Katana Construction Journal

The wide crazy world of art and also stuff

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BFenix
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Post by BFenix » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:01 am

aoffan23 wrote:Damn, that's way better than I expected from just wood. :twss:

Are you planning on making 5 more out of the backup planks you have? That way, you could make an awesome fight scene with friends, and then post it here to show the awesomeness.

Also, are you planning on painting it to make it look like a real katana, or are you keeping just plain wood, or maybe stain it?
Thx :)

Actually the remaining planks were like backup if I screwed this one up, but its going so well so far that I might consider that.

And yes, Im painting the blade with metallic grey or silver and the handle black. Im going to talk with a shoemaker near my place to see if I can get my hands on some black leather strips for the grip.
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'Mano
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Post by 'Mano » Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:20 am

This is coming out great, 'B. That pic of you holding the sword immediatly reminded me of Samurai Jack.... :roll:
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BFenix
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Post by BFenix » Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:51 pm

Well, you guys know this project had lots of sanding. So guess what I did today? Thats right! MOAR sanding!

I drew a well measured draw of the tsuba on the MDF
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Once cut, the sanding began, once again...
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And after a while sanding, the results were pretty good
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(I might make some details on the tsuba, but not sure what, I was thinking of some inward triangles on all four sides, your opinion would be much appreciated!)

Now I must make a whole to make a passage for the blade and slide the tsuba down to its place and wood glue it.
Then, painting!
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Colonel-Kermit
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Post by Colonel-Kermit » Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:53 pm

Wow this is looking really cool I wish i had the time to make some thing this good. That guard is going to be hard to put some detail on it good luck.
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BFenix
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Post by BFenix » Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:09 pm

Colonel-Kermit wrote:Wow this is looking really cool I wish I had the time to make some thing this good. That guard is going to be hard to put some detail on it good luck.
Im on my last Summer vacation week :cry:
And yes, it will be hard, but Im not planning on making anything to complex
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BFenix
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Post by BFenix » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:40 am

After a first painful week of returning to high school, I finally got some time to continue my katana.

Today I started drilling the tsuba to make space for the blade.

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I must admit, drilling went terribly wrong... I think I used a drill that was to big and screwed things up. Fortunately, I managed to find some balsa wood leftovers. This means I can cover it up with the habaki. Structural integrity and solidness were maintained thanks to wood glue.

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I shall not dare to show you the tsuba hole with very detail, cause it aint pretty. I managed to cover up some gaps and bumps with the wood glue, but only with the habaki covering it will look nice.

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Well, a small error wont doom this blade! Ill w8 till tomorrow for the glue to dry, fortunately its hot and windy so it wont take to long.

Once this is done, painting and glossing will begin! :D
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'Mano
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Post by 'Mano » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:18 pm

The suspense is killing me, amigo.... :)
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Robot Monkey
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Post by Robot Monkey » Sat Nov 20, 2010 4:32 pm

'Mano wrote:The suspense is killing me, amigo.... :)
agreed. i'd like to see this finished.
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Rody
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Post by Rody » Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:09 am

If you need some reference for how to do the handle wrap.
this seems quite helpful:
http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm

also, it's looking good so far.
Act first, then think, then try to find a way to cover up the horrible mess you made.
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

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BFenix
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Post by BFenix » Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:36 am

Rody wrote:If you need some reference for how to do the handle wrap.
this seems quite helpful:
http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm

also, it's looking good so far.
Thx man, its kinda complicated, but might be helpful
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Rody
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Post by Rody » Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:50 am

well, it would be a guide for the more traditional kind of wraps, I think you can quite easily cheat here and there.
for example the hishigami it mentions can probably be replaced by a simpler method.
EDIT: This one shows an easier though less traditional method for it

the hard part lies mostly in getting everything to line up properly and getting it tight enough.
Act first, then think, then try to find a way to cover up the horrible mess you made.
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

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