- Joined
- Aug 23, 2018
- Messages
- 59
Well howdy folks,
I picked up a gorgeous Hanwei raptor without handle from across the street and set myself the task of tsuka carving.
Sounds easy eh? We shall see...
1) wood. Poplar. Nice hunk o tight grained poplar.
2) cut to rough oversized chunks
3) aligned the grain
4) made initial knifewalls and started carving. Chisel only. One half will be deeper than the other and should hold firmly to the nekago of the blade but come lose with a light tap
5)nothing but friction holding this sword up.
6)both sides are ready for drilling the mekugi ana. Note the lack of pins. The placement of the nekago channel was all done by measurements and math, a sliderule and a caliper...ok...i just drilled into 1 side after she was cut to where I wanted her
7)glued up and rough size of koshira scribed.
8)rough carving
9) rough fitting
Continued
10) almost done sanding
11) fitted but not yet wrapped
12) planned out my wrap
Ok. Why THIS shape. I saw a single photo of a flaring tsuka and I loved it. I Will post some better pics and measurements but she's nicely waisted, narrow and solid. My mekugi are nicely aligned and theres no loseness to the fit on the blade. Takes a good wack to unseat her.
Next up.. .buckskin and samegawa full wrap sections and final wrap with ito. These fittings are only temporary ... next time I'll post what I make for them.
Btw, kaiyo your raptor has new life..mshe draws well and sings like a pentagram bound succubus...
Ouro
I picked up a gorgeous Hanwei raptor without handle from across the street and set myself the task of tsuka carving.
Sounds easy eh? We shall see...

1) wood. Poplar. Nice hunk o tight grained poplar.

2) cut to rough oversized chunks

3) aligned the grain

4) made initial knifewalls and started carving. Chisel only. One half will be deeper than the other and should hold firmly to the nekago of the blade but come lose with a light tap

5)nothing but friction holding this sword up.

6)both sides are ready for drilling the mekugi ana. Note the lack of pins. The placement of the nekago channel was all done by measurements and math, a sliderule and a caliper...ok...i just drilled into 1 side after she was cut to where I wanted her

7)glued up and rough size of koshira scribed.

8)rough carving


9) rough fitting
Continued

10) almost done sanding


11) fitted but not yet wrapped

12) planned out my wrap
Ok. Why THIS shape. I saw a single photo of a flaring tsuka and I loved it. I Will post some better pics and measurements but she's nicely waisted, narrow and solid. My mekugi are nicely aligned and theres no loseness to the fit on the blade. Takes a good wack to unseat her.
Next up.. .buckskin and samegawa full wrap sections and final wrap with ito. These fittings are only temporary ... next time I'll post what I make for them.
Btw, kaiyo your raptor has new life..mshe draws well and sings like a pentagram bound succubus...
Ouro