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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 18, 2014 - 09:05pm PT
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I just put a new leather grip on my Oakeshott Type XI sword. I used a "cord wrapped" method for the new leather grip.
Now I'm making a custom scabbard. I made a 2-piece carved poplar wood core; and I've got all of the leather parts cut and dyed. I've got to glue/sew the leather onto the wood core and then lace the belt. Photos of this at a later time.
Before, with the original swordsmith's grip
After, with the new grip. The grip wax darkened the color slightly from the intended color.
The poplar wood scabbard core, before I took it back to the belt sander for some serious weight loss
The thinner, lighter scabbard core
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Jim Clipper
climber
from: forests to tree farms
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Jan 18, 2014 - 09:15pm PT
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Reily,
Thanks for the reply. I was looking at a Makita (or Dewalt). It seems like the sliding saw would be nice (when it is needed). Its just that space is a commodity. Good to know that they can still be portable. Really, I just maim wood, and even something from Harbor Freight would be more precise than the tolerances of my technique.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:43pm PT
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I love this thread. So much.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:48pm PT
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^^^^^what he said. There are some phenomenally talented folks...beautiful artists, creators and problem solvers.
I see some of the pieces and I just want to touch them.
Susan
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jan 19, 2014 - 04:04am PT
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Reilly, the secret weapon behind the paint job on the Geschutzwagen Tiger SPG? I would like to take it to my grave, but it's Silly Putty masking that does the trick. Tried different kinds of taping and liquid masks, but Silly Putty lets me get all kinds of subtle camouflage effects on tanks and AFVs. I'm a novice, but you can see if you have infinite patience you could mask some pretty complex camo patterns with Silly Putty.
The GW Tiger SPG actually existed as these US Army photos show at the time of its capture in April 1945. Impressive beast!
Thanks for all the praise! The judges at IPMS-sanctioned shows are not so easily impressed. One mistake and you're out of there!
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 19, 2014 - 06:14am PT
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^^^
A nearly dry brush, working from darker colors to lighter colors, also works to add a "wear & tear" appearance.
Looks like you already know dat.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Jan 19, 2014 - 07:28am PT
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Nice work everybody!
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jan 19, 2014 - 05:34pm PT
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Yes, Ledge Rat, I did use dry brushing as well as Winsor-Newton artists oil based turpinoid washes to get some weathering and aging effects. When I move on to the diorama stage with the Mercedes staff car and the German officers on a tour of inspection I think I'll also use some MIG pigments to create mud on the tracks and chassis.
But I must have wrecked 50 kits before I got to this stage with an arsenal of techniques in my tool box. Just keep doing it for years and you'll wreck less kits and your hobby will cost you less too.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 19, 2014 - 09:35pm PT
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I'm getting closer to finishing my scabbard. Here's a dry fit of what I've got so far.
The sword is a very sharp replica of a 12th Century Oakeshott Type XI arming sword, made by a swordsmith in Italy. The sword has a very strong blade presence, since it was made for slashing at opponents covered in maille (plate armor was not yet common in the 12th Century). When you hold the sword in your hand, you definitely feel like you wanna whack something instead of jab.
Later in the Medieval period, when plate armor was commonplace, swords were made for jabbing into gaps in the armor, not slashing at your enemy.
The simple scabbard that I made is typical of early 12th Century sword scabbards.
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MisterE
climber
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Jan 19, 2014 - 09:44pm PT
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Sometimes it's just a little thing that helps a friend - I rebuilt a fence in Simi Valley today.
It was original, and I could tell right away the nearby sprinkler was not a directional. Plus you can see the neighbors hot-water overflow drain right there.
New fence, new sprinkler head - I also added a back-side latch-pull with some coated bonsai-training wire I have had for years.
I tried to be nice to the little bush:
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jan 20, 2014 - 12:47am PT
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Sierra Ledge Rat: Weren't there swords forged to incredible hardness that could indeed "cut through" sheet armor? Thought I saw that somewhere on the History Channel. They were real long if I recall so you could really hit sheet armor with a tremendous concentration of force. Yes, chain mail was a much easier thing to slash through as you indicate. Not much defense against the English long bow either.
Of course, I really like that 12th century sword of yours too, being a history of warfare freak.
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Bill Mc Kirgan
Trad climber
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Jan 20, 2014 - 06:45am PT
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Nice job MisterE. I like it that you tried being nice to the little shrub. Looks like it'll survive any insult it suffered while you worked nearby.
I had no idea scabbards were made like that SierraLR. You do quality work in different materials / media.
I never get tired of following this thread. Please keep the show going folks. Don't be shy or lazy. Take some pics while you project and put the best right here.
A TIP FOR TELLING YOUR 'whatchabuildin' STORY:
Get your best pictures in an upload directory on your computer.
Upload them to ST in *reverse* order of how you would tell your story.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 20, 2014 - 04:07pm PT
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Bruce, yes Medieval swords can cut through sheet metal, depending on the thickness of the sheet metal and the size of the sword. As plate armor became more prevalent, trying to hack through your opponent's suit of armor was not an efficient use of your strength and energy. It was much more efficient to stab your opponent in joint areas where there were gaps between the armor plates.
During the age of maille (BTW there is no such thing as "chain mail," that's a fantasy term that is, unfortunately, now widely used) swords were broad, flexible, and had rather rounded points and lenticular in cross-section. The point of balance far out on the blade to make them "blade heavy" for cleaving through maille. The classic Medieval sword weighed just under 2 pounds.
During the age of plate armor, swords were long, pointed and dagger like, with a strong diamond cross section (to keep the sword from flexing), and the point of balance was close to the grip so that they felt "light" in hand and could be maneuvered quickly for that quick strategic jab. Some of these large two-handed swords could weigh as much as 4 pounds.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jan 20, 2014 - 05:22pm PT
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I'll have to take some photos tomorrow, but I'm putting the cap on the hips of an octagonal gazebo in some snooty town green.
Wait, I'll back up. It's a large gazebo/bandstand and it's being roofed with yellow cedar shakes.
I've woven corners on sidewalls with shakes, but this a different beast. Not particularly difficult, but very time consuming. Lots of time crouched on an icy roof with a block plane taking down material.
It's actually kind of fun, for now.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jan 21, 2014 - 07:09pm PT
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Sorry, no photos, but it's looking beautiful.
It was so cold today that my camera wouldn't function, as well as my fingers and toes.
Work is work and I like it, but today was a chilly day to be using a block plane on a roof.
Thankfully tomorrow is going to be even colder so we are going to start on a new frame rather than continue on the cedar roof.
Framing in winter weather is a good thing, you keep the blood flowing.
You always have to find the silver lining, right?
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 22, 2014 - 04:18pm PT
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My completed sword scabbard, modeled after typical scabbards of the 12th Century.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jan 23, 2014 - 08:34pm PT
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-8 on the way to work, -2 most of the day. Good stuff.
Running the cap on each hip is so time consuming. Heck, the whole project is time consuming. It took me all day to strip the existing shingles on the cupola because it's anchored so poorly and there is no good way to remedy that. Instead of pulling nails with a hammer or pry bar, I had to pull them with my nippers, because the torque of a pry bar wants to make the cupola disengage from the gazebo. Slow work in really cold weather can be frustrating, but the appropriate clothing and some music makes it fairly enjoyable.
I hope everyone else out there in trade work is warmer than I am!
Edit; I misspoke. I also spent three hours installing copper drip-edge flashing. Tricky stuff on an octagon with ten inch facets.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Jan 23, 2014 - 09:26pm PT
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Oh- I really like that section between the upper roof and lower. I've never seen one like that- very, very pretty.
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Edge
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 23, 2014 - 09:54pm PT
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That's a lot of scaffolding Brandon. I would have sunk a bolt in the side of the cupola and tied off with static line. Work clockwise or counter, but each lap around the perimeter the line would wrap around the cupola and raise you appropriately for the next course. By the time you have the cupola wrapped up like a maypole, you'll be at the top tied off tight. Pop on a weathervane and run king swing-like in the opposite direction until you are back at the eaves. Then rap or base jump off.
Yep, that's a lot of scaffolding.
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