Keris for comments

BluErf · 1st November 2008, 04:45 PM

I love the hilt!

And the overall ensemble is good. I'm still waiting for a good old all-original Madurese keris to come my way...

Bill M · 1st November 2008, 05:18 PM

The blade is soaking right now. Let's see how it cleans up. Now, If I can get my hands (with gloves) on some arsenic.......

kulbuntet · 19th November 2008, 12:38 AM

Hi Bill,

You can buy the arsenic(waragnan) in the for as Realgar at ebay. Try to buy a as cheap as posible piece whit dark red collour. Grind it and put it in limejuice(peal off skinfirst). And let is soak(the realgar) for (IMO) 6 months in the limejuice. Use old cocos water(without the milk, it should be tranparent) to get the rust off. Soak it a hour and take a hard bursh to brush the rust off.

Regards, Michel

Bill M · 19th November 2008, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulbuntet

Hi Bill,

You can buy the arsenic(waragnan) in the for as Realgar at ebay. Try to buy a as cheap as posible piece whit dark red collour. Grind it and put it in limejuice(peal off skinfirst). And let is soak(the realgar) for (IMO) 6 months in the limejuice. Use old cocos water(without the milk, it should be tranparent) to get the rust off. Soak it a hour and take a hard bursh to brush the rust off.

Regards, Michel

Michel,

I understand the process you say. How should I protect myself from the arsenic?

Bill

Rick · 19th November 2008, 01:49 AM

Avoid fumes; this work really should be done outside during the heat of Summer ... with a breeze .

I don't believe transdermal absorption is too much of a problem .
Wash hands well after or wear gloves .

The fumes IMO are the real threat .
Do this outside or with a lab grade venting fan .
Temperature is a factor also .

A. G. Maisey · 19th November 2008, 02:36 AM

What follows is my personal experience; it is not intended to be taken as advice or recommendation in any way .

You know, I've stained a lot of blades, and I've used a number of different ways of doing it, and I've been staining blades for about 50 years now.

For a long time I haven't concerned myself with handling the stuff when in suspension in the lime juice, nor with fumes, nor any of the other things that theoretically should be of concern.

I used to be very wary of it when I started, but after seeing the way it is used and handled in Jawa, I sort of calmed down a bit and became pretty blase about it.

Pak Parman used to crush the warangan on a piece of plastic bag placed on top of a stone dish his wife used for crushing chillies---the actual pestle didn't get covered with plastic, just rinsed off.Now don't get me wrong:- no way I'd do this myself, and I'd most strongly caution against it, however, in Jawa warangan is not treated with much respect at all.

I use arsenic trioxide, which is a fish of a different feather to warangan, and I do use reasonable caution, but that caution probably only consists of not handling the powder with my bare hands, and using untensils reserved exclusively for the job.

Temperature and humidity are both important to achieving a good result.

kulbuntet · 20th November 2008, 01:45 AM

I want to set my self behind the 2 others. I am learning washing now for about one year. My Teatcher (guru and dukun) usses his hands in the solution and does it inside his house and use a hair dryer to heaten the blade and the solution( THIS IS NO ADVISE!!!!). He is washing for...i dont know lots of years. He tels me that he knows when he has been to long in the arsenic, dont laugh..his balls start to tingle

.

The temperature is the most important(sun light not needed, can be used to heat the blade and solution) it works as a catalist to start the reaction. The As2O3(arsenic trioxide) is more toxic than the realgar/arsenic sulfide(AsS). I use both. But always never to much safty..to less does exist..you get sick and if your realy are unlucky you can die. The LD50 dose of AsO3 is about 100mg oraly taken. Wounds on your hands and the vapor off the heated solution are the biggest dangers. Use medical gloves iff you want to be sure....and when your balls tingle...get out of there

1st November 2008, 04:45 PM	#1
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	I love the hilt! And the overall ensemble is good. I'm still waiting for a good old all-original Madurese keris to come my way...

1st November 2008, 05:18 PM	#2
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	The blade is soaking right now. Let's see how it cleans up. Now, If I can get my hands (with gloves) on some arsenic.......

19th November 2008, 12:38 AM	#3
kulbuntet Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Posts: 159	Hi Bill, You can buy the arsenic(waragnan) in the for as Realgar at ebay. Try to buy a as cheap as posible piece whit dark red collour. Grind it and put it in limejuice(peal off skinfirst). And let is soak(the realgar) for (IMO) 6 months in the limejuice. Use old cocos water(without the milk, it should be tranparent) to get the rust off. Soak it a hour and take a hard bursh to brush the rust off. Regards, Michel

19th November 2008, 01:49 AM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Avoid fumes; this work really should be done outside during the heat of Summer ... with a breeze . I don't believe transdermal absorption is too much of a problem . Wash hands well after or wear gloves . The fumes IMO are the real threat . Do this outside or with a lab grade venting fan . Temperature is a factor also .

19th November 2008, 02:36 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	What follows is my personal experience; it is not intended to be taken as advice or recommendation in any way . You know, I've stained a lot of blades, and I've used a number of different ways of doing it, and I've been staining blades for about 50 years now. For a long time I haven't concerned myself with handling the stuff when in suspension in the lime juice, nor with fumes, nor any of the other things that theoretically should be of concern. I used to be very wary of it when I started, but after seeing the way it is used and handled in Jawa, I sort of calmed down a bit and became pretty blase about it. Pak Parman used to crush the warangan on a piece of plastic bag placed on top of a stone dish his wife used for crushing chillies---the actual pestle didn't get covered with plastic, just rinsed off.Now don't get me wrong:- no way I'd do this myself, and I'd most strongly caution against it, however, in Jawa warangan is not treated with much respect at all. I use arsenic trioxide, which is a fish of a different feather to warangan, and I do use reasonable caution, but that caution probably only consists of not handling the powder with my bare hands, and using untensils reserved exclusively for the job. Temperature and humidity are both important to achieving a good result.

20th November 2008, 01:45 AM	#7
kulbuntet Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Posts: 159	I want to set my self behind the 2 others. I am learning washing now for about one year. My Teatcher (guru and dukun) usses his hands in the solution and does it inside his house and use a hair dryer to heaten the blade and the solution( THIS IS NO ADVISE!!!!). He is washing for...i dont know lots of years. He tels me that he knows when he has been to long in the arsenic, dont laugh..his balls start to tingle . The temperature is the most important(sun light not needed, can be used to heat the blade and solution) it works as a catalist to start the reaction. The As2O3(arsenic trioxide) is more toxic than the realgar/arsenic sulfide(AsS). I use both. But always never to much safty..to less does exist..you get sick and if your realy are unlucky you can die. The LD50 dose of AsO3 is about 100mg oraly taken. Wounds on your hands and the vapor off the heated solution are the biggest dangers. Use medical gloves iff you want to be sure....and when your balls tingle...get out of there