[JMcDonald]

Yeah, the shield thing was mostly just daydreaming, heh.

[Deersniper]

Weld the rest. You'll be glad you did. Just tell them you are doing a Capitol One commercial.
What's in your scabbard?

[JMcDonald]

I spent a little bit hacking up some wood. It works quite well for something without the head weight of an actual axe. I had notched the part of the handle where the weapon doubles in width to help hold the wrap rope, and I noticed the handle started bending at that notch. I bent it back strait (hitting wood with the back of the blade), and then welded in the notch and welded a short piece of 3/8" bar stock over it for strength. I ground it back down some and covered it with the rope on the handle (which I will probably replace with a more appropriate color soon). Sorry about the crappy pic.



I also made a sheath out of wood. It is two 1/2" square dowels glued and nailed between 1/4"x4" pieces of wood to form a sort of box.



I also modified a machete I had by welding a ~5" extension onto the handle for two-handed use, and cutting the most-curved part of the blade off to make it better for thrusting. I worry that it is a little thin and light for piercing (that it would bend), but I like that its light weight would make carrying and wielding easier. Its funny, the first time I welded on the extension, I quenched it in water to harden it. However, I overdid it, and the first time I barely wiggle the handle, the blade snapped off about a 1/4" above the weld, showing very small, very well-defined crystals (looked like sandpaper). I rewelded that section, and let it cool off a little longer as well as quenched it more slowly. The results were much better, and I wiggled it around all over the place and it seems to have the flexibility I was going for. On wood, it seems to be able to hack surprisingly deeply for its light weight, probably due to the thin, sharp blade. But I worry how it would stand up over extended use (due to it being so thin), so I think I will just test it out a lot to be sure. I had the idea of welding on or even bolting on a thicker "spine" on / toward the back of the blade, both for weight and for increased stiffness.



I have another one in the works, this one being made of simply a 1.5"x.25" steel bar. Shaping something this thick into a blade has taken forever, but I think it will be nice. It will somewhat resemble a strait katana, if that gives an example of what it will look like. I am hoping the thickness will give in the strength over the lengthened Machete, but the slightly lighter weight will make it easier to weild than the first project. Finally, the lack of welds will both make it more durable (prior to hardening) and much easier to finish nicely. Once I finish it I will likely try to harden it (heat it up in a hot furnace and quench it).

[thrillbilly]

I appreciate that you have a hobby, but I'd suggest buying more ammo! I think it would be 75 years before the ammo supply in the US ran dry if major SHTF. By the time that happens I'll be to old to swing a sword anyway. I could always make my own bullets and powder and keep the old flintlock shootin' for decades. Buy a Mosin Nagant and a couple 800 rd spam cans, that'll take care of a lot of zombies, plus it's 18" bayo would make a damn effective weapon!

[Metronome]

I need to get a welding torch...

[JMcDonald]

Welding is fun!!


And thrilla, the reason Ive been doing all this is simple:
1) I went from shooting weekly to shooting maybe once a month. Where I used to spend most of my survival-related time actually practicing or doing this directly related to it (cleaning my guns, etc). Not only that, but school is out for the summer so I find myself with even more free time, but still no fun things to do.

2) On top of that, I can't find any ammo. Ive slowly been stocking up on SV .22lr (am at about 5500 rounds now), but I can't find any 9mm (Im down to 23 rounds...), or even any primers to reload the ~550 9mm cases I have.

3) I want to focus more on closer-range (perhaps 0-30 yards) defense. Thus, I have focused more on pistol training, and can point-shoot (no sights... I suck with them anyways haha) a torso to about 25 yards with pretty good reliability so far, but want to get much better. I have also been working on hand-to-hand basics (I had previously done quite a bit of boxing training, but I am learning more kick-boxing and "dirty" stuff now). To complement that, I wanted to have a good hand-to-hand weapon.

I spent a couple hours today working on that new weapon. I'm pretty pleased with it so far. I think she might be the one . It is also just under 31" overall, wth a ~9" blade. The rest will be wrapped as a handle. I bought the wrong length of wrope for wrapping, so I think Im going to go get some more...

[thrillbilly]

If ya want ammo, go to your local Wal-Mart and ask the sporting goods associate what night the trucks come in. We are still getting ammo, it just doesn't last long, so ya HAVE to be there when it comes in! It takes time, but ya said you have plenty of time. The only calibers we never get in are .38 special and .380 ya need to buy a .357SIG LOL that's the only on we always have in stock.

[trustnoone.45]

was this at all rambo inspired just curious

[sbowers5]

It is all inspired by an over active imagination. Living in fantasy land
Steve

[JMcDonald]

Thrilla, they never know what they are getting at my two local Walmarts. They say they always place orders but most of the time they don't get what the computers says they will, especially with handgun ammo. I go every few mornings when the sporting goods section opens, but naturally they usually don't have anything I need. The closest I came was several boxes of .38sp and .45acp WWB Value Packs , but I don't shoot either of those so they were of no use.

And I find it funny that, on a forum where extremely unlikely survival scenarios are daily discussion, I am "living in fantasy land" when light-heartedly making hand weapons in my free time. :P Really, I do this with the same seriousness with which someone might put on a black pistol-grip stock on a Mini-14; I don't necessarily think it will be a necessary tool for "combat," I just like it.


Oh, and here is where my new weapon stands:


In just getting a feel for it when I was deciding whether or not to make the blade section longer, I decided I really liked how the long grip allows quick transitions. A swinging grip can quickly be changed into a two-handed thrusting grip without moving the strong (my right) hand, and of course the reverse is also true. Making a sheath for it is going to be more difficult, though. I've thought of a few ideas but none that really stuck out in my mind yet.

[rckymtnboy]

I am extremely serious about my black pistol-grip stock on my mini-14, and I fully intend on saving the world with it one day from killer zombies.

Okay, just joking about the zombies...but I'm pretty sure I'd grab that black pistol-grip mini before I picked up a chunk of sharpened scrap metal. Wouldn't want to give the zombies tetanus. LOL.

Seriously tho, keep up the work, ya never know, you might have stumbled onto a lucrative hobby down the road.

[JMcDonald]

Hah. I've already gone the business-owner route... that's how all this scrap metal... I've since realized I want the least amount of responsibility possible, as long as it gets the bills paid, lol.

And yeah, this wouldn't be the first weapon I grab...but I don't think it would be the last either, heh.

When you put that black pistol-grip stock on I don't think you then believed you were a Spec-Ops soldier or on a SWAT mission. Just the same, making these it doesn't mean I think I am some ninja or King Leonidas :P . Though picturing everything in super-slow-motion is much cooler than regular motion...

[rckymtnboy]

What do you mean??? I AM a Spec-Ops Mall Ninja now that I have it. I just busted two perps trying to steal extra re-fills from Orange Julius last night as a matter of fact! If I had the REGULAR old boring rifle stock, they would of just laughed at me. Hehe.

Let's get one thing straight though...there was no "light-heartedness" when I put that black pistol-grip stock on my mini-14...I spent $95 bucks on my stock in THIS economy, so you better believe I put it on for a reason! When you shoot a standard rifle stock mini 14 next to a pistol-grip version, you'll understand.

...Not to mention, this one has a 5-position telescoping butt-stock that also folds!!! Fits neatly in my shirt pocket now. LOL Let's see your fancy spear do that!

[Metronome]

Quote:       Originally Posted by JMcDonald

Oh, and here is where my new weapon stands:

I like this setup!
Actually, after ruining a few barbeque sets over the years, I really liked the long handled knife concept. Lately I have been using a Fiskars brush clearing 'axe' and I couldn't be happier. Next up might be a Woodsmans pal, or the Cold Steel 'Two-handed machete'. I prefer the two handed grip length because of the access to extra leverage and reach (zombie horde), while still able to grip closer to the blade for more delicate work (toenails and such).

[JMcDonald]

I primarily like the two-handed grip because of the dramatically increased accuracy. If accuracy is important with firearms, then accuracy is paramount with hand weapons. I don't imagine if fighting a formidable foe one would get more than one swing or thrust, so that one swing or thrust MUST count.

I'm gonna go play with it today .

[sunwheel29]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Big Dog

I have a fanciful (but usable) "Chinese" weapon similar, with a hefty 12" Bowie-style blade mounted on a synthetic shaft about two feet long.

The Chinese version of that weapon is called a Pudodao.

Its basically a wide bladed short sword on a pole.

The Japanese version is known as the Naginata.

[thrillbilly]

So? Any more weapons of death for our viewing pleasure? I had a thought yesterday, if you really want a edged weapon for after SHTF, museums have top quality "real" swords on display don't they? I'll let you draw your own conclusions from there! LOL

[JMcDonald]

Haha.

I made one more, and I also re-did that one above. I don't have pictures, and I left them at my parents house.

The newest one is more of a spear probably. The handle is 1" diameter steel tube, about 20" long. It is wrapped completely in rope. The blade is made of 1/8" x 2" steel flat bar, cut to a simple angular point and sharped along one side. The blade is about 14" long, bringing the OAL to about 34".

I used it today for about 3 hours trimming some overgrown bushes (supposed to be 3' tall, now 15' tall) at my parent's house. Hacks through thin vine-like branches MUCH easier than even my extended machete, largely due to its longer length giving greater blade speed. Still, I was able to chop through 1" branches with ease, and I even chopped down one of the bushes to the ground, which had a 3" diameter trunk. Since I havent hardened it yet, it is still quite maleable so crooked hits on the thicker stuff would occasionally cause the blade to bend slightly to one side just above the weld. Bending it back was easy (not really doable by hand, but rapping it against the tree would do it), and overall I was quite surprised at how durable it was given the lack of any modification to its metallurgical propertes.

Overall, both the new weapon and I had a good workout, and the $100 was worth it! Haha. But this is definately my new favorite.

I have had some more ideas. I think if anything, though, I will make one that either folds in half or slides out like a baton (from like 35" down to 20"ish). But I am going to re-sharped and then harden this one and see how I like it.

I will post pics this weekend.

Oh, and I bent the original again, so I am just going to scrap it.

[ArkansasHunter]

J... you something man.

[JMcDonald]