Removing the button -- myArmoury.com

Ronald Cassel · Posted: Tue 26 Aug, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: Removing the button

Sorry, I posted this in the wrong place and was guided to this forum.

I have a Paul Chen Scottish court sword coming next week and it has a button point.
What would be the best way to remove this button and convert it to a sharp point. This is my first sword purchase and my first post on this forum, so hope you will forgive this 67yr. old timer.

Thanks again for your patience

Ronald Cassel Worried

Justin King · Industry Professional

If the blade is not too hard a hacksaw will work to remove the button and you can re-shape it with a file, then use sandpaper to remove the file marks and polish it to your taste. If a hacksaw will not cut the blade then a Dremel tool or something similar with a cutoff wheel will work but you want to be careful not to overheat the blade.
A belt grinder would be ideal for re-shaping the tip if you have access to one. A grinder of some sort may be necessary if the blade is too hard to file. Any power too you use will be likely to overheat the blade unless you are careful and work patiently.

Marc Pengryffyn · Posted: Tue 26 Aug, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject:

Alternatively, if you don't want to risk over-heating the blade, and don't mind taking a longer time, you can use a very coarse oilstone. Ages ago I bought a stone, labelled an axe-stone, that was cylindrical, about 7" in diameter and 4" thick, with one very coarse face and one fine. I've used this for a lot of jobs similar to the one you describe, including once putting paper-cutting-edges on a sword with a 2mm blunt edge. *That* took a couple of days! I've got a lot of woodworking and kitchen experience, and I'm used to sharpening my own blades, but it really only takes a lot of patience, a steady hand and a careful eye. Oh, and make sure you use the whole surface of the stone, or you risk wearing a groove in it.

Marc

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Tue 26 Aug, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject:

Dremel cut-off wheel will cut even the hardest steel as if it was butter and if one cuts at an angle one could even rough in a point and refine it with a belt sander or by hand with diamond hones.

Just avoid overheating by using to much pressure for extended grinding passes: Short passes and cooling the tip in water should avoid ruining the temper. If the point starts turning colours from straw to deep blue you are overheating the point !
( Straw colour is less damaging and below the temperature that would soften the point more than it already is now, assuming a hardness of around 52 R.C. to 55 R.C. . Still it would be preferable to not heat the point any more than needed to cut the button off and reshape into a point ).

Glen A Cleeton · Posted: Wed 27 Aug, 2008 1:41 am Post subject:

A cold chisel and a hammer is what I would use here to trim the blade. Bolt cutters if I had a pair. Whatzzit a few millimeters thick at that juncture? A bench grinder would speed up dressing the point but even a coarse bench stone would go pretty quick.

Cheers

GC

Ronald Cassel · Posted: Wed 27 Aug, 2008 6:06 am Post subject: taking the button off

Thanks to everyone who have given me some some guidence with my chore to come.
I will take it slow and easy so as not to change the RC of the blade proper.

Once again,
Thanks to all!

Ciao4now
Ronald