Mosaic pin quandry

T

TroyO

Joined
Mar 20, 2001
Messages
71
I am starting a project to hilt and handle a KC Wakizashi blade. I was thinking that rather than buying a reproduction tsuba I would take a crack at making my own. Not wanting to try to simply copy the art of the originals, I plan to try something a little different.

I have a hunk of mild steel, about 3/16" suitable to make the guard out of and plan to drill a series of holes in it to insert mosaic pins in. I have the primers on making the pins, and that seems easy enough.

Once the thing is done, and the surface ground flush I plan to try and patina the steel, I think it will turn out kind of neat with the inlaid pins and brass highlights on a blackened surface.

The question arises from the act of soldering these completed mosaic pins into place in the drilled holes. Do you think it will "fry" the epoxy and screw the pins up? As an alternative method, how about soldering the tubes in, then filling them with the rods and epoxy once they are in place?

In short, are soldering temps (Silver solder from a knifemakers supply) too high, or do you think the epoxy will come through it OK?
 
Drill the holes and precision ream them to the same size as the pins, then set each one with some super glue. Or you can drill and ream the holes undersize and then heat up the Tsuba and press fit them into it. They will never fall out if they are press fit. If this Wakizashi blade is not going to see combat then just super glue them in place.
 
Striper is right but I would use a little JB Weld instead of superglue. You will have to get it very hot to break that bond. Don't use the JB Kwick, use the standard.
You chose a good blade to use. Cecil is a good fellow to work with and his blades have always been the best beaters on the market (IMHO);)
 
Thanks for the help, guys. JB weld ought to do it, but since I like making things "combat capable" even if they most likely won't be used as such (I am into medieval re-enactment, so it's not impossible although we usually use rattan) I think I am going to solder the tubes in, then fill them with the mosaic stuff approach.

What the heck, the materials are dirt cheap so if it doesn't fly I can start over and glue them in. I figure I will learn tons even if doesn't turn out that well, and as learning is the reason behind the whole process that is fine with me. Learning what doesn't work is just as important as learning what does.

Peter, KC blades are great! I already have a Tanto (Finished by them) and a Short Sword (Finished by me) and the Waki blade on the way. They are coming out with a new Katana in a couple months, that is supposed to have a better shape and feel to it, so this is a warm up to that project. If everything works, maybe I can do whole matched set. The only thing I don't care for from KC is the fittings and hardware they use... sheaths suck, cotton cord wrap they use on everything sucks, and the brass fittings are usually strictly utilitarian.... which is great, because I can upgrade all of that. :-)
 
I agree about the KC fittings, Etc. I'm only talking about the blades. Top notch users!
 
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