The Ashokan Gladius Challenge......

Well, it's been a long long week. Unfortuanately, I've had to work at my real job overtime everyday and on Saturday :mad:. This situation has put me way behing on the gladius sword making project. I hate when reality gets in the way of having fun :mad:.

I hope to get the blade HT'ed tonight when I get home from work, and hustle to get the hardware complete for this coming Friday. If this does not happen, I guess I'll just be bringing pieces of a gladius sword to Ashokan.

By the way, I've got to get in touch with Mike Spangler and discuss travel arraignments
 
As they say "it's not over till it's over" :D. I got to working on my sword after completing some errands when I left work (my real job :eek:), getting the tang ready for the hilt assembly.

Typically when I make a hidden tang blade I thread the pommel on. In this case, I had to trim length and width from the tang. I plan on using 5/16" thread on the pommel. Not knowing what a typical Gladius has for length of hilt I figured 7" from ricasso to the end of the tang, so that is where I cut. I ground the end of the tang down to allow for the 5/16" dye, but now I'm running into the problem of the dye cut outs being wider than the thickness of the tang :mad:.

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Tomorrow I'll bring the blade to work and during break I'll I TIG enough thickness onto the end of the tang to allow me to run that 5/16" dye down and get the thread I want. Then the "keep your fingers crossed" part, the HT :eek:

Regardless, I'll be taking this to Ashokan, complete or in pieces :rolleyes:

See you all there :thumbup:
 
Here is as gooda place as any to anounce a change in the lineup. At the last minute Tim Z. had to bow out so instead we will be adding another name to the roster to do the sharpening demo. We can't get Tim so we will have to settle for knife sharpening by none other than Don Fogg:thumbup: Awww shucks I guess we will just have to make do with Don;)
 
Larry, that IS SWEET....very nice. Can't wait to see all of 'em in person. By the way, congrats to Mace(emus) on the write up in the new Blade!
 
Bummer and WOOHOO at the same time!

I was really looking forward to talking with Tim more, this year. Oh, well... hopefully next year.

ANY chance to watch Mr. Fogg forge is a worthwhile experience!!!!


Kevin, will I be mooching off of you for pipe tobacco --and vice versa for cigars-- this time around?
 
MrPurple said:
Bummer and WOOHOO at the same time!

I was really looking forward to talking with Tim more, this year. Oh, well... hopefully next year.

ANY chance to watch Mr. Fogg forge is a worthwhile experience!!!!


Kevin, will I be mooching off of you for pipe tobacco --and vice versa for cigars-- this time around?
Click to expand...

I'll have to bring my LOTR style pipe i forged! Finally, some pipe buddies to hang out with! And maybe make up some pipe lighters while I am there!
 
T blade - The threaded part can be rectangular in cross section. The threads will be on the wide sides. That way the tang will still go through the guard. (If this was your concern)
Stacy
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
Here is as gooda place as any to anounce a change in the lineup. At the last minute Tim Z. had to bow out so instead we will be adding another name to the roster to do the sharpening demo. We can't get Tim so we will have to settle for knife sharpening by none other than Don Fogg:thumbup: Awww shucks I guess we will just have to make do with Don;)
Click to expand...

Aww, well that might just ruin the whole weekend:jerkit::p
 
bladsmth said:
T blade - The threaded part can be rectangular in cross section. The threads will be on the wide sides. That way the tang will still go through the guard. (If this was your concern)
Stacy
Click to expand...

Stacy,

My problem is that the flutes of the tap are spaced a little farther apart than the thickness of the tang , while forging I tapered the the tang in both width and thickness.

I'm taking it to work today and add a little buildup at that area, tap to desired thread, then I'll grind of the excess.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
Here is as gooda place as any to anounce a change in the lineup. At the last minute Tim Z. had to bow out so instead we will be adding another name to the roster to do the sharpening demo. We can't get Tim so we will have to settle for knife sharpening by none other than Don Fogg:thumbup: Awww shucks I guess we will just have to make do with Don;)
Click to expand...

Man, I was really hoping to meet Tim Z. and pick his brain a little...Not that I'm complaining about Don doing the demo at all, can't wait to see it!

-d
 
yeah tim was the main reason i was going this year. really wanted to learn about some straight razors... but i imagine don fogg can hold his own :D is he going to sharpen straight razors? or is he going to just do sharpening in general?
 
Well, polished and wrapped upi all the blades I am bringing to show off hehe:foot:. Gonna get my forgey stuff ready this week, load up the quench tank and stuff, dump out all the crap in the back of my truck already, get some trading stuff ready, get my directions and stuff, CANNOT WAIT!
 
Well, kids... here's as far as I got (which really isn't all that far):

Poorly heat treated, tempered, warped to high hell, and in need of re-doing.

We'll see what Ashokan brings. Worst case scenario is I'll break it on Mace's butt!

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See you guys there!
 
Matt, looks pretty darn good from here, of course I'm several hundred miles away :eek: , bring it with you Friday, can't wait to see it for real.

I know that mine won't be finished, but hopefully I'll have it HT'ed
 
It's pretty rough, actually... I hoped to clean all the lines up AFTER heat treat, as it's too easy to eat the steel before, but oh well...

Can't wait to see you guys!!
 
I am so psyched, got a bunch of blades packed up and ready to go. Matt, i got the big katana you mighta seen on don's. the tip broke off this other blade. It was gonna be a sabre, atleast it broke off with a pretty square break, so I reground the tip to curve forward, like a nessmuck, but with a curve, ricasso, hamon and euro style tang. Really a fantasy blade, cuts like crazy though too. Some cool tantos and blacksmith knives too. This is gonna be crazy!
 
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