Finish for hawks

[John Stanley]

I've been forging tomahawks for about 6 months now and am starting to get some decent results. I've mostly been useing 10/84, some A-36 with welded in HC bits, farriers' rasps, and 41/40 (?) rife barrels. I've been grinding to 400 grit (mostly)and sometimes wire brushing or polishing on a cloth wheel. My problem is achieving a durable finish that doesn't rust. The best I've come up with is Super Blue, which gives me good coverage but tends to rust through once the oil dries out. I'd also like to have a polish natural metal finish that won't rust. I'm stumped. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. John

[Jokke]

why don't you try a good carwax, give it a thin layer, polish it

that should do the trick

it is a hint I have gotten from Mr. Roselli from Finland

[Alan Longmire]

Jokke is right about car wax. Much tougher than Rennaissance wax, but like all unpainted steel you'll need to touch it up now and then if you don't want it to end up a natural brown.

[Wild Rose]

cold/rust blue it - one of the tuffest finishes around - Brownell's Gunsmithing Supplies sells a couple of different kits (I prefer Pilkington's) or you can buy LMF Brown, brown it and then boil it in distilled water - the boiling changes the brown to a nice deep blue/black (it's the finish used on high end English guns and is much tougher than any other method of bluing inlcuding hot salt bluing). Then heat it up to around 250° F and slap some linseed oil on it that will blacken it a sort of poor man's Japanning widely used in the 19th Century by black smiths at least here in the west, redo if need be - followed by a good waxing.

But like Alan said if it's ferrous metal than there is no 100% guaranteed method of preventing rust, especially if it's a user - only way is keep it clean and waxed or oiled.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Wild Rose

[John Stanley]

Mr. Rose, That sounds like a great idea. I will definatly try that. Thank you all for your help. John