How do you clean warangka interior?

[Neo]

If a keris keeps getting new rust spots even though you've cleaned it thoroughly with WD 40 and it looks clean afterward, is it reasonable to suspect the warangka is polluted? Perhaps the mranggi who last did the job on the warangka accidentally dropped some sweat inside?

Assuming you do need to clean a warangka, what would you do aside from calling a mranggi? Is there any quick home-fix solution to remove salt and other debris from the interior of the warangka?

By the way, selamat Idul Fitri untuk semua yang merayakan

Edit P.S.: I've searched the forum and I found that having some "plastic condom" to wrap over the blade to be a good idea to protect a blade from polluted warangka. However, it just feels more comfortable to be certain that the warangka is safe and clean ... especially if you want to bring the keris outside and be seen by others, it will look better without the condom

[Sajen]

Hello Neo,

selamat Idul Fitri. You will find a good description from Alan how to clean a sheath in this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=11844

There you can also see how good it works.

Regards,

Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

I think that was mostly about the outside of a wrongko, wasn't it?

To do the inside I use .22 & .17 rifle cleaning rods with bronze brush, followed by bristle brush.

If the build up of filthy wood is too bad I use a segrek, which is like a sort of reverse saw.

I'll post a pic of one later.

You can get into the top of the wrongko with scrapers or chisels to do a clean up.

To get rid of the dust inside, a thin piece of copper pipe long enough to reach the bottom of the gandar will allow you to blow it out.

[Neo]

Thanks, Guys ... Looking forward to that photo.
By the way, is it a bad idea to quickly rinse the interior with 95% alcohol? I'm thinking that since alcohol is evaporative, most of the stuff will vaporize anyway, leaving the interior clean.

[A. G. Maisey]

Why bother?

I don't see that it would do any good.

[A. G. Maisey]

Here's pics of the tools to work inside a wrongko.

The segrek cuts on the draw stroke, I forged this one out of a car coil spring.

The knife is designed to get inside the top of the wrongko, I forged this from an old chisel.

The copper tube is pinched together at the end to increase [pressure of air blown through it

[Neo]

Impressive tools!!! I get the rough idea. For a brief couple of seconds I forgot we were discussing about keris, these images remind me of torture devices in some movies

Anyway, you blow air into the wrongko using the copper tube? So basically the idea is to remove the dirty portions of the wood by chipping it off minimally, then blow air to clean the bits away?

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, that's about it.

However, to just clean the inside I use rifle cleaning rods and brushes, as I have already advised.

The segrek is used to make a gandar, you only need to use it on a finished gandar if the inside is contaminated in some way and you need to cut away more wood.

[Sajen]

[QUOTE=A. G. Maisey]I think that was mostly about the outside of a wrongko, wasn't it?


Yes, it was. Sorry, I don't read the titel and text carefully and to fast!

[Neo]

Pak Sajen: No problemo That's still a nice reference because I'll need to work with the exterior sooner or later ...

Mr. Maisey: Thanks. I haven't seen any store selling gun maintenance equipments, but for now I think some nipple-cleaning brush (for baby milk bottles, I definitely need to clarify ) welded to some small brass rod will probably do the job.

[Rick]

Neo, I'm not so sure a plastic bristle brush will do much good .
Metal bristles would remove the bad wood; plastic ?

[A. G. Maisey]

Yeah, you really need the rifle cleaning stuff, but if you're in Indonesia it could be a bit difficult to get. You can probably buy it in the big towns in Jawa, like Solo and Surabaya, but in DenPasar? I doubt it.

[Rick]

Possibly buy the (threaded?) metal brush head from ebay and retro fit it to a copper tube ??

I would think 22 cal. would fit .

[A. G. Maisey]

Yeah, that would work, but you wouldn't need a copper tube, just a piece of plain steel rod if you could get a piece small enough.

I use both .17 and .22 brushes

[Neo]

First the cold blue, and now the brushes ... I really need to pay a visit to a gun store. Thanks for the pointers, I will really make the effort. A friend just told me earlier today that lapangan tembak in Senayan may have some gun supplies.

Anyway, just one last question. At first I tried not to ask this because I felt it sounded too paranoid, but then I thought there's some sense to it. Let's say you just had a mranggi make you a NEW wrongko and you saw some sweat dropping into the sheath. It is quite a likely scenario, considering how hot and humid Indonesia is these days. Now, salt and iron is a very bad combo ... bad enough that I couldn't resist asking this question

Is it okay to just quickly rinse the wrongko interior with some liquid to wash away the salt? Say, 95% alcohol? mineral oil? Will that damage the wrongko?

[Rick]

I would think that scraping or wire brushing would be better; at least by this point the salt is dry and can be scraped away .
Wetting it would most likely worsen the problem .

I'm no chemist but I don't believe Alchohol will dissolve salt unless diluted with water .

[A. G. Maisey]

I'm with Rick.

[Rick]

I'll drink to that mate .

[Neo]

OK, it's clear. I will visit a gun store, even if it's thousand miles away!!
Many thanks, guys!!

[Mickey the Finn]

"Bottle brushes", "tube brushes", "pipe brushes", "bore brushes" and "pipe fitting brushes" are available in assorted diameters, often sold as a set containing several brushes varying in diameter from 1/4"-3/4" with 4" long bristle section and about 12" length O/A. Usually available with brass or steel bristles, they can be found at many auto repair and hardware stores. The brass bristles easily bend out of shape and stay that way; they haven't been as useful to me as steel ones. Be aware, in areas/countries which are not particularly "firearm friendly", the words "bore" and "calibre" may set off red flags and cause all sorts of life-disrupting problems you never imagined you could have. Don't mention .17 or .22 calibre, any decimal millimetres, or "gun cleaning brushes" and you'll likely be safe. I've had success with using broken coping saw blades (with teeth reversed, like a 'Japanese pull saw') to pull out tiny bits of wood stuck inside things; for cleaning out the bottom of a pendok, it might help to stick it (the broken coping saw blade) into the end of a 3/8" diameter metal tube (such as the grease tubes sometimes found on large industrial electric motors) and squeeze/flatten that around the saw blade to make an extension. If one is able to somehow gain access to the scrap bins and "short end racks" usually found behind machine shops, auto wreckers, electric motor repair shops, rail yards, the trades department at the local college, etc. these can be a bonanza from far beyond the wildest dreams of the do-it-yourself enthusiast, with all kinds of materials for projects you'd never imagined until you found the stuff to make them.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by Neo

Thanks, Guys ... Looking forward to that photo.
By the way, is it a bad idea to quickly rinse the interior with 95% alcohol? I'm thinking that since alcohol is evaporative, most of the stuff will vaporize anyway, leaving the interior clean.

Wood absorbs liquid.

[cannext]

Regarding the use of the blowpipe / straw to remove the dust from the inside : close your eyes when blowing or wear safety glasses , the dust will get in your eyes otherwise . Don't ask , been there and it is very irritating .
Regards F.

[Anthony G.]

http://www.yamaha.com.sg/eshop/en/ya...BrushSaxophone

I use this type to clean the inner of dirty warangka.

[apolaki]

Originally Posted by Neo

If a keris keeps getting new rust spots even though you've cleaned it thoroughly with WD 40 and it looks clean afterward, is it reasonable to suspect the warangka is polluted? Perhaps the mranggi who last did the job on the warangka accidentally dropped some sweat inside?

Assuming you do need to clean a warangka, what would you do aside from calling a mranggi? Is there any quick home-fix solution to remove salt and other debris from the interior of the warangka?

By the way, selamat Idul Fitri untuk semua yang merayakan

Edit P.S.: I've searched the forum and I found that having some "plastic condom" to wrap over the blade to be a good idea to protect a blade from polluted warangka. However, it just feels more comfortable to be certain that the warangka is safe and clean ... especially if you want to bring the keris outside and be seen by others, it will look better without the condom

Hi all. I have similar circumstance where the blade seems to be somewhat serrated at the edge, and have wood particles impacting the blade whenever the keris is inserted into the sheath. Will this lead to potential damages? Should I just brush it off and then use plastic sleeves such as plastic wrap or maybe a toy "pirate's Sheath" if I manage to find one?

Thanks!

[A. G. Maisey]

Rule #1 of care for all ferric material, ie, iron/steel, is that it must never be stored in contact with cellulose material.

Wood is cellulose material.

No iron/steel blade should ever be stored in its wooden scabbard.

Scabbards are intended to be used to carry blades, they are not intended to be used to store blades.

If you wish to store your blades in a wooden scabbard you have basically two alternatives:-

1) weekly inspection & appropriate maintenance

2) wrap your blades in a plastic sleeve after oiling

[apolaki]

I better find a duster to flake off all the cellulose particles! I have a air canister for getting rid of debris from keyboards, but sometimes it shoots out liquid so i hate using it.

[A. G. Maisey]

A soft toothbrush works well.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Rule #1 of care for all ferric material, ie, iron/steel, is that it must never be stored in contact with cellulose material.

Wood is cellulose material.

No iron/steel blade should ever be stored in its wooden scabbard.

Scabbards are intended to be used to carry blades, they are not intended to be used to store blades.

If you wish to store your blades in a wooden scabbard you have basically two alternatives:-

1) weekly inspection & appropriate maintenance

2) wrap your blades in a plastic sleeve after oiling

I wish to share and add that recently I found a black spot mark on my old Balinese bilah, most likely due to the warangka. I cleaned the whole bilah again and inspected it.

Then I applied No 2 in above statement as per Alan's advice which was very good. But there is no way I can get it in my country, so I use below item:
Food film wrap, for those who has problem buying a plastic cover.

https://www.amazon.sg/Glad-thomaswi-...37597381&psc=1

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, cling wrap, or food wrap, or plastic wrap, or sandwich wrap, or whatever-you-like-to-call-it-wrap works just fine. I've used it myself in times past when I had run out of plastic sleeve.