Tulwar hilt repair.

RomaRana · 30th April 2006, 09:59 PM

I have a beater tulwar that I intend to repair. The blade is very loose and rocks back and forth in the hilt. The blade is fixed in the hilt with the red dye from the peepul tree. How so you suggest I tighten this fit?

Will a little gentle heat applied to the hilt re-solidify this bond, or are more drastic measures needed?

Thanks

ariel · 1st May 2006, 03:45 AM

I do not think you will be able to "re-harden" the stuff.

I would take it out, clean the cavity and the tang thoroughly and then use Epoxy Putty: you can get it in aquarium stores. Originally, it is intended to attach rocks, corals etc.

Get the grey variety (there is a green one) and add a little black and red/brown paint (art shops). Squeeze and mix thouroughly for a minute or two, add more pigment to adjust color, fill the cavity, stick the tang in, adjust the angle, tamp the putty in to get rid of air bubbles, remove the excess putty. Leave it alone for 24-48 h. Will hold like a dream.

Just rememver not to linger: epoxy putty hardens fast and then becomes uncomfortable to work with.

Total worktime: 5 minutes flat and you got yourself a battle-ready Tulwar!

ward · 1st May 2006, 09:27 PM

take the resin or pitch out of handle grind it up add 2 part slow drying epoxy to mix and pour mix back in. than shove blade in. closest you will get to original
ward

ariel · 2nd May 2006, 02:57 AM

I tried it once: my problem was that no matter what, the dried mix look kind of chemically-shiny. Perhaps, I used the wrong kind of epoxy? Which one would you suggest?
The epoxy putty, on the other hand, gave a virtually perfect imitation of the old material.
The "putty trick" was suggested to me by Artzi to reattach a crossguard to the Turkish Kilij. Worked like a charm! Thanks again, Artzi!

RomaRana · 2nd May 2006, 03:27 AM

I would actually suggest browell's acraglass. It is clear and matte until you add pigments. The finished product looks very much like wood. When I do gun work I use the sanding dust in the acraglass to match the wood. Also It comes with a release agent which you can put on the metal to prevent it from sticking to unwanted areas.

ward · 4th May 2006, 12:45 AM

when repairing you keep a small reserve of crushed material from hilt and pour it in between blade and guard on each side. obviously when expoxy is still tacky. you can always file it down you will not see a gloss finish. I buy epoxy 330 2 part takes 2 hrs to cure

tom hyle · 7th May 2006, 12:26 AM

I have encountered inside a sword handle a substance that, as far as I could tell, was clear epoxy mixed with original boiled tree resin. It had not fully hardened, and showed no intent of ever doing so. A test blob may be wise to make.

Rick · 7th May 2006, 01:19 AM

With epoxy it was most likely a lack of the proper amount of hardener .

30th April 2006, 09:59 PM	#1
RomaRana Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 58	Tulwar hilt repair. I have a beater tulwar that I intend to repair. The blade is very loose and rocks back and forth in the hilt. The blade is fixed in the hilt with the red dye from the peepul tree. How so you suggest I tighten this fit? Will a little gentle heat applied to the hilt re-solidify this bond, or are more drastic measures needed? Thanks

1st May 2006, 03:45 AM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I do not think you will be able to "re-harden" the stuff. I would take it out, clean the cavity and the tang thoroughly and then use Epoxy Putty: you can get it in aquarium stores. Originally, it is intended to attach rocks, corals etc. Get the grey variety (there is a green one) and add a little black and red/brown paint (art shops). Squeeze and mix thouroughly for a minute or two, add more pigment to adjust color, fill the cavity, stick the tang in, adjust the angle, tamp the putty in to get rid of air bubbles, remove the excess putty. Leave it alone for 24-48 h. Will hold like a dream. Just rememver not to linger: epoxy putty hardens fast and then becomes uncomfortable to work with. Total worktime: 5 minutes flat and you got yourself a battle-ready Tulwar! Last edited by ariel; 1st May 2006 at 05:19 AM.

2nd May 2006, 02:57 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I tried it once: my problem was that no matter what, the dried mix look kind of chemically-shiny. Perhaps, I used the wrong kind of epoxy? Which one would you suggest? The epoxy putty, on the other hand, gave a virtually perfect imitation of the old material. The "putty trick" was suggested to me by Artzi to reattach a crossguard to the Turkish Kilij. Worked like a charm! Thanks again, Artzi! Last edited by ariel; 2nd May 2006 at 04:18 AM.

2nd May 2006, 03:27 AM	#5
RomaRana Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 58	I would actually suggest browell's acraglass. It is clear and matte until you add pigments. The finished product looks very much like wood. When I do gun work I use the sanding dust in the acraglass to match the wood. Also It comes with a release agent which you can put on the metal to prevent it from sticking to unwanted areas. Last edited by RomaRana; 2nd May 2006 at 06:40 AM.

1st May 2006, 09:27 PM	#3
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	take the resin or pitch out of handle grind it up add 2 part slow drying epoxy to mix and pour mix back in. than shove blade in. closest you will get to original ward

4th May 2006, 12:45 AM	#6
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	when repairing you keep a small reserve of crushed material from hilt and pour it in between blade and guard on each side. obviously when expoxy is still tacky. you can always file it down you will not see a gloss finish. I buy epoxy 330 2 part takes 2 hrs to cure

7th May 2006, 12:26 AM	#7
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	I have encountered inside a sword handle a substance that, as far as I could tell, was clear epoxy mixed with original boiled tree resin. It had not fully hardened, and showed no intent of ever doing so. A test blob may be wise to make.

7th May 2006, 01:19 AM	#8
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,262	With epoxy it was most likely a lack of the proper amount of hardener .