Turning a Old WRENCH Into a SWORD
by BMsculptures in Workshop > Knives
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Turning a Old WRENCH Into a SWORD
I turn an old rusty wrench into a sword. I didn't #forge this because I couldn't get the thick metal hot enough with my MAP gas, so I ended up doing the entire thing using my Supraone angle grinder tool. I did a lot of #woodworking on the handle using walnut and white oak inlays. This was a fun build, I love transforming old tools into completely different things.
Find Old Wrench.
I had this old wrench for a long time and have never used it so I decided to turn it into something more useful.
Cut Off Ends and Grind Down Raised Metal
Using an angle grinder with a cut off disc, I cut both ends off. This particular wrench has a raised surface of metal which I changed out to my flap disc to grind down flush.
Cut Out Sword Shape and Bevel Both Ends
I cut out the sword shape using my cut off disc, then switched back to the flap disc to grind down the edges on all sides. This took a lot of grinding. Be sure to put a line right down the middle so you don't grind too far on one side.
File and Fuller
Parts of the sword which you cannot reach with the angle grinder will have to be filed down. I used various files to file down the tang of the sword. I also used a large flat file to refine the cutting edges of the sword. Next I used my angle grinder with the cut off disc to create a straight line down the middle of both sides of the sword. This will be my fuller.
Shape Fuller, Sand, Polish
To shape the fuller I used a small dowel (it was a skewer stick) and sanded by hand the fuller until it was nice and smooth. I then hand sanded up to 1500 grit. I then brought it to the buffing wheel and polished it out.
Handle
I wanted to do a fully wood handle. I used walnut and white oak to create the handle and guard portion of the sword. I first did a glue up inlay of both pieces (see pictures). Once the glue was dry I took it over to my belt sander to get all the sides perfectly square.
Sharpen the Sword
Using a whetstone I sharpened the sword up to 6000 grit making it super sharp. It is crucial to do this before you attach the handle.
Shape the Handle, Glue Up
I used my belt sander and rotary tool to shape the handle.I then did a TON of hand sanding before gluing everything up. I glued everything up using 5 minute epoxy.