How would you make this joint?
#11
We have new neighbors that have become friends. After learning of my hobby and talking about it a bit, I ended up promising their oldest boy (7) that I'd make him a wooden sword. 

I did this in three pieces. I used some scrap pine to make a "blade", 1/2" thick, about 1.25" wide. The sword's "guard" was just a small piece of 1x2, and the hilt was turned on the lathe from glued-up scrap.

This left me with two joints - blade to guard, and guard to hilt. I used two 2.5" screws to attach the guard to the blade, screwed in from the bottom in counterbored holes 1/2" apart. This was enough to enforce alignment and close enough to ensure the hilt would cover the screws. I then used a dowel screw to go into the hilt, through the guard, and into the blade (at least slightly) to attach all three together. I figured this was best since it otherwise joined the two outermost pieces.

I am wondering if this was a good design or not. If not, what would be better? If yes, is this decent joinery? It wasn't the most researched project, and since my kids do their own part to use and abuse toys I don't expect it will last forever. He was ecstatic to have it and played with it all night (even ate dinner with it "strapped to his back"), which made my day. But seeing the happiness it brought him made me want to make sure it would hold up.

It didn't take too long to make (maybe 20-30 minutes) so I could easily make another. Just wondering if there's something obvious I missed.

[Image: 20210328-151123.jpg]
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#12
(03-28-2021, 10:11 PM)FS7 Wrote: We have new neighbors that have become friends. After learning of my hobby and talking about it a bit, I ended up promising their oldest boy (7) that I'd make him a wooden sword. 

I did this in three pieces. I used some scrap pine to make a "blade", 1/2" thick, about 1.25" wide. The sword's "guard" was just a small piece of 1x2, and the hilt was turned on the lathe from glued-up scrap.

This left me with two joints - blade to guard, and guard to hilt. I used two 2.5" screws to attach the guard to the blade, screwed in from the bottom in counterbored holes 1/2" apart. This was enough to enforce alignment and close enough to ensure the hilt would cover the screws. I then used a dowel screw to go into the hilt, through the guard, and into the blade (at least slightly) to attach all three together. I figured this was best since it otherwise joined the two outermost pieces.

I am wondering if this was a good design or not. If not, what would be better? If yes, is this decent joinery? It wasn't the most researched project, and since my kids do their own part to use and abuse toys I don't expect it will last forever. He was ecstatic to have it and played with it all night (even ate dinner with it "strapped to his back"), which made my day. But seeing the happiness it brought him made me want to make sure it would hold up.

It didn't take too long to make (maybe 20-30 minutes) so I could easily make another. Just wondering if there's something obvious I missed.

[Image: 20210328-151123.jpg]

I would round over that sharp tip.

Mel.
ABC(Anything But Crapsman)club member
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#13
FS7, 

I'd make the swords out of 2 parts, not 3: the body as 1 and the guard as another. The guard is actually two equal halves glued to the body. A strong sword that will last many battles, if you may.

Simon
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#14
(03-28-2021, 11:41 PM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: FS7, 

I'd make the swords out of 2 parts, not 3: the body as 1 and the guard as another. The guard is actually two equal halves glued to the body. A strong sword that will last many battles, if you may.

Simon

This.  Start with fat enough stock to turn the handle, then cut the blade to size, then glue on the guard pieces.  Alternatively, you could make the blade run the full length, then glue on two scales to form the handle, then glue on the guard pieces.  

John
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#15
Yeah, make the handle and blade from the one piece.
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#16
Another option - make the whole thing out of one ply. Trace the shape with an oversized handle on a 3/4", and cut it out on the bandsaw. Round/shape the handle a bit. You can produce half a dozen in one go, if quantity is desirable.

Simon
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#17
I like the turned handle, which would make a "full tang" design a bit harder. I have seen some that just a single piece and wrap the handle with leather or something similar. That might work too.

I think I'll wait until he breaks this one (I'm sure he will) before I try another design. I wanted to use pine not only because it's cheap and I had scraps available but also, being a seven year old boy, I wanted a soft wood. Light and will do (slightly) less damage to things he hits with it.
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#18
I would also make the blade and tang all one piece and glue on a guard  and scales for the handle.  I would also make the handle oval instead of round so the you know where the edge of the blade is when it is in your hand.
"There is no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid people"
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#19
I made this one for my grandson in a couple of hours over the Christmas Holidays. I turned out to be his favorite Christmas gift. I had a ~1/8" thick cutoff from, an 8/4 piece of maple that gave me the idea. The blade and full tang are one piece from the cutoff. I chiseled a mortise in the cross guard so it could slip over the tang and glued walnut scales on both sides of the tang for the handle. A little rasp and sandpaper work finished the shaping and two coats of wipe-on poly finished the job. Then I cut out a hanger bracket from a scrap walnut board, screwed in some "L" hooks and applied a couple coats of wipe-on poly and the quickie project was done.

EDIT: On further recollection, I believe the cross guard was made in two pieces, both notched to fit around the tang where it joins the blade, and glued together.

[Image: 51090007569_965d1cd10a_k.jpg]A37BF3B8-2050-4543-82FB-AD3CBB66A6E9 by Hank Knight, on Flickr

[Image: 51090479038_4d738acaec_k.jpg]A537DDEB-AEEF-43D4-BD05-1AEC03507EAE by Hank Knight, on Flickr
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#20
(04-02-2021, 11:41 AM)Hank Knight Wrote: I chiseled a mortise in the cross guard so it could slip over the tang and glued walnut scales on both sides of the tang for the handle.

Lots of work......but a clever solution that really added elegance to the final product.

Simon
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