[x-ecutioner]

i dont mean to ask a stupid question

but how would you go about making a metall alloy such as for a sword?
what do you know about doing it?

thanks,

x-ecutioner

[renge ishyo]

I don't mean to give a stupid answer, but to make metal alloys you need to be able to convert the metals into liquids so that the metals can mix with one another. This often requires a blast furnace operating at temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees C for metals such as iron. It is this energy requirement that places swordmaking outside of the realm of the everyday person. Beyond this, there is also considerable skill that is needed in order to create the proper shape as the alloy cools. It is for this reason that if you want to buy a real steel sword that it could cost you a larger amount of money than you might expect.

[x-ecutioner]

im pretty sure my school has a furnace that can reach those temperatures, unless I am mistaken; i wanted to see just how complicated it be.

the reason im asking such a -well- stupid question is because well, how did people in olden days:S make metals?
i just believe, and this is probably my own foolishness, maybe there is a simpler way?

in truth, i just want to make something of metal; i just figured copper might perhaps be easier.
any more insight on the subject?

[renge ishyo]

If you are interested there is a wealth of knowledge on this subject (although I don't know if any of this will help you make an alloy entirely on your own). You might be surprised to find out that the same basic processes have been in place to make swords and the like since the end of the stone age (early BC). In fact, the discovery of the production of metal alloys and its subsequent forging into weapons played such a role in ancient politics that the "Bronze age" and the "Iron age" are directly identified by the sophistication of the dominating cultures metallurgy at the time. You might think that making swords in the past was much easier than it is now in the present. Actually, it was the opposite. Swordmaking back then required massive amounts of labor to carry out whereas today a lot of the process have been streamlined and automated by technology.

I suggest taking a look at some history first:

1. History of the blast furnace - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blast_furnace

2. History of steel making- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel

You can follow the links on the wiki in any number of directions depending on your interest. Steel making is actually a fascinating subject