Re: Keris stuck in warangka.

[Mickey the Finn]

The wilah will not come out. I've tried tapping the warangka whilst pulling on the ukiran, removing the ukiran and pulling on pesi whilst tapping less gently on the warangka, but it won't budge. At work we use dry ice and liquid nitrogen to shrink shafts to facilitate insertion into rotors, and propane torches to apply heat to stubborn bearings to cause expansion and facilitate their removal from shafts. I'm not considering applying heat with a tiger torch to help remove the warangka, of course, although I have no doubt the warangka would certainly be removed by such treatment. I'm aware that this keris may not be intended for me. Some girls "play hard to get" just to see if a guy is serious or not. Any advice short of "Part with it" is welcome.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by Mickey the Finn

The wilah will not come out. I've tried tapping the warangka whilst pulling on the ukiran, removing the ukiran and pulling on pesi whilst tapping less gently on the warangka, but it won't budge. At work we use dry ice and liquid nitrogen to shrink shafts to facilitate insertion into rotors, and propane torches to apply heat to stubborn bearings to cause expansion and facilitate their removal from shafts. I'm not considering applying heat with a tiger torch to help remove the warangka, of course, although I have no doubt the warangka would certainly be removed by such treatment. I'm aware that this keris may not be intended for me. Some girls "play hard to get" just to see if a guy is serious or not. Any advice short of "Part with it" is welcome.

I also have similar experience and resort to extreme action. But i am not sure if it will damage the dress or not since it is wood.

What I have done was to put the keris for an hour in the refrigerator. Afterwards, I dry it immediately as naturally the item is covered with moist. As metal contracted under cold temperature, naturally I can pull the bilah out with ease.

Then I wipe bilah and dress dry, leave it out in the hot sun to dry it naturally.
Afterwards, I cleaned it with WD-40 and later follow by oil for bilah and 'lotion' for the wood/dress. Till date, the keris is still healthy condition.

[A. G. Maisey]

I've got a mate in Canada who uses this method too Anthony.

I've seen Pauzan Pusposukadgo give the gandar of a very tightly stuck keris a bit of a tap on a concrete step and then remove it easily.

I've encountered a lot of stuck keris, and the harshest measure I've even taken has been to grip the pesi in a bench vice --- using aluminium jaw liners --- grip the body of the atasan (gambar) of the wrongko with both hands and give it a strong quick jerk. Never had a wrongko that didn't let go, never had a breakage, never had the smallest suggestion of any sort of damage. Its quick, easy and at least for me it has worked every time.

Wrongkos are female in nature, sometimes women get a bit too possessive, a little bit of firm action never does any harm.

[Jean]

I am using the same method as Alan (pulling the sides of the atasan with the pesi gripped in the vice jaws) and it always works fine.

[Mickey the Finn]

Thank you, Messrs. G and Maisey! (broad, "hockey player" grin, displaying absence of left maxillary incisor, the result of a freak accident involving a water heater, a slice of pizza, and screaming four-letter abuse; [whatever you do, don't ask how it happened]).

[Rafngard]

Originally Posted by Mickey the Finn

...screaming four-letter abuse...

Four letters?

Isn't "Perkele" seven letters?

Pidä hauskaa,
Leif