I started adding jewelry making to my skill list and am getting an electric casting furnace next month. (I already have the PPE for it) I am also working on a couple of highland dirks for myself (see picture), and I am wondering if I can sand-cast the guard and pommel with a slot. also, tips and how to's on sand casting would be great. i dont think i can cast the hole for the pin and I will just drill that. I figure i would likely have to solder a plug into it.
i also forged a slot insted of a round hole to fit the guard up, as i figured it was easier to fit the tang for a through tang with a peened end.
Side note: that is a soldering pick I made out of some w1 drill rod I have lying around if anyone was wondering. I did not do the best knife used heat treat on it because it did not need it. Nor did I do the best heat treatment possible on it as it did not need the best heat treatment possible for what it's used for. I had a small piece of w1 round lying around and decided to use it, and the tools I made for myself favor function over beauty. honestly, I did not do a optimal heat treatment on it because w1 is likely overkill for this tool.
Kevin,
I made a Scots Dirk a couple of years ago: Scots Dirk – Show and Tell – Your Work – American Bladesmith Society Forum
I also sand cast the bronze pommel and the guard plate. I carved my pommel model from casting wax. Casting a slot in sand is not easy. You have to remove your model from the sand and that post of sand where the slot is gets very unstable and wants to break off.
Even when you get it to stay in place, the slot is never quite the way it should be and you still have some filing and shaping to get a good fit. I just cast a rectangle for the guard plate and fit it to the blade. I shaped it to match the haunches once I got the handle shape finished. Typically, the guard is the last thing I make on any knife.
The pommel cap took four tries to get a decent casting. My pommel cap is about 2 inches in diameter and that was difficult to get a complete pour. I tried both vertical and horizontal pours. I think the vertical pour worked best. My wax model is the photo attached. I'll attach a photo of the finished casting to anothe post. That should clarify how it was poured.
About Dirks: I did a lot of research before I made that one and spoke at length with a Scottish bladesmith very knowledgable in the history and construction methods. The blades are a minimum of 31cm (12 inches) in length and get as long as 46cm (18 inches). The spines are very thick (5-6mm). They typically do not have a ricasso. The blade is a full taper right up to the handle. Guard plates are optional.
The handles are quite short by our standards. Most Dirk handles are 11-12 cm. The forefinger wraps around the haunches in the forward grip, The pinky wraps around the haunches in the backhand grip.
“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”
My rough cast pommel cap.
“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”
Thanks I will be reading that post. I will keep the measurements and lack of a ricasso in mind for the next ones. the bottom one is a bit too short at 10 inches but the top one is right aside from the ricasso. For the bottom one, I already have some issues with the grind, as I have not done a lot of clips or daggers, and I just did not want to chase them as the steel was thin...but I am going to finish it because I dont have much practice on hidden tang knives...and i used Pops silver steel (according to Pops Knife Supply's website, its Werkstoff 1.2210) to make it, and I did a hamon on it, and want to see how it turned out.
I will hot-fit the guards then as i have been meaning to try this with copper (either carefully hot punch it or drill a hole then drift it)
