Auto news on Youtube Oct 8 2017

hey guys in this video I'm going to show you how I made this small version of a

macuahuitl a macuahuitl is an ancient Aztec weapon is basically a

wooden paddle they use volcanic rock is the cutting edge I got the idea for this

build from zna productions he basically used a wooden paddle with razor blades

as the cutting edge I'll leave a link down the description for his channel I'm

going to show you how I made this and then in the end I'm gonna do some tests

to show you how it works to complete this project you need a piece of wood

ten razor blades some epoxy and something to finish the wood width I use

Danish oil to finish the wood and in oak board three and a half inches wide by

3/4 inch thick start by drawing the layout of the handle I used a

combination square to mark the center of the board then I use that point to make

a half circle for the base then I completed the handle with a length and

width that was appropriate for my hand after marking the length of the handle

I used that point to draw 45 degree lines outwards forming the paddle shape

to cut out the outline of the handle I used a jigsaw

after getting as close as possible to the outline I use a round file and a

flat file to touch it up

after a whole lot of filing this is what it looks like now that the handles cut

out we're gonna work on the upper portion of the weapon first by cutting

the total length and then by tapering the sides to create the taper mark a

line 1/2 an inch in at the base of the paddle on both sides then connect the

top corner to that line I use the jigsaw to cut the taper on both sides

next I use the chamfer bit on my makeshift router table to create a

45-degree angle all around the edge of the board and I'm only going to remove

enough wood set that there's a quarter of an inch a flat space left all the way

around the side

and this is what it looks like after routing over all the edges it's starting

to really fit nicely in the hand

now that the shape of the paddle is completed it's time to sand it you can

round over the edges as much as you want I chose to leave them on because I like

the way it gives it a distinct look

to add the razor blades first you must find the center point on the flat

surface on the side of the paddle once you have that mark aligned on the

complete length of the paddle do this on both sides to cut the slit for the razor

blades I used a wood cutting tool my Dremel cut

a quarter inch deep slit down the length of the paddle on both sides before

inserting the razor blades it's a good idea to score the surface so that epoxy

has something to hold on to

to attach the razor blades I use a two-part epoxy

after mixing it up a dip each razor blade into the epoxy and then insert it

into the slit I repeated this process with all 10 razor blades trying to

minimize the squeeze out of epoxy on the wood after letting the glue dry

overnight this is how it turned out next I finished it with Danish oil with

this stuff you just wipe it on let it sit for 30 minutes come back and wipe it

off after 30 minutes I wiped it off let it sit and dry for another 16 hours and

now it's time to test it to test it I'm gonna be chopping some produce and then

to really check the toughness I'm gonna chop some wood I expect some razor

blades to come out but hopefully before then I can do some damage

the macuahuitl held up better than I thought it would but it's meant more for

slashing than chopping anyway and don't worry no watermelon was wasted thanks

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