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24th February 2021, 05:42 PM
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#1 | ||
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,255
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Hello Detlef,
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 I may be an old fart, but I am really weary of power tools being utilized for such restoration attempts. Chances are very close to nill that you'll be able to keep the original temper of any traditional blade (we're not talking about specialized modern tool steel here), especially along the edge! There is a reason why continuously water-cooled grinding equipment was utilized in factory-like settings during the good ol' days... For a real learning experience I'd stick with manual tools. Considering that the whole blade surface will have to be repolished, one might want to start with electrolytic rust removal for a thorough initial cleaning. If the pitting happens to be really deep, it might not be feasible to polish all the pitting out (unless you aim at a miniature kindjal); remaining holes may be filled with epoxy or hard wax. Quote:
 Regards, Kai |
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24th February 2021, 06:52 PM
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#2 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 445
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Thank you all for the feedback and guidance on restoration techniques. I do think this could be a fun project to undertake once I move. I currently live in a condo and have no proper workspace for such tasks. My hope is to have a garage, at the very least, with a true workbench. Maybe by the summer.
To address some of the points made - I will definitely stick to hand tools. Unlike in the video, I will not be applying a torch to any of it, knowing how that too will ruin the temper. Also, I will not be snipping the rivets off. They are old and have a rustic appeal I would want to retain in the restored result. So, I will have to try to gently remove them once the handle scales are removed, or find a way to build scales around them. Also, I already have buffalo horn from the pet store! I saw it sold there a year ago and picked it up thinking it would prove useful for something. I had hopes of trying to make a powderhorn, but this will be perfect! Also, I am familiar with some of the discussions on electrolytic cleansing from the Keris forum. I looked into it a few weeks ago (for a blade I presented there), and it seems to be a well regarded technique for cleaning old tools and iron cookware. This may be just the item on which to try it out. The blade itself remains solid despite the surface pitting, so I think I could achieve decent results. I may try with some old files from the flea market first, and see how it goes. Thanks again, all. I will share the results here later in the year, if I get around to tackling this project  Oh, and I may be the ONLY one who doesn't think these current hilt scales are ugly. They are in rough shape, but I have given some thought to finding out how to stabilize the scales and leave them on as a testament to whatever life this kindjal has lived. I don't know - the curiosity about trying a full restoration may win out, but I don't begrudge this for having rough aesthetics. |
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24th February 2021, 07:53 PM
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#3 |
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,255
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Hello Rob,
I was referring to the hilt scales shown in the youtube video!  It might be possible to stabilize the horn scales with epoxy and applying pressure; not sure if this will prove stable for longer periods though. Regards, Kai |
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24th February 2021, 08:05 PM
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#4 | |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 445
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