Planning to make a wrongko

A. G. Maisey · 9th May 2017, 10:10 PM

Johan, when you get to finishing the glued together wrongko, it would be advisable to make a long, thin wedge to insert down into the gandar, you can then pack the sides of the wedge against the inside of the gambar mouth, this will give you additional support for the finishing process.

Johan van Zyl · 10th May 2017, 10:00 AM

Jean & Kai, looking once more at your latest pics, I am totally impressed with the craftmanship of the old mranggi's. And I am now in the position to appreciate their skill even more!

Thanks, Alan, your suggestion deserves full consideration - anything to get the joint sturdy. BTW, I googled some pics of the special tools you mentioned earlier: the thin one with the serrated teeth like a miniature ladder, and the other like an arrowhead. Fascinating!

rasdan · 10th May 2017, 02:11 PM

You have very artistic hands Johan. I doubt I will ever be able to make a wrangka.

It is fun to imagine that this keris will someday continue to travel the world, and probably 100 years from now some keris "specialist" will classify your wrangka to a certain (or probably even a pinpoint) region in Sumatra whereas it is actually from South Africa..

Since you have the skills, probably you can come up with a slightly different design of the gambar - just to get those future "specialists" scratching their heads..

Johan van Zyl · 10th May 2017, 02:30 PM

Rasdan, of course it's not my intention to cause future keris archeological havoc, but I am laughing merrily at the scenario you sketched. You suggest I make the gambar in my own signature style, but let me tell you it's going to come out like that even if I don't mean it. At least I can attest that I have TRIED to follow all the kind pieces of advice the forum guys have proposed til now.

Johan van Zyl · 10th May 2017, 02:33 PM

I'm sorry to burden you all with more pics of my project so soon (I know there's lots more important stuff going on in our forum members' collections & discussions) but I'm feeling like a kid now, who's just won a big prize. The reason I say this is that I've been dreading the moment of joining the gandar to the gambar. What if I don't do it correctly & accurately and the join looks sloppy? Well, the job went well & I've got a burden off my shoulders! So I'd like to share my method with you, not to brag about my success but because I'm so relieved. I've got new enthusiasm now for the endless sanding procedure to make the join look neat on the outside.

The four pics will show. First I made a few cardboard templates and experimentally clipped holes into them that correspond to the four bambu pins in the gandar. From these I selected the one that fits best. Then I transferred the hole marks onto the end of the gambar with a pencil, following which I drilled pilot holes into the gambar. Of course, I had to secure the gambar on the vertical drill press platform and make sure the drill holes are made perpendicularly into the gambar join face. Then I changed to a bigger drill bit and expanded the pilot holes. You'll see from the 3rd & 4th pics that I have some reason to be elated. The epoxy has not been applied yet, there will come a time for that. Alan's suggestion will also still be put into practice.

I excitedly explained the steps I followed to my 82 year old sister living with us, and she had the following to say: "What a beautiful pink colour the wood is!" Pink indeed.

rasdan · 10th May 2017, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johan van Zyl

You suggest I make the gambar in my own signature style, but let me tell you it's going to come out like that even if I don't mean it.

Actually I think this is part of a natural process going on. It is very probable that a majority of wrangka (and also blade) styles what we currently have throughout the keris region is a result of copying. And copying form copies that also produces different designs along the way whether the maker realise or not. Anyhow thank you for sharing your project with us.

A. G. Maisey · 10th May 2017, 11:16 PM

Yes Rasdan you are so right.

Once the keris moves away from a major area of influence we can get enormous variation in dress styles. When it moves into a village environment the dress can sometimes not look anything like the dress that we find in the nearest major town, city or kraton.

Then we get the opinions.

At Candi Panataran near Blitar in East Jawa, there is a relief carving of a man with a keris, and the scabbard of that keris looks exactly like the type of scabbard that we recognise as Bugis now. The keris spread from Jawa to other places, so what did 14th century Javanese scabbards look like?

Yep, copying.

rasdan · 11th May 2017, 11:02 AM

I totally agree with you Alan. Creativity can go a long way it seems. Below is a picture of a statue that our fellow forumite Gustav uploaded a while ago.

I had forgotten the origin/age of this statue, (can Gustav or other forumite please help me on the origin of this one?) do you think the warangka relief at candi Panataran matches this warangka type Alan? This one looks like it is a sheath for keris buda. Even the top of the gonjo can be seen.

10th May 2017, 02:11 PM	#3
rasdan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 369	You have very artistic hands Johan. I doubt I will ever be able to make a wrangka. It is fun to imagine that this keris will someday continue to travel the world, and probably 100 years from now some keris "specialist" will classify your wrangka to a certain (or probably even a pinpoint) region in Sumatra whereas it is actually from South Africa.. Since you have the skills, probably you can come up with a slightly different design of the gambar - just to get those future "specialists" scratching their heads.. Last edited by rasdan; 10th May 2017 at 02:25 PM.

10th May 2017, 02:33 PM	#5
Johan van Zyl Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: I live in Gordon's Bay, a village in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Posts: 126	I'm sorry to burden you all with more pics of my project so soon (I know there's lots more important stuff going on in our forum members' collections & discussions) but I'm feeling like a kid now, who's just won a big prize. The reason I say this is that I've been dreading the moment of joining the gandar to the gambar. What if I don't do it correctly & accurately and the join looks sloppy? Well, the job went well & I've got a burden off my shoulders! So I'd like to share my method with you, not to brag about my success but because I'm so relieved. I've got new enthusiasm now for the endless sanding procedure to make the join look neat on the outside. The four pics will show. First I made a few cardboard templates and experimentally clipped holes into them that correspond to the four bambu pins in the gandar. From these I selected the one that fits best. Then I transferred the hole marks onto the end of the gambar with a pencil, following which I drilled pilot holes into the gambar. Of course, I had to secure the gambar on the vertical drill press platform and make sure the drill holes are made perpendicularly into the gambar join face. Then I changed to a bigger drill bit and expanded the pilot holes. You'll see from the 3rd & 4th pics that I have some reason to be elated. The epoxy has not been applied yet, there will come a time for that. Alan's suggestion will also still be put into practice. I excitedly explained the steps I followed to my 82 year old sister living with us, and she had the following to say: "What a beautiful pink colour the wood is!" Pink indeed. Attached Images

10th May 2017, 11:16 PM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	Yes Rasdan you are so right. Once the keris moves away from a major area of influence we can get enormous variation in dress styles. When it moves into a village environment the dress can sometimes not look anything like the dress that we find in the nearest major town, city or kraton. Then we get the opinions. At Candi Panataran near Blitar in East Jawa, there is a relief carving of a man with a keris, and the scabbard of that keris looks exactly like the type of scabbard that we recognise as Bugis now. The keris spread from Jawa to other places, so what did 14th century Javanese scabbards look like? Yep, copying. Attached Images Last edited by A. G. Maisey; 10th May 2017 at 11:48 PM.

11th May 2017, 11:02 AM	#8
rasdan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 369	I totally agree with you Alan. Creativity can go a long way it seems. Below is a picture of a statue that our fellow forumite Gustav uploaded a while ago. I had forgotten the origin/age of this statue, (can Gustav or other forumite please help me on the origin of this one?) do you think the warangka relief at candi Panataran matches this warangka type Alan? This one looks like it is a sheath for keris buda. Even the top of the gonjo can be seen. Attached Images

9th May 2017, 10:10 PM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	Johan, when you get to finishing the glued together wrongko, it would be advisable to make a long, thin wedge to insert down into the gandar, you can then pack the sides of the wedge against the inside of the gambar mouth, this will give you additional support for the finishing process.

10th May 2017, 10:00 AM	#2
Johan van Zyl Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: I live in Gordon's Bay, a village in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Posts: 126	Jean & Kai, looking once more at your latest pics, I am totally impressed with the craftmanship of the old mranggi's. And I am now in the position to appreciate their skill even more! Thanks, Alan, your suggestion deserves full consideration - anything to get the joint sturdy. BTW, I googled some pics of the special tools you mentioned earlier: the thin one with the serrated teeth like a miniature ladder, and the other like an arrowhead. Fascinating!

10th May 2017, 02:30 PM	#4
Johan van Zyl Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: I live in Gordon's Bay, a village in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Posts: 126	Rasdan, of course it's not my intention to cause future keris archeological havoc, but I am laughing merrily at the scenario you sketched. You suggest I make the gambar in my own signature style, but let me tell you it's going to come out like that even if I don't mean it. At least I can attest that I have TRIED to follow all the kind pieces of advice the forum guys have proposed til now.