 | | 
11-02-2008, 04:57 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Margaritaville
Posts: 904
| | |
When making such a thing, make the holes of the straps, and especially the roves, slightly subcaliber, so you can drive them home over the rivet with something like a small deep well socket. Cut the rivets off slightly proud with nippers (as close as you can get with the nippers is generally proud enough), then backing it up on an anvil or what have you peen the head well over, working all the way 'round with a ball peen hammer. The very talented can make kind of a pointed, four-sided pyramid rivet head this way, which is quite decorative; I'm quite happy with a dome-shaped round one which holds tight.
If you've measured correctly, you'll have to rivet the head together on the finished shaft. Once done, the shaft will break before the head comes off.
Lochaber axes generally had a sharpened haft, often shod with a steel or iron cone or point, which sadly is beyond my skill to produce. Besides, mine will be displayed upright in a flagpole base in front of a clan tent (and occasionally trooped with the parade of tartans) at the Games, so the square end works for me.
|
11-02-2008, 07:59 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Port Crane, New York
Posts: 2,275
| |
If he ever starts taking orders again, Donnie Shearer ("The Mad Piper") makes some authentic lochaber blades: http://www.themadpiper.com/lochs.htm |
11-05-2008, 10:27 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Epping Sodbury, Lower Wombleshire
Posts: 497
| | |
Ask to borrow one of mine. That's the cheapest you can get one.
__________________
Milord Sir Lord Michael the Euphonious of Midhoop St Giggleswich, the Cosmopolitan of Old Yarkhillshire, the Gnomic of Lower Wombleshire, the Somnolent of Oxbridge by Camford, the Sardonic of Dramble Buzzcock, Laird of Glencairn and Lochaber, the Seventh Duke of Kircaldy
|
08-21-2009, 05:18 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 4,691
| |
I had no work today so I finally got around to doing a project I've been planning on doing for awhile. A Lochaber axe! Thanks to the guides and photos in this thread, I made my own with a large dowel, some aluminium, and a few screws and nuts. The whole thing cost me about $20 and took me an hour to finish.
Keep in mind I have NO metalworking experience and was doing most of this freehand with just some photos as a guide. 
What do you think?
__________________
-Greg Long
Whisky Buyer, Vom Fass USA
|
08-21-2009, 10:48 PM
|  | Retired Forum Moderator | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 2,697
| | |
I think I'd think twice about trying to trash your apartment!
__________________
Bill Proud member of Clan Donald, USA
Happy patron of Jack of the Wood Celtic Pub in beautiful, walkable, and very kilt-friendly downtown Asheville, NC |
08-25-2009, 06:11 AM
|  | | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Paisley, Scotland
Posts: 134
| | |
I like it, well done, and for $20!!
|
08-25-2009, 07:12 AM
| | | | Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 12
| | | lochaber axe
The place to go for the Lochaber Axe is to go to the Wildhighlanders.org. His name is Alex Cameron, and he makes a mean lochaber axe. The issue is shipping, because of the size of the weapon. He is based out of Florida, and his contact info is on one of his web pages. He is an expert armourer, blacksmith, and forger, and it is about as hisorically accurate as you can get. All weapons made by him are one of a kind, so no 2 weapons look alike. He does fantastic custom designs as well. If he is still in business, I do not know. He does not come cheap, but the worksmanship will last a lifetime. Hope this helps.
"E'en Do Spair Nacht"
|
08-26-2009, 12:22 PM
|  | | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Denver, Colorado- a mile high, baby!
Posts: 5,904
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by PiobBear  Here's mine:  
It's plate steel (16 ga., I think...I'll try to check that for you) cut out with a steel-cutting blade in a jig saw, finished on a grinder and with hand files, and riveted onto an 8' pine shaft, using nails for rivets peened over washers for roves. Steel's treated with sulfuric acid, then salt water, then burnished with 000 steel wool and oil. Total cost was about $15.00. | That's sweet! Too much work for me... but very nice! Quote:
Originally Posted by Riverkilt A guy tried to sell me William Wallace's Lochabar Axe.
I looked it over, but it just seemed too new.
The guy said it had had three new shafts and two new blades, but it was William Walllace's Lochabar Axe....
Ron | If you bought that, Ron, I have a bridge in Sterling that I'd like to sell you... 
__________________
Too much of it ruins the fun for everyone else.
|
09-11-2009, 02:45 AM
|  | Has not logged in for 1 year | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: Waiouru, New Zealand
Posts: 1
| | |
Hi Sionnach Dubh,
Can't really help with the axe but the book cover you have as your avatar is of great interest, could you send some info about it?
| | |
| X Marks Advertisers |  |  For Quality Scottish Made Products at Affordable Prices |  |  | |
|
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
|
|
