Planning to make a wrongko

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by Jean

A scabbard made from a single piece of wood (warangka iras) is commonly used for Javanese or Madurese krisses but rarely if not never for Bugis krisses, one reason being that the wood species used for the gambar and gandar are usually different.... A glued neck joint using integral tenons on the sides of the gandar and inserted into the gambar is very strong.
Regards

Johan actually is wright. For a Gambar/Sampir on Sumatran or Peninsular Kerisses the piece of wood is mostly taken from roots, can be brittle and has a lot of inner tension. The walls at the joint with Gandar/Batang often are only a couple of millimeters thick, exactly at the weakest place. I have seen many and own some sheaths, where Sampir at this place is broken. If you try to adjust the loose pieces, you mostly find them slightly deformed, because of the inner tension of material.

Sorry, the weather wasn't good today to shoot the pictures. Will try tomorrow.

[A. G. Maisey]

What you say is correct Gustav. I've seen many wrongkos where a split has developed in the neck of the gambar, I've also seen many where the tongues of a gandar have broken off. The weakness here is not confined to Bugis/Peninsula wrongkos, nor is it confined to root wood or burl wood, but it occurs in all wrongkos.

In old-time Javanese wrongko joints, the adhesive used was very often button shellac, which is a very weak adhesive. This allowed the adhesive to break before the wood broke, and it is a very simple thing just to heat the button shellac over a candle and refit the gandar, rather than return the whole keris to a m'ranggi to get it repaired.

Basically, it is a weak joint, and if there was enough timber to do so, small dowels would improve the joint.

But there is almost never enough thickness in either the wrongko neck, or the gandar, to use dowels.

So what is done is to overcome this joint weakness in another way. The joint gets covered by a metal collar, or it gets bound with twine, or a pendok is fitted.

[Gustav]

A couple of pictures.

It's exactly 3 cm wide there, where the tang of blade would be, and becomes a little bit wider at the back (Greneng side of blade), with the length of 16,5 cm - all parameters when looked from above.

[Gustav]

Two more.

[Johan van Zyl]

Guys, this is all the help & advice I could ever wish for. I am truly indebted. Thanks to one and all!

A few remarks:
1 - I have read & considered ALL of your kind inputs and I study your pics in detail. If you should find I have here or there not responded to your specific hint and not executed my new wrongko as you suggested, please do not think I did not agree. As I wrote to Alan, I need to do it in the way that works for me. Oftentimes one's work, as it is progresses in the workshop, dictates to one how the next step needs to be taken to ensure a good end product.

2 - Having procured a good enough piece of wood from a friend for the remake (2nd try) of the gambar, I found myself better able to work the wood. You will all know: practice makes perfect. I'm sure if this 2nd try does not work out and I have to do it once again, the 3rd gambar would be even better! Imagine if I had to make a dozen Bugis gambars, how well organised I would be after the last one! For this 2nd try I made a cardboard template for the opening in the top of the gambar where the blade is inserted. Although I was quite satisfied with the first try without the template, this second one is just about perfect! I laid the template over the top and scribed its outline on the wood. Then with my new-found expertise with the angle grinder and a motley assortment of special bits in my vertical drill stand, I removed the wood required and was met with a truly beautiful fit.

3 - I'm not really very impressed with the wood I got from the friend, as it is a bit too grainy for my liking. It looks a lot like Bluegum wood to me! But I have come quite far already and can't turn back now. Pics will soon follow!

4 - To be very honest, those tongues and side-mounted tenons some of you described, which go between the gandar & gambar sound terribly hard to carve. I am intimidated, and I still have to go there...

[Johan van Zyl]

I have indicated how reluctant I am to post pre-completion pics of the wrongko project, but David felt that it would be good, so I respect that.

This pic shows how far I have come. The blade goes in deep enough, the fit is satisfactory. The wood is a bit difficult to work with; I have used various tools to reach this stage. From here on it will be carving knives and files, then sandpaper. (The angle grinder's work is done!)

[A. G. Maisey]

Johan, you might find that scrapers will be useful in shaping the contours.

The typical cabinet scraper is a piece of rectangular steel about 6'X3", but for concave and convex surfaces you can make your own scrapers from pieces of heavy tin can, just cut the needed shape with tin snips.

I use old pocket knives a lot as both carving knives and as scrapers, the castrating blade on 3 blade stock knife makes a very good detail scraper.

Pieces of glass are also useful as scrapers.

[David]

Originally Posted by Johan van Zyl

I have indicated how reluctant I am to post pre-completion pics of the wrongko project, but David felt that it would be good, so I respect that.

Well, perhaps you see now how that suggestion was meant that for your own good, not simply our curiosity. It allows our members to help you adjust and "correct" before your sheath takes its final form.