200 Swords

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer

Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
3,494
Hi Friends,

Lately I'm getting a lot of practice with stock removal. Not sure I like it all that much though. I'm making over 200 swords for little kids and a day long fair our school will be having. Alright, the swords are wooden, but it's still stock removal. Right? Drawing out the pattern, band sawing wood apart into separate pieces, band sawing rough profile, grinding (well, belt sanding) the profile and finally hand finish sanding. My copper, forge and wood work high school students are helping. The little kids will do the final finishing at the fair when they decorate and oil/wax their personal swords.

I guess I'll have to do some in metal someday, yikes!!

All the best, Phil
 

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Phil,
You are a man of many talents, with the patience of a badger and a giving heart to boot.

You can bet the kids will enjoy your efforts.

Fred
 
Now make wooden hammers and have them forge the wooden swords.
Great work, Phil. The kids will be very happy.
Stacy
 
It's a mega project. I wish we all had somebody like you when we were kids in the past. My father gives chess lessons to very poor kids in the village, he takes them to a beach café and teaches them, pays for them etc. now some of them are regional champions and they won a week holiday in a 5 star hotel (movenpick ) for their whole family. The mayor arranged a celebration ceremony etc. All I want to say I envy them :) They are real lucky...

Emre
 
Great job Phil. You are setting the stage for an experience these kids will remember for the rest of their life. You are to be commended for your time and talent. The kids are very lucky to have you around.
 
Thanks for the encouraging words guys. At this point I sure need them to help sustain me. At ten or so an hours it is a bit of a long haul. Hoping some folks show up today to pitch in. And, if they do, I hope they can run some basic machinery with a steady hand. The high school kids, God bless them, pretty much help me move backwards. But then, they start making some basic progress with the band saw or belt grinder just about when they've Petered out. Anyway, we've had some fun. But, they want to get back to the forge and be DONE with sanding! :D
 
Holy smoke man, 200 wooden swords?! You are something else, and those kids are going to cherish your work for years. Just think, some day one of your wooden swords will show up in a future antiques road show... People will record the show and forward it to all their friends: "This is one of 200 swords a famous cutler in Hawaii made for a school play in 2009! Is that cool or what? Look at the care the craftsman took finishing this handle! This piece is 74 years old, people just don't do work like that anymore. It's wonderful it still has its original finish, too!"

Way to go Phil! :D
 
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