Second Phase of the P1796 Restoration
Posted: 06/12/18 (12:17pm)I spent some time yesterday making a new grip for the P1796 light cavalry sabre. I started with a block of seasoned oak. The first stage was to reduce the block. I used the grip collar from the sabre to outline the front of the new grip – the part that will eventually fit inside the grip collar.
Having marked the wood, I reduced it using a Tenon saw. I prefer to work with hand tools; a band-saw blade wanders as it cuts whereas a stiff bladed saw, such as a Tenon saw will give one a nice precise cut.
After reducing the block, I roughed out a blank of the grip using a coping saw. A coping saw is ideal for cutting curves.
I regularly referred back to the original steel grip furniture to ensure that I was getting the right shape and fit.
Once happy with the general shape I roughed in the grooves and again tested the fit.
That is as far as I was able to get in the time I had available yesterday. This afternoon, between jobs, I will finish the grip by rounding it fully and sanding it smooth, ready for the leather and wire finish which I will describe and show in the next blog.
You may be wondering why I am doing this restoration between jobs as opposed to cracking on and getting it done in just a couple of days. Well, the answer is that when I agreed to take on the project, I informed the customer that I would not be able to make a start on it until early in the New Year. By using the down time on more urgent jobs - while I wait for glue to set or stain to dry etc, I am hoping that I will get this sword finished before Christmas and so be able to give my customer a pleasant surprise - although if he is reading this blog it will not be much of a surprise.
