Hi all, I being new at this wonder how is the best way to use drift when making a 'hawk head out of a old ball peen hammer. Is it best to put the hawk head in the vise, then use the drift on it, or should drift be clamped in vise, and the head worked onto it?
Thanks...........................................~~~Johnny~~~

You really should drive the drift through the hole over a bolster plate, esentualy a plate if metal with a hole in it a bit bigger than the drift. I've always just used my hardie hole for large drifting. Its usualy about the right sise.

link removed at the request of anvilfire

heres an example of drifting out a hole so you can visualise it.

I generally work the eye hole to the correct size with a bull pin and then switch to the hawk drift for the final shaping---of course that's because I have a stack of bull pins I have bought for US$1-2 and only the single hawk drift that cost me US$20...

I too drive the drift in over a bolster plate and then hammer on the sides with it on the anvil to expand and shape them.

Thomas

I took a piece of pipe slightly smaller than the drift width and 'mashed' it to an oval that fit the drift, then welded it to a 'stand' somewhat lower than my anvil. That way with the drift in the head it is at a good height to hammer.
KSB