I Upgraded my Pila

[Neuraleanus]

I had Mark Morrow make new collets. The steel shanks are from Albion and the wood shafts I fashioned myself from ash.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Nice work! I didn't know Albion made pila?

[M. Demetrius]

Did you wonder why in the world they did that strange square-to-round shaft? It's more trouble than those who have not made them think it to be.

[Gaius Colletti]

Glad to see them completed Lee, I take it those were the ones you brought to Fort Meigs in June?

[Neuraleanus]

Glad to see them completed Lee, I take it those were the ones you brought to Fort Meigs in June?

These were not complete when I went to Meigs, but were as you see them now by the time of Malden.

[Augustus Janus]

Great looking Pila Lee. I have a few that I made though not very accurate historically. I couldn't seem to find any detailed drawings of sizes etc for the head. All I had was some photos. Does anyone know where I can find some actual historically accurate instructions?

My pila heads seem to be a bit shorter looking at the above photos. I think they're about 150mm?

Jim

[Sutoris]

Did you wonder why in the world they did that strange square-to-round shaft? It's more trouble than those who have not made them think it to be.

I think it's a much more sturdy way to attach the shank.
It's indeed a PITA to make these shafts.

[PhilusEstilius]

There is an easy way to make a Pilum shaft if you use 2 X 2 inch square wood then get yourself a Saw Stool, now cut two pieces of thin plywood to create right angle shapes in the ply then nail each one to the ends of the saw stool.

This way you now have a simple saw bench to hold your piece of 2 X 2 while you cut the corners off the timber shaft leaving about 8 to 10 inches squre at one end, then put the shaft into a vice and get a good Rasp File to round off the shaft. Then its a case of sanding down the pilum shaft before you cut the slot in the squared end to take the flange of the metal shank, this is of course after you have shaped the squared end of the pilum and made your ferrel that goes over the pyramid point.

[Sutoris]

There is an easy way to make a Pilum shaft if you use 2 X 2 inch square wood then get yourself a Saw Stool,

Hi Brian, do you mean saw horse?
I'm using a lath to make the shafts.

[PhilusEstilius]

A saw stool or saw horse I think are more or less the same thing it's just a lot easier with a piece of ply nailed on each end with a right angle cut out of the ply that allows a square piece of wood to be held fiem while the four corners are cut off with a saw.

Then taking them down with a rasp makes them look so much more authentic when finished rather than have them so neat and tidy after a lathe job.

[Sutoris]

A saw stool or saw horse I think are more or less the same thing it's just a lot easier with a piece of ply nailed on each end with a right angle cut out of the ply that allows a square piece of wood to be held fiem while the four corners are cut off with a saw.

Then taking them down with a rasp makes them look so much more authentic when finished rather than have them so neat and tidy after a lathe job.

I'll try this next time I have to make shafts, looks like a more relaxing way than with the lath

[PhilusEstilius]

I should mention that before you start to saw the corners off the square 2X2 length it helps to cut in about a half inch at the lower end of the square block, this way all four corner long strips just drop off and your halfway there it's just into the vice and on with the rasp.

[Neuraleanus]

I cut the pila shafts from 2x2 ash, about 5 feet long, first roughing out the shape on a band saw followed by rounding the lower part with a draw knife and rasp. I simply set a caliper to the desired diameter while removing unwanted material from the wood. It helps to regularly turn the shaft while it is being shaped.