Pommel fabrication

F

fenryr

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
282
Quick question about fabricating a pommel cap.

I've got a post war M43 with a horn handle but no pommel plate. Only one rivot/peen or tang is present.....

I'm going to try to fabricate a replacement pommel to simply protect the end of the horn slabs but would like some input before I go too far in the process. My thought is to take some stock steel about .25cm thick, cut a blank the approx. size of the handle then hammer it into shape on an anvil or form of some sort. Tap a hole for the one rivot and maybe make a second fake hole filled with something for aestethics (sp?).....to make it look nice....

I've already made a practice blank out of aluminium but that is as far as I've gone. Any thoughts.....the ovoid pommel is approx. 3 cm in width and 5.8cm long (at the longest & widest points)

Thanks,
Steve
 
It sounds like you know what you're doing...what's the question?
 
What kind of shaping are you planning on doing? Are you trying to dish it out so it isn't flat? I use to make some armor and for dishing we would use something like a canvas bag (or blue jeans pants leg) filled with sand to hammer the piece on. Use a ball pin hammer. Allowed you to get that dished effect and was a little easier without having the proper equipment. To get the ripples and hammer marks out you can use a trailer hitch ball in a vice (or a large sized ball pen hammer placed in the vice ball up) lightly tap the pommel piece with a smooth faced hammer ( a smooth face will keep the hammer from scratching the piece). You want to hit against the rounded part of the trailer hitch ball if you do it that way. Hitting it against the round surface, smooths out the metal (light hits with the hammer key) without changing the dished shape. Let me know if I need to be more clear or if you have any other questions. Mark
 
Thanks guys,

Kismet,
The silver dollar sounds interesting. Spiral had thought about a thaler but the dimensions were off a bit.

Thanks Mark,
Wasn't sure the best way to round it out without stretching it too much. The reverse ball pin in the vise seems like a neat trick. Got an older trailer hitch around here somewhere. Should prove to be an intersting weekend project.....try to post pics later if all goes well.

Thanks again,
Steve
 
I carved a hollow in the end grain of a piece of hard wood of the approximate curve that I wanted and clamped it in the vise. Then sawed & carved another "male" piece to match the concave piece then hammered the heck out of it. Of course I was using soft brass. If you are using steel, wood might not work.

Steve
 
Steve,

That's a good tip for maybe the alumin......the cold rolled steel shouldn't be too bad but I think Mark might be right.....a trailer hitch might prove usefull.

Steve
 
DannyinJapan said:
or you could lay the piece against someones head and tap it with a hammer.
Click to expand...

Tap the piece or the person's head? :D

Larry & Moe are out for the day, maybe Curly would volunteer
 
ferguson said:
I carved a hollow in the end grain of a piece of hard wood of the approximate curve that I wanted and clamped it in the vise. Then sawed & carved another "male" piece to match the concave piece then hammered the heck out of it. Of course I was using soft brass. If you are using steel, wood might not work.

Steve
Click to expand...



It might be worth a try don't know, but ferguson post reminded me of something that I wanted to put in mine. A piece of wood with a hole drilled in it or a depression in it is a great way to start the shaping process. The size of the hole or depression is really determined by the size of the piece you are working on. For a pommel I might start with a hole and 1/2- 3/4 or a inch across.
 
an appreciation for the kami's art is about to deepen...;)
 
ound a little overbuilt to me. also ay change the CoP and PoB. Youu might look at using 16 to 12 ga. sheet steel instead, save yourself some time.

Keith
 
Sorry Keith.....not .25 inches but .25cm. A buddy of mine said the same thing....1/4 inch would be pretty stout for a cap. I figured with that thickness I'll be losing some in the pounding & grinding.....

Dan, this should be interesting. I'll post a pic of my thumb before the hammering and after....see if you can tell which is which....shouldn't be too hard :D

Thanks for the other idea, Mark

Steve
 
rright. Wouldn't it be interesting to have a damascus buttcap? That would make for a sweet buttcap to etch...

seed planted.

Keith
 
I have to make one for my Fox Folly that I am putting a new handle on. I could take some pics of the steps (as I would do them anyway) if anyone would be interested in seeing them.
 
I just made one using the process of scooping out the approximate negative shape in the end-grain of a piece of 4 X 4. Used a small ball pein hammer to dish it. I like the trailer hitch ball idea a lot. I made mine out of mild steel. I'll post pix soon of the in-progress project - a stag handled Khowboy Khukuri. :D
 
Wow, really got some great response & ideas on this. Thanks everyone.....hope I can do it justice.

Keith,
Carving & engraving is definately not my forte.....that seems to be your department but I like the idea nevertheless.

Brian & Mark,
Would love to see pics of the process....email me or post a thread but I think a lot would interested. Don't know if mine will do any justice.....1st attempt at this sort. Couldn't find the spare trailer hitch so I might try the reverse image wood form on the alumin. just as a test. Killing me that the blank is sitting on the work bench and I'm between getting the kids asleep......Sat. will be here soon I guess.

Thanks again,
Steve
 
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