Metal Working

Summary:

Anyone fancy it?

page 1 of 212next »

Metal Working

axebreaker 07 May 2007 13:33

So, further to previous discussions and Manny's 'make your own helmet' tips, who would be up for some sword/seax and helmet making?

What do we need and where can we get it? There are various scrap metal merchants around Oxford who may have suitable steel…

---

þas ofereode, þisses swa mæg

Re: Metal Working

Dominic 11 May 2007 09:41

ooooh ooooh me!

also axes would be good.

The metal and wood day is a week tomoorow if i am correct, maybe we should get on to this hasty-like?

Re: Metal Working

Jon The Elderly 13 Jun 2007 09:12

Saexes are good to make, as they are fairly simple and quick, plus it's great if everyone has a secondary weapon for those awkward moments! Rivetted or tanged both work, but tanged is more authentic. It also should give you an idea of just how hard a sword would be- I've only worked from partly made blanks, and had a decent workshop (my Dad's!) to use! I've just completely knackered my sword pommel trying to fit it without the right kit. You also need a decent blacksmith/swordsmith to harden it at the end- it's dashed difficult heating the entire length of a sword to white heat on a barbeque, and impossible to stick it in the oven to temper it! (I really should write 'how to make a tempered saex' one day!). Oh, and making it shiny without the full kit (ie using an angle grinder and an orbitol sander and about £20 worth of wet-and-dry) took me something like 25 hours solid! For axes, buy one online and haft it yourself- they are pretty cheap to buy, and to make one, you need to be a very good welder as a bare minimum.
PLEASE make lots of nice shiny toys, but work up- it means you have all the essential basics, and a good idea of what you are letting yourself in for.

Re: Metal Working

Dominic 24 Jun 2007 00:46

Witty, shelalelagh, and I have discussed a craft day at the nunnery somtime this summer. anyone who's interested pease say when you are free :p

Re: Metal Working

axebreaker 26 Jun 2007 09:38

I'm up for that! I'm going away for the third or fourth week in July, and the last week in August.

---

þas ofereode, þisses swa mæg

Re: Metal Working

emxx 30 Sep 2007 21:04

i got a cool knife in Sweden yesterday, from a viking shop i found - it is black iron, with a twisted handle bent in half, and beautifully sharp and dangerous looking…
however, i have no idea if it is authentic. any ideas? i will bring it to college with me.
also, i would like to make it a scabbard, but i have no idea where the WW leather went…

there were a couple of places in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm with exciting things - one shop with beauuuuuutiful medieval clothing and a full suit of armour, for a large fortune, and this viking shop with some nice cheap metal things and hnafatafl boards of leather with wildly inauthentic but pretty glass button things. and all the kiddy stuff we saw at hastings, the wooden toy swords, etc. all in all, very nice
i think we should have a mystery trip to stocklhom and sweden, especially for the biologists, as the biology museum is like a huge viking long house, 3 stories tall and looking like the halls of rohan in LOTR. super cool!

Re: Metal Working

emxx 30 Sep 2007 21:08

ahhh, freya already went to my shop! arghhhh!! and there was me hoping to be up to date and getting a good bargain!

Re: Metal Working

axebreaker 01 Oct 2007 12:17

I bought the same knife! Yes, it is very authentic. Did you get to Birka at all while you were in Stockholm Em? I missed the boat so didn't get to see it. In fact if you're still there: there is one boat trip per day, I think it leaves at around 9 am from the docks near Stockholm city hall and gets you back around 5, price includes entry to the museum etc. WW trip sounds like a good idea - Old Uppsala is worth seeing too.

On the metal working front: I'm going to start making silver bling very soon. Depending on how well it goes, I may be able to make authenti-bling fo Wychwooders. Will keep you posted.

---

þas ofereode, þisses swa mæg

Re: Metal Working

bunni 01 Oct 2007 23:23

You should talk to Alf Silversmith. He made a load of ace crosses and hammers out of pennies and random bits of brass and stuff. Authenti-bling for cheap!

Re: Metal Working

emxx 02 Oct 2007 10:15

no, i am home now, and we only went to visit the Vasamuseet, the place where they fished up a 300yr old galley from the harbour. was amazing though.
i would also talk to al, shelagh's other half, as he does metal working, and was showing me at the oxford castle event how to make things using authenti-methods.

page 1 of 212next »