How to disconnect the handle of a tulwar?

Flavio · 11th February 2007, 01:48 PM

Hi all! I'm still working on this! The handle is arrived (thank you sooooo much Brian

) and I'm also working on the blade: I have polish a little more the blade (just a little part near the tang) and I have thought "why don't try ferric chloride?" (Lew, thanks for the suggestion!). I have tried (just a light etching) and see what I have found!!! a very nice lamination on the edge (that is still a little visible) and concentric spots along the spine!!!

Bill M · 11th February 2007, 02:10 PM

Hi Flavio,

Nice patterns emerging!

Ferric Chloride is available here at our Radio Shack stores.

Ferric Chloride is a good agent if carefully applied. I don't know about other countries, but in the USA you need to use bottled or distilled water to dilute Ferric Chloride or your stain may turn brown, like the old Moro kris I posted recently.

If you want to get rid of the black spots, the Evaporust will remove them. This is always a tough decision, becasue the spots are part of the history of your piece.

But you could see the laminations better. Interestingly enough the Evaporrust also shows laminations.

Flavio · 11th February 2007, 02:52 PM

Hi Bill, yes the pattern is very nice (I have polished and etched another little piece of the blade and it's emerging better, but now I have stopped myself because it's quite hard to do and because I have finished the very fine sandpaper

). I don't know if I want to eliminate completely the black spots, because they are, as you have said, part of the history of the blade, and I don't want that the blade seems over-cleaned (and maybe already is over-cleaned

, but was completely heavy rusted and so I have been forced to clean the blade in this way). Anyway thank you for let me know that exist this product (Evaporust) that I didn't know and that I will try in future (also on non-sharp things

)

Jens Nordlunde · 11th February 2007, 04:10 PM

You have done a good job Flavio

. To restore very rusty blades to their earlier glory, is a very big job, where you better not count the hours used. Besides, you will have to stop and consider how far you want to go, during the process of cleaning the blade. Nice pattern on the blade

.

Flavio · 11th February 2007, 04:44 PM

Thank Jens! Yes a very big job!! I think that I will clean the blade, but some black spots will remain on it. I will try to eliminate the scratches that are inevitable when you use sand paper with coarse-grained. Than, I will etch the blade to see entirely the pattern. But I need of a lot of days of work

Flavio · 18th February 2007, 11:35 AM

Well, the work is almost finished!! I have cleaned the handle, the blade, etched the blade (but the pattern is visible just a little due to the rust pitting

, anyway maybe you can see something from pics and I assure you that is more visible if you look de visu the blade). First I have tried with vinegar, but I wasn't able to bring out the pattern and so I have etched the blade with ferric chloride. I have attached the blade with the hilt with a lot of epoxy putty (Milliput white) and than I have used what here in Italy we call "PECE GRECA" (conifer resin) with colored (dark brown) wax bee to harmonize the conjunction between blade and hilt (but i have to polish the "PECE GRECA" with some steel wool). A lot of work, but the result is quite satisfactory

. So thank you all for your suggestions and specially to Brian!!!

Jens Nordlunde · 18th February 2007, 12:16 PM

Hi Flavio,

You have done a very good job on the blade, and the hilt fits well to the blade, congratulations

.

11th February 2007, 01:48 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi all! I'm still working on this! The handle is arrived (thank you sooooo much Brian ) and I'm also working on the blade: I have polish a little more the blade (just a little part near the tang) and I have thought "why don't try ferric chloride?" (Lew, thanks for the suggestion!). I have tried (just a light etching) and see what I have found!!! a very nice lamination on the edge (that is still a little visible) and concentric spots along the spine!!! Attached Images

11th February 2007, 04:10 PM	#4
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	You have done a good job Flavio. To restore very rusty blades to their earlier glory, is a very big job, where you better not count the hours used. Besides, you will have to stop and consider how far you want to go, during the process of cleaning the blade. Nice pattern on the blade.

18th February 2007, 11:35 AM	#6
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Well, the work is almost finished!! I have cleaned the handle, the blade, etched the blade (but the pattern is visible just a little due to the rust pitting , anyway maybe you can see something from pics and I assure you that is more visible if you look de visu the blade). First I have tried with vinegar, but I wasn't able to bring out the pattern and so I have etched the blade with ferric chloride. I have attached the blade with the hilt with a lot of epoxy putty (Milliput white) and than I have used what here in Italy we call "PECE GRECA" (conifer resin) with colored (dark brown) wax bee to harmonize the conjunction between blade and hilt (but i have to polish the "PECE GRECA" with some steel wool). A lot of work, but the result is quite satisfactory . So thank you all for your suggestions and specially to Brian!!! Attached Images

18th February 2007, 12:16 PM	#7
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Flavio, You have done a very good job on the blade, and the hilt fits well to the blade, congratulations.

11th February 2007, 02:10 PM	#2
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Hi Flavio, Nice patterns emerging! Ferric Chloride is available here at our Radio Shack stores. Ferric Chloride is a good agent if carefully applied. I don't know about other countries, but in the USA you need to use bottled or distilled water to dilute Ferric Chloride or your stain may turn brown, like the old Moro kris I posted recently. If you want to get rid of the black spots, the Evaporust will remove them. This is always a tough decision, becasue the spots are part of the history of your piece. But you could see the laminations better. Interestingly enough the Evaporrust also shows laminations.

11th February 2007, 02:52 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Bill, yes the pattern is very nice (I have polished and etched another little piece of the blade and it's emerging better, but now I have stopped myself because it's quite hard to do and because I have finished the very fine sandpaper ). I don't know if I want to eliminate completely the black spots, because they are, as you have said, part of the history of the blade, and I don't want that the blade seems over-cleaned (and maybe already is over-cleaned , but was completely heavy rusted and so I have been forced to clean the blade in this way). Anyway thank you for let me know that exist this product (Evaporust) that I didn't know and that I will try in future (also on non-sharp things )

11th February 2007, 04:44 PM	#5
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank Jens! Yes a very big job!! I think that I will clean the blade, but some black spots will remain on it. I will try to eliminate the scratches that are inevitable when you use sand paper with coarse-grained. Than, I will etch the blade to see entirely the pattern. But I need of a lot of days of work