making swords

[Il Princerino]

I saved up a boatload of soda cans because I was going to cut them down and make small square pieces that I was going to make armour plates with, but it didn't work because they will not straighten out. They refuse to lose the curve, so instead of throwing them all out I thought I could melt them down and cast a sword. I figure it could be good for cosplay or renaissance fairs and the like, something lightweight that doesn't require any real up keep as aluminum doesn't oxidize, and it will look good, being actual metal.

Problem being, I don't know much about casting molds or metal working . I'm not even sure if this type of casting can really be done with aluminum.

So I'm asking my fellow RPFers for help/advice. If any of you know if/how I can accomplish this, I would very much appreciate a tip or three.

thank you in advance.

 

[The Mad Professor]

I would not recommend it... The aluminum is so thin that you would possibly need two dumptrucks full just to have enough for a broadsword.

I'm surprised that they wouldn't straighten out... Have you considered sandwiching them between two sheets of plywood and parking your car on the top overnight?

 

[Il Princerino]

I did stick them between some 2x4s and put weights on top, left them there for a few days, still kept curling up. I just decided it was too much trouble to have to do to nearly 200 pieces.

I have close to 100 cans stacked up in my garage,I was going to melt them down into an ingot. I was thinking I would start with something small, like a dagger or knife of some kind, just to get an idea of how it works. If it turned out I could always save more cans and try for something bigger. I have told some friends what I was up to and they said they would save cans for me , so it won't be any problem to get material. I could melt them down into a flatbar and grind out the shape I want, but I think that casting would yield looking better results.

I just thought it would be cool to try.

 

[Il Princerino]

anyone else?

 

[Blaxmyth]

Seriously, all you'd get out of melting cans would be experience and a heap of scungy, spongy dross. I'm speaking from experience, having melted down several old aluminium castings on a couple of occasions. When I added crushed cans, the dross to metal ratio was awful, and the quality of the metal was diminished a lot. It's fun, though, playing with molten metal.

As for the aluminium sheets for making armour scales, you could try some aluminium baking trays, or if you're able to source a sheet metal supply, get some thin sheet from them. But in my experience, most op shops have lots of baking trays, plus usually you can get away with quietly purloining a couple from your wife's/mother's kitchen before you get caught...

 

[Il Princerino]

Well, thanks anyway guys, off to the recycling bin I guess.
I'm going to look into a metal supply and see how much a quality bar of it would cost because I still would like to give this a try. Might even get some carbon steel and try a real sword, who knows.

 

[bookface]

Aluminium bar really isn't expensive at all, enough for a sword will probably cost less than the cans you were thinking about melting down. Admittedly it won't come with any sweet sugary goodness inside like the cans did though.

 

[Chaank]

I know of a dude who uses square tube and squashes it a little so the cross-section looks like a diamond shape and then shapes and wields the point. His swords look very heavy but weigh almost nothing. I was a bit sceptical when I heard about it but they look fantastic and are pretty safe! He even builds up the edges with wield and grinds them, they look a bit strange without doing that. Could be worth a try. Even Ali square tube comes in heaps of sizes. You'd need a tig though unless you used steel tube. If you are into doing something with a little more bite, try finding a place that makes car leaf springs and get a length of steel from them. Just use stock removal to shape your blade and they'll be able to harden and temper it for you. If you're not in a rush and they are good guys they'll do it with their next batch of springs and it shouldn't cost too much. There is a lot of myth around knife making (to many samurai movies and not enough science) but spring steel is not to be sneezed at.

Good luck, let us know how you get on. I miss making knives.

 

[dino8836]

Yep. If your keen to try making a knife or dagger, you can also look for old chainsaw bars, as they are made of spring steel also. Shape, sharpen, then enjoy. Remember to use a full tang in the handle if you want to use it, as this is where they mostly fail. Great little projects to do and easily done in a day if you are after a basic style.

Regarding building a sword, I was lucky enough to have some tuition in Japan a few years back for my Iaido training for the real deal katanas. There is a delicate science to the carbon % and folding and the quenching technique to have a blade you can use (I only got to see/try a small part of each process as it is a secret). Real Japanese swords are an ART.

 

[SigsegV]

I've seen some darn good results by people making swords from leaf springs. Here's an old thread from Sword Buyer's Guide showing one: Making of Fable Blades Fantasy Leaf Blade | SBG Sword Forum

 

[Screencaptured]

1. Do not melt aluminum cans, it gives off a gas when melted. Harmful to breathe
2. Aluminum does oxidize. When I make film swords I spray bleach on the aluminum blades to oxidize them black.

you are better off selling the aluminum off and buying the right materials to make your costume. If you want the aluminum we use in the film industry, shape or cold grind T6 - 7075 aluminum. Don't get it hot. It's tempered aircraft aluminum.