It's time to build a case for my killer axe. In my last build I made my Zombie killer weapon, it was a collaboration build for the new Walking Dead. Now that halloween is near I wanted to build a rustic cabinet to hold the weapon.
I was able to get a large amount of rough spruce lumber. This would be perfect for this build. It is nice when you can take used lumber and clean it up and it will look brand new.
This step by step is an easy build and can also be used as a rustic cabinet.
If you want to build a Zombie Killer weapon check this one out. It is scary, sharp and real. It is made from a saw blade and spikes and is a fully functional weapon and not a toy.
To build it will take some woodworking and metalwork skills. Also having the right tools helps.
To start, first cut a cut a cardboard template to see what works for you. This way you won't mess up cutting blades. The cardboard is roughly cut out to give me an idea of what I like. There are many nice looking shapes you can work with.
The blade is marked using a sharpie. It looks kind of messy but it is an old blade. After it is cut to shape it can be clean up.
An angle grinder and Dremel tool are used to cut the shapes. The angle grinder is best used for larger cuts where the Dremel is used to cut the corners. When the piece is cut a Vice-Grip can be used to bend the piece out.
Two pieces are cut out and it looks rough. This is where the fun begins! It will be cleaned, shaped and refined until it becomes a beautiful blade.
The teeth of this part of the blade are sanded down on my new belt sander, this will make a flat edge which will later be turned into a razor sharp blade.
To clean the blade it is laid flat on the sander and sanded clean as well as giving it a new shiny finish.
The fence is readjusted and the blade can be sharpened to a sharp edge.
How to make the handle
The handle is made from a piece of oak. I used some oak flooring boards and glued two pieces together. A sharpie pen was used to draw a handle shape.
The handle is cut and shaped on the bandsaw, it can be further shaped with the belt sander.
Time to cut the slot for the blade. The table saw is best for this since the blade is the same thickness and it will make a perfect cut. Tip I drew a line on the handle and on my table saw insert. This will let me know how far to make the cut.
A 5/8th forstner was used for the handle for the finger holes.
Rounding the handle and finger holes with the router will make it look and feel better.
Now it is time to glue the blade to the handle. The best glue for this would be epoxy. I did not show it in the video but I did clamp it over night. Some people may add rivets or bolts I did some testing and I did not find it necessary for this project.
An add- on handle can now be made for the spikes. This will keep things separate and easier to assemble together later.
Long spiral spikes are put in the holes to see how they fit. After the are marked they can be cut with an angle grinder and then taken out for sharpening.
The spikes are put in a cordless drill head first..... yes this does work.... and sharpened on a small belt sander. After they are razor sharp the can be epoxied onto the handle. This piece is later glued onto the handle.
A couple of coats of Varathane are put on to bring out the finish and protect the handle.
Conclusion This was an interesting project and it turned out great. It looks scary and is a real conversation piece. Combining woodwork and metalwork can be fun. Making weapons is also fun but can be dangerous. Please take care and caution when building and using the weapons. Have you ever done metalwork and woodwork together? Have you ever built a weapon? Happy Halloween
Joining pieces of wood together is a part of woodworking. Different joints and techniques are used to meet different requirements of what is being built. Wood type, strength, and appearance should all be considered for the purpose of the joint.
I will show you 7 different joints and with some practice these are all quite easy to make and require very few tools. A few tools are used for marking and measuring and a bandsaw for cutting. Fir and cedar are used for a nice contrast. I will show you a few instructions for some of the joints and the rest use the same technique.
Tools There are many fancy tools and machines on the market but I wanted to make nice joints with few and simple tools. They can be made using a handsaw but I like to cut fast so I will use a bandsaw for all the joints. I also made a jig to cut some angles but there are other ways to do this, such as tilting the bandsaw table.Here are a few tools that you will need.
caliper clamp pencil bevel small square bandsaw
glue sandpaper
How to make To make these joints here are some important tips. Always keep a sharp pencil, carefully make your marks and cut slow and precise. Make sure you cut on the correct side of the line. Softwoods are easiest to work with. Bonus Tip When the pieces are glued and clamped the wood compresses a bit. When the glue is dry you can sand the joints and they will look flawless.
I will show you the steps I used for a couple of the joints.
Dovetail Joint
This joint looks great and is a signature of craftsmanship. It is very popular in furniture making. To start a bevel gauge is used to mark some angles on the cedar. The angle degree or length was not important, just what looked nice.
A piece of fir is positioned and clamped to the cedar. Now with a sharp pencil you can mark the tail that has to be cut.
The tail is cut with the bandsaw in four cuts and ready to test.
Using a wooden mallet, the pieces are tapped together. It was a perfect fit, I took it apart and put on some glue.
Cross halving joint
Of all the joints I have made here this is the easiest one to make. Again make some marks on one piece similar to the photo. After you cut the block the second one can be placed square on top and mark that piece.
Cutting the blocks. It doesn't matter which one you cut first since both blocks should be identical.
Bingo, a perfect fit!
Half lap dovetail joint This is a good looking joint and a bit more difficult to make. You can always tilt you table but I wanted to try make a jig that swivels quick so I had to modify my small bandsaw sled. I added some pins to the ends of the base to act as a stop for a swivel table. It worked out but this jig can always be refined. It may be a future project.
A sliding fulcrum and the table top are added and now I can cut any angle. The cedar is cut first then the fir was clamped and traced out the same way as the dovetail joint. This was the only joint I had to use a chisel and clean out the cedar a bit.
For the rest of the joints the same techniques are used. They all turned out clean and tight fitting. Bridle joint
Framework dovetail
I did not know the name for this so I called it an arrow joint.
Angle bridle joint
Conclusion When it comes to making wood joints always start with easy ones and work your way up to the more difficult ones. Start with softwoods and experiment with different colours. Softwoods such as cedar and fir look great together. With some practice you can make your own beautiful joints. Do you have any experience making joints? What kind have you made? Share your feedback in the comment section. See also:
