input needed

[swordplayer]

hi guys, my current project is a glaive. i am using a 6ft by 1 in solid rod of titanium as the staff section of my.project. a couple questions before i start said project and buy my materials i needed a few opinions on how. i should go about this.

first of all i am going to make 2 or 4 holes in either end. 1 inch and then 2 inch below each end of the bar. this is for the purpose of either simply bolting ot riveting "caps" or blades on either end for interchangeable accesories. ( if i wanted an axe or hook end or.just a spear head) i believe i should use nuts and bolts with rubber washers so that it would be easier to take apart.

another is of course what type of.metal i should use for my attatchments. carbon steel, tempered steel, or should i just go all out and use titanium.( ive heard bad reviews about using titanium to make blades. havent done it yet)

i also require someone who is an excellent bladesmith to make high quality heads for me. i WILL compensate. the main problem i have is that im just starting out with metal and if i made my own they wouldnt be as asthetically pleasing if i were to take it for display. (blunt and razor edged both required because i train and go to tournaments. obviously blunt would be for a tournament.)
any.input wpuld be appreciated :)

[Black Forest]

You might get more of a response if you posted a picture or explanation of what a glaive might be!

[swordplayer]

i apologize i forgot about the explanation for a glaive.

it is a double edged dual sided spear. or any type of.tip for that matter. but the best way to explain it would be a pole with a spear head on both sides

[swordplayer]

also here is a picture to give u an idea

 

i am planning on having the attatched head be roughly 12 in long and a 2 in cap on the bortom of the blades so i can slide and bolt them on each end. giving it a total length of 8 ft

[PixMan]

I could see interchangeable tips being done in a secure "bayonet" fashion that would make the tool pretty cool.

Assuming you don't ever actually strike, gouge, or otherwise engage force upon the heads, you could bore the ends of the rod, put an internal clip groove to retain a spring-loaded plunger and mill one or two L-shaped grooves to engage pins on the heads. I suck at making sketches and really don't have time right now to try, so perhaps others can come up with ideas which could actually be illustrated.

[swordplayer]

i can see it as if it were already drawn pixman :) but the problem being this is actually going to be used for training purposes as well as showcasing. i intend to use the tips very much which is why i plan on having them interchangeable. i tend to use bamboo, leather, and suprisingly any hard plastic when choosing a target.

i also figured because of the beating the locking device may endure, i figured using 4 quarter inch holes drilled on each end and the caps would allow me to place 4 tight wingnuts to prevent the tips from moving or potentially flying off.

but at the same time it would not help me at all aesthetically when showcasing. pwrhaps a cover of some kind?? i have no clue but i know if u seen the wingnuts it would definately be ugly lol.

[Hawkeye]

Check out some store that carries speciallised fasteners. Ace Hardware comes to mind. I'm thinking of a two-part bolt that consists of an outer barrel with a flat, wide head that has in internal thread. The other part has the same head, with an external thread that runs inside the first part. They usually have slots in the heads for tightening and would be the least conspicuous.

[rleete]

What you're talking about are called binding posts. McMaster-Carr has them:

http://www.mcmaster.com/?orderview=new#b...ws/=vpzq9n

[Black Forest]

Ikea is your friend! They use those binding posts on lots of stuff!

[Highpower]

Maybe go to a local plumbing / sewer cleaning supply company and take a look at some "sectional cable" connectors. They are pretty much inline with Pixman's bayonet mount idea. I have several sections of cable and various cutters that I use for cleaning out my sewer line at home. I can assure you, those couplers take a real beating and hold up very well. All you do is depress the spring loaded plunger on the "blade" while pushing it into the "socket" and give it a slight twist. The plunger then springs up into the slot, locking it in place. Depress the plunger and twist in the opposite direction to remove.