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Description
Box Making

Many of you have asked for a "how to make a scabbard" tutorial, so I have decided to draw it up with my doodle like tutorials. There are in total 3 different ways to make a scabbard successfully.

Box Making is in my opinion the second strongest way to create a scabbard. You are essentially building a bow around the blade of your katana to encompass it. However you will be using 2 different types of wood which is pinewood for the face of the scabbard and plywood for the sides went bent into positon.

Step 1: Grab 2 pieces of pinewood 5mm in thickness and draw about 5mm away from the edge of the blade outline on both pieces of the pinewood. With a coping saw then procede to saw out both pieces of the scabbard from the pinewood. Make sure to use sandpaper to sand over the rough edges of the pieces.

Step 2: Then grab some thin plywood 2mm or 3mm in thickness that’s 150mm in width. Cut out 2 strips of plywood about 35 inches in length. Technically it can be any lengh longer then then the lengh of the blade. Make sure the plywood is easily bendable with using only your hands and cut it out carefully.

Step 3: Bend the strip of plywood into position so that that they align correctly onto the sides of the sheath. Keep bending the plywood until matches the same curve as the pinewood. Cut off the excess of the plywood that runs off the end of the sheath with a coping saw, be carefull as too not remove too much.

Step 4: Add both strips of plywood with wood glue onto both sides of the pinewood scabbard parts and compress hard. You must make sure to keep the plywood strip pieces curved into position with clamps, or they will spring free. Make sure the blade is able to slide in and out of the boxed scabbard once dry.

Step 5: Now the habaki must fit snuggly onto the entrance of the scabbard. So chisel out some room for the habaki to slide and lock into place. Then you must test and see if the blade from the katana can slide through easily and the habaki. If it doesn't then you must remove more of the pinewood until it does.

Step 6: If you notice the other end of the scabbard has a gaping hole. So you must cut out a wooden peg from pinewood to enclose the end of the scabbard and stick into position with wood glue. You have to make not to push the wooden peg in too much or you will not be able to get it back out.

Step 7: Now with hand files round all the sides of the scabbard until it is oval shaped. Then use grades of sandpaper from the most course to the most fine to smooth the sheath. The scabbard should be as smooth and round as possible. The sides of the scabbard can be covered with wood filler.

Step 8: Finnaly, Apply white primer spray paint. Apply several coats until grain is not visible, the inside is not needed. Next apply the appropriate coat of coloured spray paint. Then finally apply a hard protective clear gloss on the sheath. Once everything is finnaly dried you can test if the blade slides into the scabbard parfectly.

Step 9: Alternatively instead of using ply wood at the beginning you can use strip pine wood cut out in strips 5mm thick. You just need to steam bend the strips of pine wood until they are curved enough to fit on the sides of the sheath. However the steaming process would need to work for hours. Then follow the steps onwards

Description
Box Making

Many of you have asked for a "how to make a scabbard" tutorial, so I have decided to draw it up with my doodle like tutorials. There are in total 3 different ways to make a scabbard successfully.

Box Making is in my opinion the second strongest way to create a scabbard. You are essentially building a bow around the blade of your katana to encompass it. However you will be using 2 different types of wood which is pinewood for the face of the scabbard and plywood for the sides went bent into positon.

Step 1: Grab 2 pieces of pinewood 5mm in thickness and draw about 5mm away from the edge of the blade outline on both pieces of the pinewood. With a coping saw then procede to saw out both pieces of the scabbard from the pinewood. Make sure to use sandpaper to sand over the rough edges of the pieces.

Step 2: Then grab some thin plywood 2mm or 3mm in thickness that’s 150mm in width. Cut out 2 strips of plywood about 35 inches in length. Technically it can be any lengh longer then then the lengh of the blade. Make sure the plywood is easily bendable with using only your hands and cut it out carefully.

Step 3: Bend the strip of plywood into position so that that they align correctly onto the sides of the sheath. Keep bending the plywood until matches the same curve as the pinewood. Cut off the excess of the plywood that runs off the end of the sheath with a coping saw, be carefull as too not remove too much.

Step 4: Add both strips of plywood with wood glue onto both sides of the pinewood scabbard parts and compress hard. You must make sure to keep the plywood strip pieces curved into position with clamps, or they will spring free. Make sure the blade is able to slide in and out of the boxed scabbard once dry.

Step 5: Now the habaki must fit snuggly onto the entrance of the scabbard. So chisel out some room for the habaki to slide and lock into place. Then you must test and see if the blade from the katana can slide through easily and the habaki. If it doesn't then you must remove more of the pinewood until it does.

Step 6: If you notice the other end of the scabbard has a gaping hole. So you must cut out a wooden peg from pinewood to enclose the end of the scabbard and stick into position with wood glue. You have to make not to push the wooden peg in too much or you will not be able to get it back out.

Step 7: Now with hand files round all the sides of the scabbard until it is oval shaped. Then use grades of sandpaper from the most course to the most fine to smooth the sheath. The scabbard should be as smooth and round as possible. The sides of the scabbard can be covered with wood filler.

Step 8: Finnaly, Apply white primer spray paint. Apply several coats until grain is not visible, the inside is not needed. Next apply the appropriate coat of coloured spray paint. Then finally apply a hard protective clear gloss on the sheath. Once everything is finnaly dried you can test if the blade slides into the scabbard parfectly.

Step 9: Alternatively instead of using ply wood at the beginning you can use strip pine wood cut out in strips 5mm thick. You just need to steam bend the strips of pine wood until they are curved enough to fit on the sides of the sheath. However the steaming process would need to work for hours. Then follow the steps onwards