Mighty miniature gladius

[Mecha]

Sometimes folks say my swords should be bigger. Well, what could make them seem more massive than towering over a mighty but mini sword?

Presented for your viewing enjoyment is a special sword for one of our esteemed forum members, mystery metallurgist M., who desires a 1/4 scale, battle-ready Roman gladius forged of beta titanium. This sword is to be the real thing, small but with all the features of an enormous, cumbersome normal-sized sword.

First comes the tiny billet, an exotic alloy composed of 89.5Ti 10Nb 0.5Fe, beaten out by hammer and human arm, squared on a grinder.

Working on a tiny sword is difficult when one's grinders are set up to work long forged billets. You'll be leaning in within inches, staring at minute edges as they are torn away on a giant belt, an iron fingertip grip pinching a rapidly-heating blade almost small enough to be considered jewelry.

Profiled:

Now comes a delicate operation: the rough grinding of the blade. Using a sharp belt was a necessity when grinding these long tiny bevels. Here is the sword, ground at 60 grit, ready for marking and an abbreviated heat-treatment. Its tiny mass won't require much time at beta transus temperature before a frigid quench in ice water to harden it up.

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[kaotikross]

6" ? a mini throwing-gladius?

 

[mete]

OOOOOHHH !!!! I like it already . I have been looking for small zombies and other suitable creatures !!!

 

[Triton]

Very neat. Notably Vince Evans started out building miniature swords before he started doing the real thing. I should note however that the hilt and pommel in your sketch are not suitable for a gladius.

A gladius:

 

[mete]

That's just a sketch with final details left for mecha and I to decide on.It will be bronze .

 

[Mecha]

Yes mystery metallurgist M. will have the final say in how the sword is hilted.

Quenched:

A bit of refinement for the blade. It's retaining some of the nice colors of hot-worked titanium alloy!

 

[Triton]

That's just a sketch with final details left for mecha and I to decide on.It will be bronze .

That's fine, you guys are doing the creativity here, I'm just pointing out that if you really want a gladius of the reasonably historically accurate variety the hilt and pommel need to be shaped as shown above and the fittings ideally would be wood and bone although bone is such a pain to work that most people do wood and wood these days. Sorry I'm obviously being a pedantic PITA so I'll cease and desist. Neat thing that you guys have going there.

 

[mete]

We started out with Ti so it can't be historically accurate. We metallurgists hadn't invented Ti until recently ! Romans BTW were not innovators .They did however take inventions of others and expand on them. Always remember that it was the Etruscans who founded the city of Rome so that the Latins would have a place to live . The famous "Roman engineering" was taught to them by the Etruscans !

 

[gregorio]

Best letter opener ever my friend. Post up the finished pics if you would be so kind when it is done.

 

[Lycosa]

Good, good Stuff!
I'm jealous.
I will get a mecha blade.
rolf

 

[Mecha]

Don't worry Gregorio, I guarantee final pics (as well as a blade for you, Lycosa)!

The silicon bronze hilt parts are being shaped; another exercise in fingertip grip dexterity and strength. The construction method has been finalized: a tapped pommel and threaded tang, so that the sword may be disassembled.

 

[mete]

Lookin' good ! I could have used it this week.Cold weather and the mice come in .I trapped two but it would have been a good test of the gladius.

 

[Lycosa]

Thanks, Mecha.
mete needs an indoor cat.
rolf

 

[mete]

Nothing personal Lycosa , but I really need a spider catcher in the house and a tick catcher outside .

 

[Lycosa]

Put said spider in a cup and put spider outside.
Lots of ticks here these past two years. Man!!
You are going to love your mecha Ti knife.

 

[mete]

So I was in the woods today , not hunting just checking things out. All quiet and still then I heard something behind me but no idea what it was . Closer and closer .I slowly turned but no gun not even my gladius in my hands .It was ..a rooster !!! Not a pheasant rooster just a rooster rooster , I could have grabbed it .But a rooster ? forget it !

 

[Mecha]

Roosters are vicious! Veritable feathered dinosaurs! So cruel of me to have kept you wanting for a proper velociraptor sword for so long. 'Tis an intimidating task, but at long last it will be done, tonight!

 

[nighthaxan]

Sweet!!!
I'd recommend getting a ring vice for future mini projects, it helps on the small furniture.

 

[Mecha]

Nice! That's a good tip Nighthaxan, master of miniatures!

This sword was a real challenge, in spite of (or due to) it's dimensions. It's reached that point where I seem to make it worse as I go.

Here are the hilt parts, but the "tsuka" will simply not do...I've hatched a plan to whip up a much better one!

Here is the assembled sword, sans grip:

The ricasso looked bulky and silly against the guard, so the blade was carefully ground back, leaving four heat-colored triangle flats:

Here is the sword's balance point, ready for a fight!

 

[Lycosa]

I'll take it!