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When you feel your chisel starting to bind, reheat the piece, flip it over and land a few good strikes on the opposite side you are cutting. If you look at it, your piece is probably making a slight "U" shape and binding your chisel. Another tip would be to try to cut evenly from both sides.

Good job, miles better than my first.

Nah, it's actually a smaller tomahawk. I drifted it oval, probably an 1.25" x 3/4" or so. The picture makes the hawk look larger. The blade is probably 2.5" wide for reference. I used a piece of old file in both ends. My starting stock was 1" square.

Well it was supposed to be a short bearded like tomahawk, but I didnt get enough metal in the tip and had drawn it out too far after the carbon steel was welded in it. So I just went with it and it turned out nice. Definitely learned some lessons such as use a smaller drift when drawing out the ears. Would have saved a lot of work on the eye had I paid attention.

Finished this up today. Fun project as I used a mild steel body with high carbon steel welded in both blade and spike. I tested the spike on an old washing machine which I have to admit made me nervous. Pierced right through the steel plating with the spike not dulling any. Overall I'm very pleased with the project.

I can vouch for how tough pump shafts are to forge. A year and a half ago I grabbed a 3/4" and an 1" piece of scrap steel from work. I worked out the 3/4" stuff, it was tougher, than mild steel. It was probably medium carbon. Then I threw the 1" in the fire expecting the same stuff. One hit and I knew I was wrong as it barely budged. I realized later it was a piece of pump shaft. After thirty minutes of forging I turned it into a chisel that I still haven't treated. Gonna be a killer when finished though.

How good am I? Not nearly good enough yet to do all I want to do.

Sent you a PM Ashrod.

I get mine from Sidney Lee Welding in Douglasville. Good clean burning coal and I think it was $16 a bag last year. You do need to call a day or so in advance in case they need to ship some in from another store. You can also get some from Buck Ice and Coal out of Columbus, Ga. It isn't as good as the other but it would be better than not forging and it was a little cheaper when I bought it from there a few years ago.

When you step back from the forge and the 90+ degree day with high humidity feels like AC.

Strange my anvil is no where near my angle grinder or saws.

Yes, recently demoed at a local county fair. It is amazing how much publicity forging a nail gets. Demoing also gets you in touch with other smiths you didn't know were close.

I don't wear gloves for most things, but I do use a loose fitting leather pair when doing something big like welding an axe or as_mentioned chisel use. Yes you will have a piece of scale or flux occasionally get in and burn you a little, but hey that's what you get for playing with yellow hot steel.

Sounds like fun. Ill have to take some time and go in the future.

I think the real problem with videos is they do not show how many times they messed up, had to grind off a bad spot, ect. For instance a finished movie does not show the one hundred takes it may have taken to get the perfect scene. That said, I believe becoming a master at something means more than just the finished product, but how you got there. A newbie smithing for a few months can make an S-hook that is just as good as a master smith, however the master smith can make the S-hook with hardly any effort(physically, and mentally) exerted.

Nah, hate tea and coffee equally. Another option is to make burning the steel hard to do. On my demo forge I have a small Champion blower that come off an old rivet forge. Between it and the forge you really have to turn it to be able to burn steel even on small stock.

I don't have scap, just unfinished projects that I don't quite know what they are yet.....

I can give an amen to that statement. I always try to give one last weld just on the blade to make sure. I say try because I don't always do it and often regret not doing it. I would take everyone's advice and hang it up in your shop as a reminder. I've got a nice axe I forged in my shop for that purpose. I had it finished and ready for heat treatment when I noticed a 1/2" bad weld in the blade. I tried to fix it but it must have flux inclusion or a tiny bit of scale. While I was totally bummed, it was still a learning experience.

No bad weld annoys me like this one, because normally you find it when the thing is about done. I've made it a rule to grind the end of blade and inspect the edge before drawing it out. I do that just in case I didn't get a good weld and it is much easier in my opinion to re-weld it while it's thick.

Awesome thread. I've never had the sword making urge, but it's awesome to see how its done well step by step.

Couldn't be anymore on the money than that

I do in a sense bond with my some of my work. Just something about taking a piece of old scrap metal and turning it into a tool with a whole new life and purpose. I think this is why the craft touches me as deeply as it does. While behind the anvil I see life from the perspective of The Master Blacksmith. I see my flaws and imperfections as the piece of steel and I see the work of His hammer and feel the heat of His forge as I am forged and molded to be what he sees fit. Secondly, while behind the anvil I see the hardships of days past when the blacksmith was vital. I see the farmers fixing plows and the like that was used to support their families. Thirdly, who wouldnt like to hit hot metal on an anvil It is just awesome.

If you are using an Alabama mined coal that may be the reason it ate so much. I used to buy coal mined in Brilliant, Al and while it burned hot it would quickly turn to blazing hot dust and fall through my grate.

Ive got one Im trying to drill in my own head. "If you have even a shred of doubt, weld it again." The threat of burning it up is far less than the anger of getting through and finding a seam in the blade.

I think Basher pretty much nailed what I was thinking in my humble little comparable experience. Light blows at the temp right before you see sparks. Then three or so at that heat. Persinally instead of going through all the work upseting, just weld it an inch or so farther back if need be.