Gary Mulkey Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 For my next Bowie I'm going to use a traditional wheat twist made from some 1/4" round rod for the center section of a D-Guard on a large Southwest style Bowie. The twist will get cut to length & welded to some larger stock. I will then forge one end into a guard and the other into a pommel. The hilt will get a frame tang. I haven't decided on the material on the scales for it yet. 1 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Going to follow this closely, Gary. I'm very interested in Damascus and have not even come close to being able to make any of it myself. 1 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 I got in a little forge time after work today. This D-Guard still has a ways to go but this may give you an idea of where I'm going with it. 2 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Yep, I got it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Yeah, I was struggling until that last pic. Now I see where you are going. This should be pretty neat. 1 -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 (edited) With the 1/2" round bar on the back end I'm sure that I will need to upset it quite a little in order to have enough material for a proper butt cap but as long as I'm doing traditional blacksmithing techniques, why not? Edited September 26, 2019 by Gary Mulkey Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hertzson Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 4 hours ago, Gary Mulkey said: upset it quite a little Or just forge weld a collar around it if you are going traditional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 27, 2019 Author Share Posted September 27, 2019 I've got the blade (336 layer random pattern damascus) in the tempering oven and the guard rough forged. I will probably leave the guard alone now until I have the frame tang handle completed so I can custom bend the guard to fit. 1 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Brewer Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 (edited) Edited September 27, 2019 by Clifford Brewer 1 If ya can't be good don't git caught !! People who say stuff can't be done need to git the hell outta the way of people who do stuff !!! Show me a man who is called an expert by his peers And I will show you a good man to listen to ...... Show me a man who calls himself an expert and I will show you an egotistical asshole...............!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Amen to that, Clifford. This is gonna be ver-r-r-r-y interesting. 1 1 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerhard Gerber Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Yes I get it now, what I don't get is how you got from the 1st and 2nd photo to the 3rd photo! Looking good as always! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 27, 2019 Author Share Posted September 27, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, Gerhard Gerber said: Yes I get it now, what I don't get is how you got from the 1st and 2nd photo to the 3rd photo! Looking good as always! The guard end of the piece was turned on a lathe to get the ball tip on one end and then the rest forged flat. I then forged the end of another 1/2" round piece somewhat flat and welded both to the ends of the wheat twist. I then forged the wheat twist a little flatter and ground it shiny. ( The end used for the butt cap had to be upset in order to get the cap wide enough.) Edited September 27, 2019 by Gary Mulkey 1 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 I got all of the components except for the pommel nut roughed out and the guard bent after work today. There is still a lot of handle work to get done but it's getting there. There are a couple of minor flaws in the twisted guard but an acetylene torch will take care of that. 3 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 That's going to look pretty slick, Gary. 1 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Looking good This is an off-topic question - Am I right in thinking that D-guard bowies are usually associated with the confederacy? If so, that'd certainly be officer worthy! 1 -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 35 minutes ago, Brian Dougherty said: Looking good This is an off-topic question - Am I right in thinking that D-guard bowies are usually associated with the confederacy? If so, that'd certainly be officer worthy! You're right. They were common with the confederate soldiers. Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 The first dry fit-up. I think that I'll save the remainder of the handle work to do in my public shop. 3 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Wilcox Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Looks slick, Gary. What is the wood? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Really nice work, Gary. Chris 1 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 27 minutes ago, Will W. said: Looks slick, Gary. What is the wood? desert ironwood Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Camper Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I've been watching with interest Gary! Looks awesome! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Brewer Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Plus one on that !!............... 1 If ya can't be good don't git caught !! People who say stuff can't be done need to git the hell outta the way of people who do stuff !!! Show me a man who is called an expert by his peers And I will show you a good man to listen to ...... Show me a man who calls himself an expert and I will show you an egotistical asshole...............!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Ready for final glue-up. I hope you've enjoyed the journey through the creation of this one. 3 Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Christenberry Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 "Enjoy" is putting it lightly. That's a beautiful knife, Gary....................and I'm not a fan of handguards at all, but I like that one. 1 Chris www.chrischristenberry.com WHEW!!! If I could only know now what I "thought" I knew back then.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Wilcox Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Thanks for the close up shot of the pattern, Gary! It really does that high of a layer count justice. Looks great, btw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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