i actually like this idea as it seems very easy. but a few questions...

how would i mould the duster? i can picture plaster being shaped into the knuckle duster but cant understand how i would make finger holes...

also where would i get brass and how hot would i need to heat it in order for it to liquefy?

also thanks mantikore for blade tutorial, i sent it to my friend and he is having a go and will hopefully show me his homemade knife tomorrow...thanks

Just buy a knife, then cut pieces of pipe for the rings and weld them to the knife. If you need to modify the rings to make it more comfortable you can just use a saw to cut the pieces and move things around a bit.

You can use anything you want. Get some old candles and melt into a sqare roughly the same length and width and thickness you want the duster to be, then carve it into shape. The holes can be smoothed with a lighter and a small knife. Basically you want it as perfect as possible, as it saves work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casting#Investment_casting

Basically, the wax is placed into a mould, which plaster is then poured into. The key is to have no air bubbles in the plaster. Im not sure how it would work with large quantities, but ive done it before using a small ring i made from brass, although it was made in a centrifuge into which molten brass was poured and basically injected into the mould. The wax is then melted out, which leaves a cavity behind(for the metal). Excess wax should just burn off when the brass is poured in.

Get the blade and drill a few holes into where the tang will be. Try and incorporate the blade into the actually handle before it's casted, so the brass will hold it in place. The holes will allow the brass to flow between and grip it permanently. Dont temper the blade before doing this, as the heat from the brass will cause it to untemper itself.

Brass melts at different temps, but an 85-15 will melt at 900-1000C or 1650-1750F. Brass can be easily gotten from hold taps and some door handles.

Do your research. Find a few designs you like, then draw them out with a blade. Made sure it has ~5mm extra room in the finger so it doesnt get stuck(incase you needa ditch em fast).

Get a piece of cardboard and cut it to the shape you want your knuckle duster. It doesn't have to be perfect you just want to get the sizing right.

Get a piece of half inch thick or so steel (preferably tool steel) and cut it to the size and shape of the cardboard. (you'll want to smooth the edges)

Buy the kind of knife you want on your final product and take the handle off.

Cut a slit in the top of the knuckle duster to accommodate the tang of the blade.

Put the tang in the knuckle duster and drill two holes through both, then rivet the blade in place.


Disclaimer: this process involves dangerous tools and the resulting product is also dangerous and may be illegal in your area, blah blah.

If you are using mild steel then I recommend you use a drill press to create the holes in the duster. Then file the edges of the holes round. That seems like the easiest way to me. Casting is difficult and takes a lot of time.

This, but I would'nt use the leaf springs because they are already hardened and it would be a real bitch drilling and grinding through hardened steel. Or if the duster dos'nt have to be steel, you can take a knife blade with a tang and melt a handle mold with plastic, aluminum, fiberglass resin, ect.

Uh, no, leaf spring steel is not hardened steel. Think about it. If it were hardened it wouldnt make a very good spring would it? You use spring steel because you can heat treat it to be hard, but not too hard.

If you're really into casting things in brass/bronze dont do it in plaster, most plasters will crack at the heats needed for brass work. Use oil sand, or 'green sand', to make a lost-wax investment casting.

It's a helluva lot simpler to cut out a knife from a piece of steel with the shape you want than it is to use an existing knife and get involved in metalcasting.

btw, the plaster was baked in a kiln @ 800C for 4-5 hours to make sure it was dry(so it didnt crack).