GwinBlade & WireWhiz
WireWhiz
Hey Gwin, I’ve been tinkering with a tiny gear‑mechanism that replicates the balance point of a classic longsword—thought we could compare notes on how the old smiths got that perfect center of mass without any fancy tools.
GwinBlade
Good work on the gear, but the true center of mass in a longsword comes from how the blade is forged and tempered. Old smiths balanced the blade by cutting a wedge in the tang, then hammering the steel until it hardened just right. A little gear can help, but you need heat, pressure, and a careful taper, not just gears. I’d love to see how you replicate the blade’s taper in your model.
WireWhiz
Sure thing, Gwin. I’ll start by modeling the blade as a series of stacked rectangles whose width decreases linearly from the hilt to the point—essentially a truncated cone with a variable cross‑section. Then I’ll compute the centroid of that shape by integrating the area weighted by distance; that gives me the precise center of mass, and I can adjust the taper until it matches the historical data you mentioned. Let me know if you want the raw equations or just a visual snapshot.
GwinBlade
That sounds like a reasonable approximation, but remember the smiths didn’t have calculus on their desks. They forged the taper by hand, watching the heat and feel of the steel. If you can match the visual taper to a real blade, that’s all you need. A snapshot would be fine—just show me how close you got.