Restore Tips ?

danny1976 · 25th December 2009, 12:19 PM

Hi Guys,

While i.m waiting for my cristmas brunch i have time to post a question .

My Son has a favorite keris but the wranka is brokken , i would like to repair it . Maybe some one has a good tip to make the crack less visseble.

Can someone help me also with the wood , what is the name ?

is this a old mendhak?

The hilt is realy stuck, i did try to loose it with heating but it won,t gett loose?

Regards,

Danny

Rick · 25th December 2009, 05:20 PM

Hi Danny,

This looks do-able .
You wouldn't have the missing piece would you ?
If you don't perhaps you can mix some sort of filler paste to the right colors .
Make sure you use a glue that is as dark as the wood .
The rest is care and patience .

Here's a repair I made after a stupid mistake .
Fortunately I had most of the pieces .
My glue was a bit dark ..

Rick

A. G. Maisey · 25th December 2009, 11:07 PM

I have done exactly this repair, and others that have been of a similar nature.I used 5 minute Araldite mixed with burnt umber powder where I had to hold the pieces in place. Where I did not have to hold the pieces in place I used Super Strength Araldite with burnt umber powder.

This wrongko has already been glued together, to get it apart I suggest wrapping the glued section in damp cloths until the existing glue joint will separate, then meticulously clean out all the old glue from the joint and wait until the wood is completely dry before remating the break and glueing it. Overfill the joint with glue and clean off and repolish when everything has been repaired.
The gap in the edge can be filled with plastic putty or body filler tinted with burnt umber. You might consider reshaping the wrongko leaf a bit to reduce the size of the gap you need to fill.

The wood appears to be jati gembol (burl teak).

I have never yet found a hilt of a keris or pedang that will not let go with the application of heat. The safest heat source for somebody who has not done this before is a candle, or a small kerosene lamp. You simply heat the blade on both sides alternatively, in the area of the sorsoran, and as it gets hot you work the handle back and forth, while you grip the blade with a cloth. If it has not let go after say, thirty minutes of heating, put it aside, leave it a day or so, and repeat the process until it does let go. Even a really badly rusted in hilt will let go after three or four heat treatments. The danger is if the tang is completely rusted through, it will break when it finally lets go of the hilt. This is no big deal and any broken tang can be repaired.

Yes, the mendhak is old.

danny1976 · 25th December 2009, 11:48 PM

David ,

Thank you for youre photo,s , nice repair!

Mr Maisey,

Because english is not my native languege a question abouth the damp cloth , is what u mean with it, a cloth that is heated in a steamer untill its hot ? Sorry for this strange question

This kind of wood , is it used on the older style wranka,s or the more youner one,s ?

If it is a ""tourist"" wranka i wont repair it.

About the mendak , i did try to clean it and there is a little shine maybe it will turn up as a silver one but first i have to work on the hilt to get it loose.

Regards,

Danny

A. G. Maisey · 26th December 2009, 12:40 AM

What I mean by "damp cloth" is a piece of old sheet, or pillow case, made thoroughly wet and then wrung out. During the time it is wrapped around the wrongko it will probably dry out a bit, so you need to keep it damp.It can take several days sometimes before the old glue lets go.

Jati gembol is one of the traditional wrongko woods. This wrongko is not recent nor made as a souvenir.It is a correct Madura form.However, the pendok is incorrect, the one fitted is a Jogja pendok.

danny1976 · 26th December 2009, 12:59 AM

MR Maisey,

Thanks for explaining the damp cloth , i was already heating up the kukusan but i can turn it off

About the pendok , yes i know its djokja but it was on the keris when i bought it i will replace it when i find a proper old madura pendok.

I also have to clean the blade but i will work on the wranka first .

But i just want to find out first if this keris was old and worthy to restorate it , i think i will give it a try.

Regards,

25th December 2009, 12:19 PM	#1
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	Restore Tips ? Hi Guys, While i.m waiting for my cristmas brunch i have time to post a question . My Son has a favorite keris but the wranka is brokken , i would like to repair it . Maybe some one has a good tip to make the crack less visseble. Can someone help me also with the wood , what is the name ? is this a old mendhak? The hilt is realy stuck, i did try to loose it with heating but it won,t gett loose? Regards, Danny Attached Images

25th December 2009, 05:20 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	Hi Danny, This looks do-able . You wouldn't have the missing piece would you ? If you don't perhaps you can mix some sort of filler paste to the right colors . Make sure you use a glue that is as dark as the wood . The rest is care and patience . Here's a repair I made after a stupid mistake . Fortunately I had most of the pieces . My glue was a bit dark .. Rick Attached Images

25th December 2009, 11:07 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,890	I have done exactly this repair, and others that have been of a similar nature.I used 5 minute Araldite mixed with burnt umber powder where I had to hold the pieces in place. Where I did not have to hold the pieces in place I used Super Strength Araldite with burnt umber powder. This wrongko has already been glued together, to get it apart I suggest wrapping the glued section in damp cloths until the existing glue joint will separate, then meticulously clean out all the old glue from the joint and wait until the wood is completely dry before remating the break and glueing it. Overfill the joint with glue and clean off and repolish when everything has been repaired. The gap in the edge can be filled with plastic putty or body filler tinted with burnt umber. You might consider reshaping the wrongko leaf a bit to reduce the size of the gap you need to fill. The wood appears to be jati gembol (burl teak). I have never yet found a hilt of a keris or pedang that will not let go with the application of heat. The safest heat source for somebody who has not done this before is a candle, or a small kerosene lamp. You simply heat the blade on both sides alternatively, in the area of the sorsoran, and as it gets hot you work the handle back and forth, while you grip the blade with a cloth. If it has not let go after say, thirty minutes of heating, put it aside, leave it a day or so, and repeat the process until it does let go. Even a really badly rusted in hilt will let go after three or four heat treatments. The danger is if the tang is completely rusted through, it will break when it finally lets go of the hilt. This is no big deal and any broken tang can be repaired. Yes, the mendhak is old.

25th December 2009, 11:48 PM	#4
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	David , Thank you for youre photo,s , nice repair! Mr Maisey, Because english is not my native languege a question abouth the damp cloth , is what u mean with it, a cloth that is heated in a steamer untill its hot ? Sorry for this strange question This kind of wood , is it used on the older style wranka,s or the more youner one,s ? If it is a ""tourist"" wranka i wont repair it. About the mendak , i did try to clean it and there is a little shine maybe it will turn up as a silver one but first i have to work on the hilt to get it loose. Regards, Danny

26th December 2009, 12:40 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,890	What I mean by "damp cloth" is a piece of old sheet, or pillow case, made thoroughly wet and then wrung out. During the time it is wrapped around the wrongko it will probably dry out a bit, so you need to keep it damp.It can take several days sometimes before the old glue lets go. Jati gembol is one of the traditional wrongko woods. This wrongko is not recent nor made as a souvenir.It is a correct Madura form.However, the pendok is incorrect, the one fitted is a Jogja pendok.

26th December 2009, 12:59 AM	#6
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	MR Maisey, Thanks for explaining the damp cloth , i was already heating up the kukusan but i can turn it off About the pendok , yes i know its djokja but it was on the keris when i bought it i will replace it when i find a proper old madura pendok. I also have to clean the blade but i will work on the wranka first . But i just want to find out first if this keris was old and worthy to restorate it , i think i will give it a try. Regards,