The Armour Archive

I can't afford a power tool, but I want to plane rattan sword blades and carve down the pommels so they will fit in my new windrose baskets.

I was looking on ebay, but didn't know what to buy.

A draw knife? A wood plane?

A wood rasp for shaping?

Thanks,
Tally

Different people use different things. I use a spoke shave, (old ones are cheap on ebay), and a rasp and a pocket knife.

You can use wood chisels as well as the spoke shave. Wood rasps and other files come in handy, too. Corse sand paper can be used for some final shaping.

If you decide to go with cheap power tools, a little belt sander from harbour freight will shape rattan in a hurry.

Dan

I use a farrier's rasp and finish with an oscillating sander.

I use a drawknife

Other than the wood plane (which doesn't cut against the grain very well and has a long shelf which makes getting in tight spaces difficult), any hand tool will work on rattan. I have used all of the tools listed.

I would even go so far as to say that hand tools are better than power tools for most applications because rattan is so soft, flexible and fibrous. I have given a couple professional wood turners nightmares by handing them a long piece of rattan for their lathes.

I use a simple large pocket knife and sandpaper and have for years.

Working rattan is hard on the tool.
Rattan contains a lot of silica.
Its important to use a sharp blade and take your time.
sharpen the edge everytime you work with rattan.
When cutting support your work.

I've always just used a draw knife.

With any tool, take your time and check your shape often. It's real easy to take too much off. Rattan likes to peel and chuck as you work it.

draw knife for 16 years...

Dremel tool with a 60 grit sanding drum.

Thomas MacFinn wrote:I would even go so far as to say that hand tools are better than power tools for most applications because rattan is so soft, flexible and fibrous. I have given a couple professional wood turners nightmares by handing them a long piece of rattan for their lathes.

I don't know about that.
The lathe would not be my first choice.
Table saw to taper the blade then planer to bevel the edges.
Then band saw and belt sander for grip area shaping.
It took me less than 15 min to shape this sword.
With pracrtice and some jigging it would be less than 10 min.

Tom

I pretty much use a power planer / paring knife/ belt sander / hobby rasp / finising file in that order. The closer I get to final shape the slower I want to remove material and the more control I want to have over it.

Drawknife and shur-form

A wood rasp is the best hand tool around for shaping the grip, putting in reliefs for the base of the thumb, etcetera. It has a flat surface and a half round one, each in two sizes of teeth.

Enrico di Venezia wrote:

Thomas MacFinn wrote:I would even go so far as to say that hand tools are better than power tools for most applications because rattan is so soft, flexible and fibrous. I have given a couple professional wood turners nightmares by handing them a long piece of rattan for their lathes.

I don't know about that.
The lathe would not be my first choice.
Table saw to taper the blade then planer to bevel the edges.
Then band saw and belt sander for grip area shaping.
It took me less than 15 min to shape this sword.
With pracrtice and some jigging it would be less than 10 min.

Tom

BTW, very nice work. Is there a distal taper as well or just profile?

Enrico di Venezia wrote:I don't know about that.
The lathe would not be my first choice.
Table saw to taper the blade then planer to bevel the edges.
Then band saw and belt sander for grip area shaping.
It took me less than 15 min to shape this sword.
With pracrtice and some jigging it would be less than 10 min.

Tom

If only powertools were in my budget (or if only I lived closer to you in Kentucky)! I will see what I can pick up as far as a plane, a drawknife and a rasp.

Tally

Don't go to Ace Hardware or wherever to get a drawknife New ones are crap, with far too broad of a blade.

You'll get a better blade by shopping fleamarkets and the like that have antique tools. If you're lucky, you'll even find one of the kick-ass ones where the handles fold flat against the blade for storage.

Draw knife for blades and poleweapon handles, and a bench grinder for sword handles.

]I)ongal it all depends on where you shop.

ragweedforge has a nice draw knife for about 35.

Don't neglect the spoke shave. It works in a symalar principal to the drawknife or a plane with handles paralell to the blade.

Drawknife and rasp seem to work well for me. My drawknife is an ancient thing that was probably made in the twenties, but it works fantastically. The rasp was a cheap plastic handles one I got at walmart for under $5, also works well. Occasionally a table saw if I have a really thick piece of rattan I am tring to turn into a flat profile.

a good drawknife is about the same price as a cheapo hand held planer like this one from Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/3-1-4-quar ... 91062.html

I use a Makita that I bought years ago, and love it. I had to replace blades after about 5 years.

Draw knife for the handle shape, utility knife for the fine work, then a little sanding to smooth it out.