ka bar Posted August 24, 2014 Share #1 Posted August 24, 2014 Does anyone have any any ideas on how to remove dents from steel bayonet scabbards? I would like to know if anyone has any previous experience in trying this... I have considered ramming a piece of wood down there, but if the wood breaks off, then I am really screwed! It is more for cosmetic reasons as it has no impediment on the blade sliding in/out I dont have an oxy torch to heat it first... I think most of the steel scabbards are soft rolled steel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72psb Posted August 24, 2014 Share #2 Posted August 24, 2014 Over here we have specialist that remove dents from body panels with various rods and picks without having to grind or weld. Paintless dent removal! Look up Eastwood Co. I think they sell the rods and picks.I am sure the old youtube will have some video on the process. Good luck Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka bar Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted August 24, 2014 A body panel shop... Hey, that isnt a bad idea actually...never thought of that I may have to look into that one... Thanks mate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles1966 Posted August 24, 2014 Share #4 Posted August 24, 2014 I too have given this a lot of thought. There is also a process of heating the dent, then cooling it with dry ice. I'm guessing it shrinks the dent back to its original shape... I once had a car that took some serious hail damage, so I waited for a 98 degree day and when the hood was good and hot, I sprayed it (being careful not to spray the windshield) with a water hose and VOILA, most of the dents popped out... Just a thought. I've also given some thought to making a three piece form for an Au Lion trench knife scabbard I own... Two thin steel forms (which I will contour to the inner shape of said scabbard) are inserted in to the scabbard which is held in place, in a smooth jawed vice. The third piece (the wedge) is gently driven between the two steel forms, pressing outward on the forms which in turn will press against the jaws of the vice, thus sandwiching the scabbard in between and smoothing any dents (In theory)... I have yet to fabricate it, but I think it will work... Your question has sparked my interest again and I'm going to get to work on it. I will post before and after photos of the process which will be a testament to my success or my failure/stupidity. I should probably experiment on a scabbard thats not quite so pricey but it will motivate me to really take my time on it... Good luck to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka bar Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted August 24, 2014 I too have given this a lot of thought. There is also a process of heating the dent, then cooling it with dry ice. I'm guessing it shrinks the dent back to its original shape... I once had a car that took some serious hail damage, so I waited for a 98 degree day and when the hood was good and hot, I sprayed it (being careful not to spray the windshield) with a water hose and VOILA, most of the dents popped out... Just a thought. I've also given some thought to making a three piece form for an Au Lion trench knife scabbard I own... Two thin steel forms (which I will contour to the inner shape of said scabbard) are inserted in to the scabbard which is held in place, in a smooth jawed vice. The third piece (the wedge) is gently driven between the two steel forms, pressing outward on the forms which in turn will press against the jaws of the vice, thus sandwiching the scabbard in between and smoothing any dents (In theory)... I have yet to fabricate it, but I think it will work... Your question has sparked my interest again and I'm going to get to work on it. I will post before and after photos of the process which will be a testament to my success or my failure/stupidity. I should probably experiment on a scabbard thats not quite so pricey but it will motivate me to really take my time on it... Good luck to you Good luck to you too Charles!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byf41 Posted August 24, 2014 Share #6 Posted August 24, 2014 Tom Wittmann of Wittmann Militaria offers a service to restore German dagger scabbards and grips . You might contact him and see if he will do it . He does great work Im told and is reasonable . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles1966 Posted August 25, 2014 Share #7 Posted August 25, 2014 Is the restoration exclusive to German daggers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marysdad Posted September 2, 2014 Share #8 Posted September 2, 2014 In service, they had scabbard mandrels that were shaped to fit into the scabbard body and work out the dent. Google scabbard mandrel and see what you can find. I don't believe that heat was used, as the scabbard body is plenty soft when cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles1966 Posted September 2, 2014 Share #9 Posted September 2, 2014 Thanks for the info... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles1966 Posted September 13, 2014 Share #10 Posted September 13, 2014 Well. I did it... I made an insert for my Au Lion scabbard and worked out the dents. It worked like a charm. Once the insert was tapped in, I worked the dents out with a small ball peen hammer as if you were working out the dents in a fender. I will post some picks as soon as I can. The only problem I had, was getting the insert back out, however a little design modification will fix that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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