Tulwar Hilt Resin Substitute.
 

Hi,
Can anybody recommend a suitable substitute, that can be sourced in the U.K., for the resin used in Tulwar hilts. I read a previous post in which someone, I think, used hard setting modelling clay? All help appreciated.
Regards,
Norman.

Hi Norman.
It depends what you want to achieve. The original resin must be some natural substance, although I'm not sure what. I believe it is made malleable with heat, so if you wish to 'create' a substitute which has similar properties, then perhaps a base using some kind of D.I.Y roofing pitch/tar that sets hard (the type roofers use to lay flat roofing felt etc).
If you wish to achieve something more solid, then fibreglass resin is good.
However, I would caution that some experimenting is a good idea first as a handle full of set resin can be difficult to remove/alter.
Also, if using fibreglass resin, then I would add particulate matter to give it a more 'authentic' look.
I would suggest doing some experiments, for instance getting sawdust, sieving it to get the really fine particles then dyeing it with a thin wood dye, letting it dry and mixing it into the resin to get a better texture and colour.

A more simple and forgiving mixture would be the old wood glue and dyed sawdust mix, but it will take a while to dry.

Regards
Gene

http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index....wtopic=1403&hl

should do the trick


Greg

I'd recommend against anything non-reversible.

The cutlers resin recipe in Greg's link works great, smells great, is reversible, and is a historical method.


Good luck.

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a few related questions. In this thread of mine I had asked how the blade of my Piso Podang is fixed in the hilt, but so far noone answered. I guess I have my answer right now. :)

But: So basically the tang is just "glued" into the hilt? Was that actually solid enough to be used in combat when such weapons were still used for that purpose? Tulwars (and associated weapons like the Piso Podang) have a pretty small tang compared to some other swords. Being held in place by a resin material seems quite fragile in my eyes. :shrug:

Hi Dinggat,
the resin used is more than adequate for battle ready swords and has added advantages over peened tangs. Ease of replacement blades or hilts, or the removal of the blade for repair ....and the shock absorbency that the resin provides.
Regards David

Thanks for the answer, David. :)
The shock absorbency seems to be a good point that didn't come to my mind.

Humans are fairly soft . :D

Hi Guys,
Many thanks for all the help. One question, is 'pine resin' U.K. the same as 'pine pitch' U.S.? Thanks again.
My Regards,
Norman.

5 parts, 1 part... :-)

Is it by weight or by volume?

Generally you'd measure it out by weight- some pitch/resin is dense, some is puffy, some is sticky, some like peanut brittle.
But at the end of the day, you have to remember what it is supposed to do, and fabricate your recipe to that.
Hotter climates will demand less beeswax, colder climates more- to cut down on brittleness.
Any particulate inclusion seems to help- I've never used historically accurate horse manure because I didnt want to be heating it up- so I've used bone dust, wood shavings, and sand (sand seems to be a common constituent of the resin used to hold tulwar blades in place)

It doesnt take much to make a mechanical lock, and keep a blade in a hilt. Its funny that today, knives are used less than at perhaps any other time, and they are also more overbuilt than ever before. :rolleyes: It doesnt need to be Full Tang to be Battle Ready :p

Many thanks, everything is clear.
My Regards,
Norman

If you make some, post some pics! ;-)