Sword making is a skilled craft and can be very hazardous. This article assumes that the reader is at least a semi-skilled metal worker with experience and knowledge of the correct, safe and effective use of torches, grinders and abrasive saws. This article also assumes that the reader has access to a fully equipped metal shop.
If you are new to metal working and have not made any knives or other edged weapons before, please read the resources at the end of this article, especially "Poof, You're a Sword Maker." Metalworking hazards include severe eye injuries, lacerations, severe burns, amputations, lung damage due to inhalation of volatilized metals and gases and possible death. Use proper safety equipment at all times, including NIOSH-approved respirators, heavy leather work gloves, welder's gloves, eye protection and ear protection. Keep a fully charged ABC fire extinguisher nearby at all times.
This article is a companion to "Make Sword Handles" at eHow.com
Instructions
1. Decide what kind of sword you wish to make as well as how wide and how long it will be. The length of your sword includes the legnth of the blade plus the width of the guard, length of the tang and a 2-inch pommel stud. Therefore, if you want a 38-inch sword from tip to end of pommel, it is better to make it 36 inches instead. The steel you are going to order comes in 3 feet and 6 feet lengths. It can cost up to 2 1/2 times as much to buy the 6 feet length as the 3 feet length.
2. Find a machine shop, tool and die supply or specialty metal company that will order you the width of steel you want for your sword in 1/4-inch-thick-by-36-inch-long hardened Oh-one tool steel billets.
3. Don welder's gloves, eye protection and a NIOSH-approved respirator. Heat entire length of steel until it turns royal blue. Allow blade to air cool before proceeding. Hand sand using 80-grit emery cloth until blade is shiny. Repeat heating and sanding two more times, allowing blade to cool between heats before sanding. This process is known as triple drawing or triple tempering, and will give you the most even temper possible. Temper changes the hardness and brittleness of the steel. When you receive your billet, it will be too brittle for sword making. Tempering will make the steel springy without losing hardness.
4. Determine your desired handle length, including guard thickness, handle and two inches for the pommel stud. For example, if your guard is 1/2 inch thick, the handle is 6 inches long and the pommel stud is 2 inches long, your total handle length will be 8 1/2 inches.
5. Lay out sword profile by using a fine-point black marker to mark across the width of the steel billet at the intended blade shoulder. Total blade length and handle length must equal 36 inches or less. Beginning at the blade shoulder, lay out your sword tang profile. Tang should be 1 1/2 inches wide at the blade shoulder, tapering to 3/8 inches two inches before the end of your steel billet. The last two inches is your pommel stud, which needs to be 1/4 inches wide from tang end to billet end. Lay out desired blade shape at other end of your billet of steel, beginning at the blade shoulder mark.
6. Use an abrasive saw to cut away excess stock from the blade and tang profile. Remember that you will be grinding the profile after removing the excess stock. It is better to have to grind a little more than to cut away too much material. Keep steel cooled with water while grinding, making sure that your billet never gets hot enough to change color.
Use a bench grinder and 24- or 30-grit abrasive to remove any burrs left by the abrasive saw. Use your choice of grinder to grind profile of blade and tang to desired finished dimensions and remove burrs again.
7. Rough grind the edge angles of the blade and the profile. Finish grind the blade and tang with 80-grit abrasive. Continue to finish grind the blade with 120-, 240-, 400- and 600-grit abrasive, then polish. Please refer to the eHow article, "Make Sword Handles," to add your desired handle to this sword.
