Waelcyrie - Work in Progress.

**nocheese4u** · 03-23-2012, 08:18 PM

Great work, awesome thread!

**Evamore** · 03-27-2012, 04:54 PM

Can't wait to see the final piece! Amazing work Grace.

**grace** · 03-31-2012, 10:26 AM

It doesn't look like a huge amount has happened this week but both wooden substructures are now turned. Unfortunately, turning was only the very beginning of the work! This is how the little one looks at the moment...some more hand shaping is needed both around the sheath and the top of the handle. The complex intersection is pretty much resolved but I think that, visually, she's a bit ungainly in the belly of the sheath and I have wall thickness to play with so I think that I'll slim her down more. Elegance is key.

The inside of the sheath has been formed and the blade sits in beautifully...but everything is still just resting on the knife. Thank god it'll all be covered because the amount of filling and sanding that I am having to do to get the shape exactly how I want it is just ugly!

The sheath will be lined with the moss green suede glove leather, so here I am checking the fit with the leather insert. Each half will have to be cut in half lengthwise again but I'm not ready for that yet.

My job this weekend is to do some sample pieces of papier-mâché for the outer shell because as soon as I'm happy with the shape, I'll be needing to do the shell. I'll have to get the larger one to this stage first though!

**grace** · 04-08-2012, 01:10 PM

So these are my tests of my papier-mâché shell. Papier-mâché is one of these crafts that is hugely under-rated...be honest now, you imagine lumpy newspaper and paste in deformed creations made by infants, that smell vaguely mouldy because they have taken 3weeks to dry.

Allow me to introduce you to eight layers of acid-free tissue paper and PVA wood glue. I have discovered that if I wrap my shape in cling film...then layer the glue-dipped-paper around the shape...and then wrap in another layer of film to pull everything tight, you can get a fine, thin layer that can be wrapped in the glove leather. Any surface irregularities can be sanded down before covering.

Part of the reason for doing these tests was to figure out how much room I had to leave for the leather wrap so that the edges still come together.

I'm just playing with the sheath bit for these samples but the same principles will be applied to the handle area when I'm doing the final piece.

**Mike Grasso** · 04-09-2012, 02:35 PM

Amazing!

**M.Olexey** · 04-09-2012, 05:48 PM

Wow! Seriously nice craftsmanship.

**grace** · 04-10-2012, 04:17 AM

Thanks for the comments, guys. I snuck a good day in the workshop yesterday...I reckon that a couple of hours today will see the wooden shapes spot-on and ready for the next stage. I can't wait - I had forgotten how much easier I find working in metal rather than wood...soft, easy, fluffy, dusty stuff!!!!

**Sandy Morrissey** · 04-12-2012, 10:45 PM

Grace, it is a rare treat to see such talent coupled with patience and imagination as it emerges from the cocoon into the butterfly. I hope that it is my privilege to see that which you have so beautifully crafted for us to enjoy and admire.

Another year has been thrust upon me and I am pleased that I can still recognize creative genius and respond to and compliment those I admire. To say that I would like to see you again at the next Blade Show in Atlanta would be an understatement! ---Sandy---

**Allen207** · 04-13-2012, 09:31 AM

This is a very cool project. Enjoying the show.

**grace** · 04-27-2012, 03:52 AM

I know that there has been rather a delay in progress updates! This has been because I had to spend rather longer than I imagined doing the paper shells for the black leather. Part of the challenge of this project has been to try and anticipate the steps that I need to do in advance and this was one of them. As soon as the wooden shape was ready but before I took it all apart I covered them with a soft leather that was about double the thickness of the fine leather that I would finally use. It then got covered with foil (to help ease the pieces off) and then wrapped in cling film to make it waterproof. The surface of the shell has to be fine because the leather picks up any flaws so after they were dry, they were sanded.

Test pieces and samples...

Small sheath.

This is one of the peek-a-boo sheaths separated into it's small parts and ready for covering in leather.

You can see how the shell fits over the wood...

Each quarter of the sheath is covered with the suede. I use stitching a lot to hold everything together even if it does end up looking rather like frankenstein's monster by the time I've finished! Luckily no one will see my stitches.

I use contact adhesive as well so the the contours are clearly defined (particularly in any internal corners) but I would rather stitch. It gives me more control...I can alter the tension on the leather and get the positioning absolutely right. If I need to I can undo it and have another go!

One of the reasons that I did the sheathe with a window was so that Guy could mark his blade and have the mark visible even when it is completely 'dressed'. I didn't want the blade to only go into the sheath one way, so the cut-out had to go all the way through.

This is the top edge with the leather covered shell...

The sheath for the smallest knife has got to a stage where I can leave it for a bit. I covered it all in clingfilm to protect the leather and suede for shining or scratching and I can now use it to finalise the handle position.

Small handle.

The handle is moving on apace. I have started covering the form in the green suede and I have started playing around with the inserts for the handle. Earlier samples started off quite abstract and discrete but they have become much more blatant this time...I'm not sure about this. I'll have to cover them and see how I feel about it then.

Unfortunately, despite my efforts to do things in advance, I am not happy with the fit on the shell for this part so I'm going to try and do another one today. This is complicated by the fact that I now have removed some of the pieces...ah well.

**john carnaroli** · 04-27-2012, 07:39 AM

That taking it to the next step ,look reallll good

**shakie** · 04-27-2012, 10:48 AM

You have the patience of a saint! outstanding work.

**littlejoey** · 04-28-2012, 11:33 PM

Love the detail! Thanks for the photos!

Abstract is fine - "blatant" is fantastic (in my humble opinion).

Great to see this take shape! It's truly a work of art...

**Winter** · 04-29-2012, 01:36 AM

What extraordinary vision.

I have put less thought into the last 20 yrs than you have in this project.

**tubtar** · 04-30-2012, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Sandy Morrissey

Grace, it is a rare treat to see such talent coupled with patience and imagination as it emerges from the cocoon into the butterfly. I hope that it is my privilege to see that which you have so beautifully crafted for us to enjoy and admire.

Another year has been thrust upon me and I am pleased that I can still recognize creative genius and respond to and compliment those I admire. To say that I would like to see you again at the next Blade Show in Atlanta would be an understatement! ---Sandy---

Coming from a guy who makes some of the finest pieces of leather I have ever seen ( And Grace , yours are brilliantly executed too ) , this is pretty heady stuff.
Hell.........I can't even cull a compliment like that from people who love me.

I'll be looking forward to seeing this one as it progresses.