guard.
The long sword should reach from the ground to the middle of the warrior's chest PHOTO: i.pinimg.com
Center of gravity or weapon balancing
Determining the center of gravity (CG) and balancing the sword is a very important point in the manufacture of this weapon. The ease of control, the force of the blow and the fatigue of the swordsman depend on it. The center of gravity of a sword is the point at which the weapon is in balance. Depending on the shape of the blade and size, the CG is located 70-150 mm from the guard arms. If the balance is shifted further towards the tip, then the blow, although it will be stronger, will become more difficult to handle such a weapon. When you move the center of gravity closer to the handle, it may seem that control has become easier, but the force of the blow drops significantly and the blade becomes more difficult to control.
A simple way to determine the center of gravity
PHOTO: cs8.pikabu.ru
Material selection
To make a sword in modern conditions, a variety of materials can be used (steel, wood, plastic, paper or cardboard). This largely depends on its purpose: for a costume, training, reenactment battles or a collection of imitation weapons. Below, in step-by-step instructions, we will look at how to make a sword from different materials.
Roman bronze sword PHOTO: cdnb.artstation.com
Steel weapons PHOTO: mod-games.ru
Japanese training sword - bokken made of wood PHOTO: i.ebayimg.com
How to make a sword out of wood with your own hands: for play, training or collection
Having examined in general terms what a sword is, as well as some important nuances, we can move on to its actual manufacture. First, we need to decide what kind of wood we will make the weapon from, which, in turn, depends on its purpose. Some recommend using deadwood or boards made from aspen, birch, ash, maple, oak or walnut. This is a good option for making a training sword. The choice of material must be approached responsibly: the wood must be free of knots, rot and damage from insect pests. It is advisable to soak the selected wood in water until completely saturated, after which it must be dried slowly and thoroughly. If you follow the wood drying technology, you can end up with a fairly strong and lightweight decorative or training weapon.
Wooden sword for a child PHOTO: whitelynx.ru
Having decided on the material, you need to choose the type, model of the sword and the necessary tool. You also cannot do without drawings with dimensions.
DIY drawing of a wooden sword PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net
Necessary material and tools
In order to make a wooden sword for a child with our own hands, we may need:
- Wooden plank.
- Nylon cord, twine or strips of genuine leather.
- Dye.
- Paint brush or roller.
- Cardboard or whatman paper for the template.
- Wood glue or PVA.
- Hacksaw, jigsaw or circular saw.
- Sandpaper of various grits, a hand sander or a stationary machine.
- Chisels, chisel, plane and mallet.
- Clamps.
- Manual or stationary router.
You will need the listed hand or power tools regardless of whether you decide to make wooden swords for children from solid wood, plywood or sticks.
A good tool is half the success PHOTO: udivitelno.cc
Making, polishing, assembling and finishing a sword from a wooden board
From the step-by-step instructions below you will learn how to make a wooden sword with your own hands. You can choose a different model and decoration method, but the described manufacturing principle will be the same. First of all, you need to make a template from cardboard or Whatman paper, made according to the required sizes and shapes.
| Illustration | Process description |
 | Take a dry board (preferably without knots) and sand it. This way we will remove dirt and small protruding fibers |
 | We attach the template to the workpiece and trace it with a pencil. We also find the center of the sword |
 | Using a hacksaw or jigsaw, we cut out the blank of the sword. Let's start with the handle |
 | We rearrange the workpiece and press it with clamps to the table or workbench |
 | Using a cutter, make a hole in the top |
 | It turns out like this, still a “raw” sword |
 | Using a router and a special cutter we go along the contour of the sword |
 | Now you need to draw a line on the blade, up to which you can chamfer |
 | Using a grinder, we gradually remove the wood along the contour, simulating sharpening a sword |
 | It should turn out as shown in the photo. Finally, you need to carry out a final sanding with the finest sandpaper. |
 | As a result, we get a sword made from wood with our own hands for children. If desired, you can decorate the toy in different ways. For example, cover the blade with silver paint and wrap the handle with twine, a leather strip or, in extreme cases, electrical tape |
The presented step-by-step instructions clearly show how to make a sword from a board easily, quickly and without much expense. If you don’t have a power tool, then even with an ordinary saw, knife and sandpaper you can make a game or carnival weapon. We invite you to watch the video in your home workshop.
Making your own metal sword
We have already become familiar with the process of making wooden weapons, and now we will look at how to make a sword from iron with our own hands. It’s worth saying right away that the complexity of the work to create it will depend on the type, shape, decoration and purpose. The most difficult thing to make is a forged sword, which is understandable, because you will need a forge, an anvil and the experience of a blacksmith.
Homemade metal sword PHOTO: rusknife.com
Materials and tools
Before making an iron sword, you need to stock up on the necessary material and tools. First of all, you need metal: a sheet or strip of strong steel. You will also need:
- clamps;
- angle grinder;
- a set of cutting and grinding wheels for metal;
- cardboard or whatman paper;
- marker, varnish and document proofreader;
- plywood or wood;
- leather strip
- Grinder;
- sandpaper;
- file.
A grinder with different discs is the main tool needed for making an iron sword PHOTO: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com
So, the tools and material are prepared. Now you can move on to step-by-step instructions on how to make a real gladius sword - the weapon of gladiators and Roman legionnaires.
Making a sword: from blank to final polishing
Making an iron sword is a more complex process than creating a wooden analogue. In addition, it requires compliance with basic safety rules when working with metal and power tools.
| Illustration | Process description |
 | First we make a complete sword template |
 | On a steel blank sheet, using a template, we outline the general outline of the weapon |
 | Cut out the blank using a grinder with a cutting wheel |
 | We get this rough draft of a sword |
 | Using the template, we draw the boundaries of the future sharpening of the blade on the sword and paint over the chamfer using a stationery corrector |
 | Using a grinder, we remove all excess to the final size. |
 | We install the petal disk and grind the chopping edge of the future sword |
 | This is what one side looks like with the blade sharpened |
 | Now, according to the template, we will apply the outline of the lining of the sword handle onto the multilayer plywood. |
 | Cutting out the handle lining |
 | Having connected them together, we grind them using a manual electric machine. |
 | We drill holes in the hilt of the sword for attaching the lining |
 | We drill holes through the handle and in plywood blanks |
 | We paint the plywood cladding silver and artificially age it using coarse sandpaper |
 | Now let's start polishing the blade. This process is long and tedious. For this we use a block with fine sandpaper on a fabric basis and water. Polish the metal to a mirror shine |
 | The many hours of polishing paid off. The result in the photo speaks for itself |
 | We again apply the internal template to the blade and trace it along the contour |
 | Paint the cutting edges of the blade with nail polish |
 | It should turn out as shown in the photo. This is needed to tint the inside of the blade. Those who do not want to tint can skip the etching process |
 | Place the sword in a solution of citric acid for several hours |
 | Something went wrong, there was a hole in the film, the acid leaked out and, as a result, the tint came out weak and streaky. In addition, after a few days rust appeared. Therefore, it was decided to simply polish the sword again and secure the hilt lining |
 | After this, the hilt of the sword was wrapped with a leather strip |
 | The result is a sword like this |
 | Looks very cute |
The video shows how to forge a katana sword - the weapon of real samurai, as well as a way to decorate it.
How to make a sword with your own hands at home from different materials
We looked at how to carve a sword from wood or make one from a steel plate. However, these materials are not the limit. The weapons of medieval knights, Russian heroes, Vikings or samurai can be made from other raw materials. Let's take a quick look at the main options.
DIY plywood sword
You can make a children's sword from plywood quite easily and quickly. This is an affordable and easy-to-process material. However, when making a sword for a child, you need to follow some rules. It is advisable that the weapon of a small warrior have the end of the blade as blunt as possible, so that there is no sharpening of the edge of the blade.
Drawing of a sword made of plywood PHOTO: i.pinimg.com
We invite you to watch a video that shows how to make a gladius sword out of plywood for a child with your own hands.
How to make a sword out of cardboard with your own hands
A sword for a baby can be made quickly from cardboard. To do this, you will need the cardboard itself (as thick as possible), scissors or a stationery knife, paint and a brush.
- On a sheet of material, using a pencil or marker, draw the outlines of the sword and cut it out using scissors or a stationery knife.
- Use fine sandpaper to sand the sharp edges.
- We paint the sword (blade and guard - silver, handle - black or dark brown).
- If desired, the blade can be wrapped in foil and the guard made of thin tin.
And this is only the simplest option, and you can find a large number of ideas on the Internet.
Cardboard sword PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net
How to make a sword out of paper
You can also make a sword of any kind for a child from thick Whatman paper or ordinary sheets of A4 office paper, which are sold at any stationery store. You can make weapons together with your child. We invite you to watch a video tutorial on how to easily and quickly, without much effort and expense, make a samurai sword and sheath out of paper for your child.
Samurai sword made of paper for a child
PHOTO: i.ytimg.com
The lightsaber is the weapon of true Jedi
Who, having watched “Star Wars” at least once, did not want to become the owner of a Jedi lightsaber. Previously, one could only dream of this, but today it is quite possible to do it at home. Of course, this is not a real sword, but it’s perfect for the game.
What boy hasn't dreamed of becoming a Jedi and wielding a laser lightsaber? PHOTO: fanparty.ru
First you need to know that the handle has a length of 240-300 mm, and the sword itself is 1000-1300 mm. These are the sizes of the swords used in the filming of the famous film. We make weapons for the child in accordance with his height and as stated at the beginning of the article.
The lightsaber blade is made from a transparent tube (PVC or polycarbonate), in which an LED strip is attached to a special rod. The handle houses a special power supply and batteries. Let's put it all together. In this case, the transparent tube is recessed into the handle by approximately 50-100 mm. If you want the lightsaber to make a characteristic sound, then you can add ARDUINO (a special electronic board, microprocessor, battery and MP3 player) to the circuit.
The video shows how to make a cool Jedi sword. With him you can even fight Darth Vader.
In this article I tried to show how to make a new wooden covering for the handle handle, cover it with leather and wrap it with thread for reliability. For convenience, in what follows we will simply call this wooden lining a handle. What the hilt of a sword consists of is written in the article Anatomy of a sword, sword, saber.
This project consists of two parts. Part I deals with adding new wood pieces, and Part II deals with wrapping the grip handle in leather.
Part I of this project deals with the Oakeshott Type XIV sword hilt. The sword came with a crossguard that was a little uneven, so I decided to fix it and at the same time adjust the grip to my hand. The picture below shows the hilt on the sword and you can see that the crosspiece was not installed correctly, not much to the side of the fuller. I also couldn’t get enough of the fact that the crosspiece is quite ordinary, and a little small for my taste.
Cheren doesn't look too bad, but that's not enough for me, and I want to destroy her to fix the sword. To change this handle the way I want, I will need to remove the skin and wood core and start over.
Disassembling the sword hilt
I removed the skin and then split the wood and threw it away. The wood was glued together from several parts, but it held tightly. It was possible to carefully remove it by removing the pommel, but to do this I would have to grind off the tip of the shank and pick out the pommel, but I didn’t want additional damage.
Then I gave the pommel a little tap with a hammer and it slid down as shown in the picture below. As you can see, there was some metal at the top of the tang and it flared out towards the blade. It was impossible to remove the pommel without damaging it without splitting the wood beforehand.
The following picture shows only the pommel and the tip of the shank. The hole in the pommel goes all the way to the end and they had some glue applied to the bottom.
Assembling the sword hilt
to the begining
After I remade the crosspiece, I widened the hole in the pommel, shortened the tang to reinforce it, and made an additional recess at the top of the pommel.
First of all, I got the crossguard aligned with the sword's fuller. (See picture below) ..looks much better.
I also re-made the blackboard with wood lining and covered it with leather, but this will be covered in more detail later. Below in the picture is the original state of the pommel.
The next shot shows the pommel after I've milled out the hidden area for the tang.
The following illustration shows the pommel after I installed it (you can see the ugly blob). I probably nailed it too hard, but it turned out really strong. I'm sure everything is done very tightly.
In the photo below, the pommel and tang are cleaned, this is how it looks and is holding securely at the moment!
Below is a picture of the polished shank and pommel. The tip of the shank is barely visible.
The picture below shows the finished sword with the new hilt. I'm very happy with how it all turned out. Everything fits very tightly and now it has a lot more metal tang in the pommel.
Wooden parts of the sword hilt
to the begining
I removed the old wood handle parts and have some small pieces of poplar wood on hand to make a new handle. I cut the first piece a little larger than the final size of the piece. This gives some permission for processing and grinding. I laid the shank on a piece of wood and marked it by drawing some lines on the wood. Then I took some small pieces of poplar that would end up being the sides of the handle. They will be 6mm (1/4") thick, while the top and bottom pieces will be 13mm (1/2") thick.
The picture above shows how I glued (using any good wood glue) two 6mm pieces of wood to the bottom. Clamped them and let them dry for an hour.
The picture above shows two side pieces glued to a top piece identical to the bottom piece, cut out and ready to be glued together.
I have generally been able to form a solid wooden handle and fit it onto the tang, but may have some trouble fitting it to the tang. It is much easier to attach the handle if it consists of two parts. So I use an old carpenter's trick: gluing two pieces (top and bottom) with a piece of paper between them. This creates a firm pressure and allows me to adjust the shape and size of the handle and then separate the handle before installing it onto the tang.. The picture above shows a piece of paper being glued to the bottom. It's best to use something a little thicker than standard paper. Here I'm using a piece of cardboard.
I mentioned earlier that the two pieces were 6mm (1/4") thick. But the tang on this sword was closer to 4.7mm (3/16"), so I planed part of the underside so that the gap was only slightly larger than 4.7 mm so that there is some space for the epoxy glue that we will use to glue the handle to the pommel. Slowly here...don't remove too much wood...it's better to remove too little than a little more!
Apply a little glue on the other side of the paper and on the top of the pen. The picture above shows all the parts clamped, so they should hold for about an hour. Use only wood glue here.
 |
 |
| If you have everything glued together, then you are now ready to turn the stock into nice rounded handles from a square piece of stock. Again, go slow here. A grinding machine is really convenient for turning, but this can also be done by hand. I tried to grind so that the top and bottom of the handle matched the thickness of the tang and cross. | After careful grinding I got a handle. I sanded it down so it was pretty smooth. You'll need to do some final sanding after you glue on the shank, but for the most part you can finish it at this point. |
In the picture above I just showed what happens at the end. Again, I repeat: I tried to make the handle correspond to the thickness of the pommel in the upper part, and the crosspiece in the lower part. In addition, I am sure that I made a handle that is comfortable for my hand.
If your pommel is not yet riveted to the tang, make sure that the handle fits snugly and puts even pressure on the tang, cross and pommel.
I'm happy with the shape and finish of the handle and I'm now ready to split the handle into two halves. Simply insert a screwdriver and gently lift the two pieces away from each other along the line on the paper. When you split in two, you will need to sand a little to remove any paper that is left on the wood. The picture above shows that my torment is coming to an end and that it will all work!
I leave the workpiece glued with epoxy glue for 5 minutes so that the wooden handle is evenly glued to the shank. Make sure the shank is clean and free of any oils. Mix and apply epoxy to the tang and both parts of the handle. Make sure you don't plan too much of a gap on the sides or ends. Make sure when you clamp them that they do not fall out and are properly aligned. You may want to check them a few times to ensure they remain aligned while the glue dries. Epoxy takes approximately 20 minutes.
Also make sure that the handle fits flush against the guard so it won't dangle. I usually add a little epoxy around the guard for good measure.
My handle was taken apart and I widened the tip of the tang a bit. The epoxy remains slightly flexible for several hours, so after gluing, I attached the pommel to the shank. Thus, the pommel should also sit firmly and hold the handle. Everything will completely harden within a few days.
The picture above shows the finished sword. You will probably need to touch up by sanding any glue that may have leaked, or just for a final clean up. Just be careful not to scratch any metal parts while doing this.
And now you can take the sword in your hand. But that is not all.
Once upon a time, a good sword or dagger was not only an object denoting the status of the owner. The life of its owner often depended on the quality of the blade. Nowadays, edged weapons serve more of a decorative function, but many people want to know how to make a blade.
A sword made by yourself can become an excellent interior decoration and the pride of its owner.
An easy way to make a sword at home
To make a blade at home, you will need the following tools and materials:
- sheet steel about 5 mm thick;
- Bulgarian;
- drill;
- electric sander.
The outline of the template is traced with a marker on the forging and cut out on a grinding wheel.
The work begins with a sketch of the future sword on paper. After this, the contours of the blade are transferred to the metal, taking into account processing allowances.
- Using a drill, holes are drilled in the corners along the drawn contour if the shape of the sword is quite complex. This will make it easier to cut out the outline with a grinder. Make holes for attaching the handle.
- Cut the blank along the contour on the metal. If you don’t have a grinder, this operation can be performed using a chisel and hammer.
- Further processing is carried out using sandpaper or a file: excess metal should be removed, giving the product the shape of a sword, thicker towards the center and thin at the cutting edges. The relief on the blade in the form of fullers or other parts is made with the same tools.
- The blade is hardened and tempered. The process is described below, in a more complex method of making weapons with your own hands.
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How to forge a blade with your own hands?
To obtain the desired thickness, level the plane of the blade by moving it back and forth in a circle.
Forging involves the formation of a metal product by striking a hot material, which, due to exposure to high temperature, becomes plastic and soft. To make a sword using the forging method, you will need:
- low-carbon steel (rod or strip);
- hammer;
- anvil and forge
If you start forging from a rod, then the first step is to forge it into a square or rectangle along its entire length. Then a strip is cut from this blank, the thickness of which corresponds to the thickness of the intended product plus excess, which will be removed during further processing.
You should try not to cool the metal too much, since the inevitable bending during forging is better to straighten before the next heating of the workpiece.
The allowance along the butt is ground together with the debris and aligned with the side surface of the circle.
A distance is set back from the end of the strip that will be slightly less than the required length of the handle, taking into account that when this part is thinned, it will lengthen. Heat the workpiece until the metal glows red and break the shank. To do this, at the required distance on the edge of the anvil or on the backing tool, use the sharp end of a hammer to form a “step” - the shoulders of the blade body. The thinner part is called the shank. Pull the shank to a cone.
The body of the blade is given the desired contour. Slopes from the middle to the edges can be formed using sandpaper or forged by striking at a strictly defined angle from the edges to the center of the strip. The forger's elbow pressed to the body will help maintain a constant position of the hammer during forging. This way the blows will be delivered strictly vertically, and the inclination of the striker to the plane of the anvil will be controlled by fixing the hand in a certain position. The fullers on the blade are traditionally forged using a template.
Scale particles remaining on the metal make its surface uneven, covered with dents of varying depths. To remove scale during the forging process, the hammer and anvil are periodically moistened with water.
The bottom of the blade is satin-finished along its entire length, then the transverse line of the heel is processed.
After the final finishing of the blade, it is annealed to eliminate internal stresses: it is heated to red and left to cool in the forge. Then start hardening:
- The blade is heated to a barely noticeable red glow as evenly and slowly as possible. The air flow from the blast should not hit the product. At the quenching temperature, it is kept for some time, which is calculated by a coefficient of 0.2 from the heating time.
- To quickly cool a heated blade, you need a large volume of cold water. It is completely immersed in the container vertically or at an angle.
- The blade section is cleaned to a shine and the blade is again placed in the forge for tempering after hardening. Heating is carried out until the cleaned area acquires a golden color. The sword is cooled in air.
Greetings, brain brothers! Here is a detailed guide on how to create a magnificent Barbarian sword. Not a decorative thing, but a high-quality and beautiful sword!
Since I decided to create the Barbarian sword for myself, I am a hunter by nature, and a lot of time has passed until its implementation. I think this happened not because of a lack of desire, but because a lot of time was spent acquiring materials, necessary equipment, and, of course, knowledge - this, I believe, is true for many projects.
This tutorial contains over 200 photos, so I won't go into detail about my steps, let the photos speak for themselves.
Design criteria: I wanted to make a beautiful sword, a little in the “fantasy” style, but without losing its properties, that is, it should be durable, functional, made of decent steel and with high-quality detailing of the elements. At the same time, the tools and materials used to make a sword should be accessible to many, and not expensive.
Roughing the Blade: Since I don't have a forge or anvil, I decided that I would carve rather than forge my sword from a strip of metal. As a base, I used 1095 high carbon steel, this is an inexpensive steel recommended for “knife makers.” In general, if you are planning to make a good blade, then it is better to use stainless hardened steel, and if you are planning to use a “wall hanger”, you can use less expensive grades of steel. And also, if you live in a humid climate, then take into account the carbon composition of the steel, since high-carbon steels rust very quickly.
Step 1: Gutter
A groove is a groove running along the length of the blade. You've probably heard another name for it - blood flow, this is not true, since its main purpose is to reduce the weight of the blade. In this case, it is a purely decorative element. I spent a lot more time learning how it was made than making it.
The depth of the groove is chosen relative to the thickness of the blade, and you should not deepen the groove too much, as this will weaken the craft. I made a groove on each side 0.16cm deep, while my sword is 0.5cm thick.
Step 2: Mounting Base
Now we will make a mounting base for the sword and will use it throughout the entire process of creating the sword. It allows you to process the knife more efficiently, grinding, shaping, etc. The blade blade is flexible and soft, so I don’t regret spending time on creating the mounting base, because with it I made a sword of excellent quality.
I made the base itself from scraps of lumber, just slightly shaped the board into a sword shape and installed fasteners.
Step 3: Blade
I sharpened the blade using “old school” technologies - by hand, with a file, without whetstones, grinders or other devices. I spent at least 4 hours on this whole thing, and I think if you do this constantly, you can save on the gym. So, brainiac into your hands!
And some tips:
— if you plan to subsequently harden the blade, then do not sharpen the blade until sharp, leave the cutting edge with a small thickness of 0.07-0.15 cm. This way you will avoid cracks and deformations during the heat treatment process.
— constantly check the correctness of the blade geometry. To do this, it is convenient to shade the initial blade with a marker and mark the boundaries of the blade. I marked the bevel at 45 degrees, and during the sharpening process, when the marker disappeared, I knew for sure that the required sharpening angle had been achieved.
- use different files, both coarse and fine, as some remove a lot and with grooves, while others remove smoothly, but the process is slow.
Step 4: Heat Treatment
As I mentioned, I don't have a forge, so I had to work hard to find a workshop that would temper my sword using the "differential hardening" method. This is an interesting method that is used by Japanese craftsmen to harden katanas. The bottom line is that the blade and the body of the blade are cooled differently, because the body of the blade is coated with clay, which slows down the cooling process. Thus, after heating and cooling, the blade becomes hard but brittle, and the body of the sword is soft and durable. Which is what you need for a great sword.
At least in theory.
To make a real sword, you need to devote many years of training. The best swordsmiths in the world will not give up their secrets easily, and even high-quality wooden practice swords, such as bokken (wooden swords for aikido training) and shinai (bamboo sword for kendo training), require a lot of patience and professionalism. to create them. However, anyone with a little free time and a few tools can make a toy sword for sparring with friends or for adventures with their son or daughter. Read the steps below to learn how to make a sword yourself.
Steps
Wooden toy sword
- To make a long sword using this method, you will need a longer piece of paper. You can use a roll of thin, brown paper, or buy large sheets of paper from an office supply store.
-
Cut out and copy the stencil. Carefully cut out the sword stencil, and then place it on a board (which will be no more than 2.5cm wide) of the desired wood you will be using. Copy the stencil onto the board, and then copy the hilt (hilt and guard) two more times.
- The hilt needs to be thicker than the blade, so you need to cut three pieces of wood for the hilt and glue them together.
-
Cut the tree. Using a saw, cut out the three pieces of wood that you drew the outline on - two pieces of the hilt and the whole sword. The cuts will most likely be rough, but that's okay. Make sure you cut a wider piece than a narrower piece, as a wide piece can be trimmed, but a narrow piece can be difficult to fix.
Mix the epoxy glue and glue the pieces together. The next step requires taking a strong epoxy glue and stirring it until it becomes effective. Mix it up on a piece of paper to make it easier to clean up when you're done. Once it's active, apply an even layer to one side of each hilt piece, and glue them to the center piece, one piece on each side.
- Once the pieces are glued together, wait at least 10 minutes for the epoxy glue to dry completely.
- Try to keep both pieces as even as possible, but it's okay if they aren't perfect.
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Polish the sword. Start with the hilt. Use fine-grit sandpaper to buff out any rough edges and smooth out all three pieces. If you want, you can use a special tool to speed up the process. Once the hilt is smooth, use sandpaper to bevel each side of the blade to make it "sharp."
Check the hilt and make any final adjustments. Make sure that the hilt of the sword is not too thick and that it is comfortable to hold; if it is thick, polish on both sides to make the handle thinner. Place the sword on the graphic surface and check that both sides are as level as possible. Polish the uneven parts until your sword is as symmetrical as possible.
Decorate the sword. Start by decorating it. To begin, you must apply a coat of gray paint using a sprayer. Once the first coat is dry, you can add metallic paint to make the blade shiny, or paint the blade blue or red, or create a lightsaber. Once the paint is dry, make the handle. Duct tape is a good choice, as is glued-on fabric. Alternatively, you can wrap the handle with a leather cord. Finally, using any desired decorative elements, add the finishing touches.
- If you cover the hilt when you spray paint the first coat of paint on the blade, you can leave it with its natural, wood look. Another way is to paint the hilt gold and the blade silver.
- You can decorate the guard and head of the hilt by gluing fake gems onto them.
- If you like, once you're done with the spray paint, add details using fine brushes and acrylic paint.
boffer
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Start with a long piece of PVC pipe. The pipe should be rigid, but elastic when shaken. A pipe with a diameter of 2.5 to 3.5 cm is perfect. Using a saw, cut the pipe to the overall length of the blade and handle. Decide if you want the sword to be two-handed or one-handed.
Wrap with foam rubber. Cut a piece of closed cell foam (usually sold in a cylindrical shape, with a hole in the middle for the pipe) so that it is the same length as the blade and handle, plus a few centimeters. Place the foam on the PVC pipe.
Add guard. If you like, you can add a guard by placing a four-way pipe fitting on the hilt end of the main piece of PVC pipe. Cut two short pieces of PVC pipe the same length. Place a piece on each open side of the fitting to create a guard. Once you are satisfied with its width and position, use cement adhesive to secure each piece in place.
Add more foam. If you want to make the sword safer, add a small piece of closed cell foam to the edges of the hilt and the base of the guard. This way you have created the head of the handle.
Take some duct tape. Start wrapping the handle with duct tape. Cut it once you get to the base of the hilt and make it flat. Next, wrap a thick layer of duct tape around the base of each piece of foam, securing it to the pipe. Add bands of duct tape wrapped around the foam to further secure it. Finally, wrap the entire foam blade with duct tape.
- The end of the foam rubber should be several centimeters longer than the pipe to make the sword safer; you can wrap this soft part of the sword with duct tape, covering the hole in the top.
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Wrap up and have fun. Completely wrap any other piece of foam you may have added with duct tape. Duct tape gives the sword a shiny blade and protects it from the elements. Once your weapon is ready, you can use it to have fun with your friends. This weapon is soft enough to prevent serious injury, so go for it!
Katana made from a metal ruler
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Screw the handle. Remove the construction tape from the handle, and buff it with fine-grit sandpaper to get rid of splinters, then wrap it in either duct tape, medical tape, or leather cord to soften the handle. Your new Katana is ready! The elasticity of the ruler blade will prevent it from breaking when you hit different objects with it.
- Although this sword has a square tip and a flat blade, it can still cause pain. Be careful when you play with him. Only hit inanimate objects, like training stuffed animals.
Buy the necessary materials. You will need a metal ruler, or a meter stick, a thick dowel whose diameter will be the same as the width of the ruler, coarse steel wool, sandpaper, fabric or duct tape to wrap the handle. You will also need contact adhesive or metal epoxy glue. You will use a saw to cut the dowel; We also recommend having a vise on hand, but this is not necessary.
Warnings
- Even a toy sword can cause injury if used incorrectly. Supervise children when they play with toy swords, and be careful when using them yourself. An attack with a wooden sword is still an attack.
- Use your tools with care, and remember to use safety equipment when making any of the above swords.
Draw a sword on paper. More precisely, draw the outlines of the sword. Use a ruler to make it straight and be as creative as possible when coming up with the design you want. It doesn't have to be perfect. This will be the main stencil for your sword.
