Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 This is actually the second attempt. The first one, also tried today, failed at the fold over stage. I was basically trying Gerald Boggs's Technique from his Wood Axe tutorial. Starting materials: 2" by 3/8" by 8" flat mild steel bar and a chunk of leaf spring. Here is the ugly little bugger after forging. Thankfully, I have a belt grinder and some ceramic belts...…. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Troels Saabye 42 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Not bad, not bad at all 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel W 82 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Looks much better than my second one, or third, or forth. I do like the profile of it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,843 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 And now you see why there's a pinned post about axes and mild-to-mild forge welding! Also why I always make the edge steel have as sharp a rear edge as possible. Unless you use wrought iron for the body you'll never get that pinhole behind the edge steel to close up. Great job for your second one, though! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jake pogrebinsky 134 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 NOWHERE near as ugly as i still come up with on occasion,i'm tawdally with Alan-great job for your second attempt. On all else he says as well,that pesky pin-hole is a design flaw,and with given interrelationship of parts cannot be eradicated(till it's too late and it's all oxidised in there,but even then and even as a cold-shut;it's present in some historic examples). And mild to mild is evil,of course...AND using leaf-spring in and of itself is a constant challenge... Great beginning though,right on!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 16, 2019 Author Share Posted May 16, 2019 I told my wife, it looks like the world's largest tomahawk. Link to post Share on other sites
jake pogrebinsky 134 Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Tomahawks descent,in part,from what a guy may term "Biscay" pattern,as in around about Bay of Biscay,where iron was plenty and economy weak,so many cheaper trade-goods were obtained therein... Those were agrarian regions,with the type of wood-cutting chores amounting to the Slashing sort,clearing land,pruning fruit trees,and the like. (Although Basques do have some massive,thick/heavy/convex-bladed felling axes that they make to this day,and that they're famous for). So these smaller axes had a keen blade,thinning considerably in front of eye. It's pretty much a natural consequence of when you go to make a weld right there,forward of the eye,without you indulge in all sorts of specialized trickery to deliberately avoid that.. So yes,you're right,it's rather tomahawk-like in essentials.Trade-axish branch of that whole tree:) Link to post Share on other sites
MikeDT 90 Posted May 18, 2019 Share Posted May 18, 2019 My first attempt was also a fail - and its unfinished ugliness sits next to my forge as a constant reminder to push on and keep trying to improve. I agree with Jake and Alan about the 2nd attempt success. Link to post Share on other sites
Troels Saabye 42 Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 On 5/18/2019 at 2:04 AM, MikeDT said: My first attempt was also a fail - and its unfinished ugliness sits next to my forge as a constant reminder to push on and keep trying to improve. I agree with Jake and Alan about the 2nd attempt success. Same goes for my first axe :b *!"¤ ugly but a great door stopper Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 I am seriously considering giving this a second shot at killing me. I think there is still enough steel in that blade to do some widening and maybe get something closer to this. Link to post Share on other sites
Zeb Camper 782 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Lil' cross peen action on er... I'm in love with this guy named "Tord Berglund" or something like that. He's on FB. Guy makes batches and batches of big ol' dane axes; prettiest I've seen. He welds the bit on in the traditional way where it is higher than the body of the axe. I wish he hung out here. Link to post Share on other sites
Gerald Boggs 228 Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 20 hours ago, Joshua States said: I am seriously considering giving this a second shot at killing me. I think there is still enough steel in that blade to do some widening and maybe get something closer to this. Have you had the chance to watch Jim demo the axe or have the dvd? He has some nice steps that help the process go a bit smoother. Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 3 hours ago, Gerald Boggs said: Have you had the chance to watch Jim demo the axe or have the dvd? He has some nice steps that help the process go a bit smoother. Oh Yeah. I saw the demo in Salt Lake and watched his DVD several times. Something about your tutorial made me think it was the easier way to go when learning, probably the symmetry. I made all the tools he has in the video except those top & bottom fullers. I have a 25# LG hammer that I can do single strikes with, so it acts more like a treadle or drop hammer. I figured that if I needed to replicate his forging technique, I'd have a way to do it without having to ask my wife to be a striker!. I also made something to replicate your radiused anvil edge, because I don't have an anvil with nicely radiused edges......1-1/2" square stock I didn't think the process itself was difficult to understand or systematically approach. It was just a lot of hard forging and I'm not doing this every day. As a matter of fact, I don't even forge once a week. Taking a whole day and spending it turning some O-1 drill rod into a Bowie and doing this axe pretty much all by hand, was a bit of a workout. Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,843 Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 Crosspein or a fuller under the power hammer. That can be just a bit of 3/4" round mild if you want. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 18 hours ago, Zeb Camper said: Tord Berglund" Found 6 of them. Saw no axes. Link to post Share on other sites
Zeb Camper 782 Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 (edited) I'll find em' brb. Bergelin my bad Edited May 25, 2019 by Zeb Camper Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 26, 2019 Author Share Posted May 26, 2019 15 hours ago, Zeb Camper said: I'll find em' brb. Bergelin my bad Are you following his personal page or the Thor's Forge page? Link to post Share on other sites
Zeb Camper 782 Posted May 26, 2019 Share Posted May 26, 2019 I stalk. He's in a few groups I'm a part of. Blades of history, seax files, and maybe another one. I mean to friend request more people, but sometimes I'd just rather know these people by their work and l not personally as everyone seems to be an expert on politics and extremely opinionated these days. Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted May 26, 2019 Author Share Posted May 26, 2019 BTW- Thanks Alan. I'll try something similar. 56 minutes ago, Zeb Camper said: I stalk. He's in a few groups I'm a part of. Blades of history, seax files, and maybe another one. I mean to friend request more people, but sometimes I'd just rather know these people by their work and l not personally as everyone seems to be an expert on politics and extremely opinionated these days. You can "friend" someone, and then "unfollow", if they start to post too much crap. Pages like Thor's Forge generally only post the forge works, the personal page is all the other stuff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,787 Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 Well, today was a day to go back to work on this beastie. So, I fired up the wife's 3-burner NC Whisper Daddy (sorry Alan, I couldn't see using the coal forge when it was like 110*F outside) jacked the psi up to 7 and went to town. Not quite what I had in mind, but I think the next one will go much smoother. Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,843 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Looking better! It was 91 and 70% humidity here yesterday when I fired up the weed eater. That just about killed me! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
MikeDT 90 Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Nice! The shape is great and everything flows nicely. Two days ago I fired up the forge to make better tongs and at 90 with only 60% humidity - two hours later I has half dead and 20lbs lighter....... Can't wait to see the next one Josh! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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