Axe from hammer

[Lord Farquhar]

Hamaxe

I was feeling a bit better after my back throwing a wobbly on me so I thought I would have a little anvil time. I was given some old hammers by imagedude 9over on BB) a couple of months back and I thought I would have a bash at making my first axe thing.

I reused the little wedge thing that you put in the top of the handle to stop the head falling off and obviously a new handle. Does any one know if it is made from a hardenable steel as it got roasted out in the forge to free it from the hammer head prior to forging? So I re hardened it anyway. It was also the first time i have put a hammer/axe handle on and an anvil helps

The axe/hawk is only small with a 2 inch cutting face and is only about a foot long. I have had a go at a laurel branch with it and each strike cuts about 1 cm into the wood so it’s a pretty fast cutter but as the face is quite small I think I will leave the giant sequoia to the chainsaws.

Thanks for looking

 

[Tony]

I think that's cool and a great use of what you've got

 

[moduser]

Not only have you produced a nice little tool, it's a really good exercise in recycling.

Nice one.

Moduser

 

[Nemisis]

Great piece of work looks similar size to that vaughn mini hatchet
Dave

 

[Carcajou Garou]

The fellows where I used to work, routinely tranfromed the large ballpeen hammer into hatchets. As I remember, they used to heat the hammer heads in a forge till they were cherry red++; then place the hammer face on an auto hammer's anvil and go at it till they had the desired shape and thickness (extra heating as needed). After that was done they reheated the head and rehardened the head somewhat, not to the same degree as a hammer but harder than the working state. They also flattened the ball face so it could be used as a hammer. I was a junior and was never able to aquire one when I was at that particular site CG :yo:

 

[pierre girard]

Would have made a very respectable trade axe during the fur trade era. A great many trade axes had no more bit than yours. Very nice job.

PG

 

[Lord Farquhar]

I would love to have a power hammer to do all the drawing out but I have to do it all by hand and its pretty hard work. I left the back of the axe flat and wide for driving pegs and other light hammer work.

 

[Graywolf]

I do like it.
Clayton

 

[scruff]

Nice work m'Lord.

The fellows where I used to work, routinely tranfromed the large ballpeen hammer into hatchets. As I remember, they used to heat the hammer heads in a forge till they were cherry red++; then place the hammer face on an auto hammer's anvil and go at it till they had the desired shape and thickness (extra heating as needed). After that was done they reheated the head and rehardened the head somewhat, not to the same degree as a hammer but harder than the working state. They also flattened the ball face so it could be used as a hammer. I was a junior and was never able to aquire one when I was at that particular site CG :yo:

I think I have something similar at home....although its mighty rusty.

 

[British Red]

Hamaxe

I was feeling a bit better after my back throwing a wobbly on me so I thought I would have a little anvil time. I was given some old hammers by imagedude 9over on BB) a couple of months back and I thought I would have a bash at making my first axe thing.

I reused the little wedge thing that you put in the top of the handle to stop the head falling off and obviously a new handle. Does any one know if it is made from a hardenable steel as it got roasted out in the forge to free it from the hammer head prior to forging? So I re hardened it anyway. It was also the first time i have put a hammer/axe handle on and an anvil helps

The axe/hawk is only small with a 2 inch cutting face and is only about a foot long. I have had a go at a laurel branch with it and each strike cuts about 1 cm into the wood so it’s a pretty fast cutter but as the face is quite small I think I will leave the giant sequoia to the chainsaws.

Thanks for looking

So....the acid question......what are they going to cost and will they come with a belt sheath?????

 

[Lord Farquhar]

So....the acid question......what are they going to cost and will they come with a belt sheath?????

Yes i used an acid mix to age the blade to give it the blackness.
This one is a keeper and i dont realy have plans to make any more in the immediate furure and I have several weeks/months of other smithy duties to take care of first and then i am free to do some experimenting.

the experiments will probably include some F1s with camel bone scales and black liners

Oh and i have some hamon work to be getting on with as its one of theses things you can play with for years and years and still never be truly satisfied.

Cheers for asking

 

[British Red]

Yes i used an acid mix to age the blade to give it the blackness.
This one is a keeper and i dont realy have plans to make any more in the immediate furure and I have several weeks/months of other smithy duties to take care of first and then i am free to do some experimenting.

the experiments will probably include some F1s with camel bone scales and black liners

Oh and i have some hamon work to be getting on with as its one of theses things you can play with for years and years and still never be truly satisfied.

Cheers for asking

Damn,

I was afraid you might say that!

Oh well :-( Have to buy a forge then...........

It would have been so much cheaper if you said £7

Red