Messerist Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Here is my second foray into making hawks. Made from an old ballpeen hammer head. No idea what type of steel it is but it hardened up nicely. Handle is 20" long and head is @23oz. Thanks for looking...p.s. no power tools were harmed in the making of this hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Very cool! Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Yep just what he said nice job i like it! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Nice hawk! I'm not sure but you can probably figure a factory ball pein to be somewhere around 1060-1075 range steel but that's just a semi-educated guess. Well done indeed. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Not your average ball peen hawk for sure! Very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge9001 Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 compared to mine thats amazing! heck thats amazing anyway. great job! I have yet to try a second one. I have a hammer head ready though. my first ballpeen hawk was made in the fire of my first brakedrum forge, and I was still getting the workings of it down. now I think my next one will be made in my gas forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greebe Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Nice. Did you forge it out by hand or use a power hammer or press? If by hand how hard was it to work with? Thanks Greebe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messerist Posted September 28, 2010 Author Share Posted September 28, 2010 Greebe, I forged it by hand. Whew! Sometimes I wish I had the room for a trip hammer. It takes a little encouraging but the metal does move. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Nice job! Forging out those ball peins by hand definitely requires a little determination. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Very Nice! Thank you for showing it to us! Ted throckmorton (AKA) Stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 That's a nice example of very fine hammer control and hand work. Nice job on the haft too, that's very nicely done on the stain. All around a fine job. You done good! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagr8tim Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 That is simply amazing. Very wonderful piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiapan Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 I was wondering if you Annealed the Hammer head before working it, Or did you just heat and work, also i was curious what handle material that was and what you used to finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 No need to anneal before forging, if that's what you mean. I'm guessing the handle is curly maple. I won't try to guess how he finished it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 That is just Dany! Nice looking hawk. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beslagsmed Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Great lookin work. I will guarentee I will not abuse but will use my power hammer to make one. I know it is a lot of "arm strong" work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 Hey Messerist, do you make the tear drop handles for other folks? If you do, how much for unstained, unfinnished handles? I'd like to get a few of that type handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messerist Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 Tiapan and Matt. Yes, I did anneal the head before starting to forge it. I just heated it to critical temp(non-magnetic) and let it slowly cool in some heated wood ashes overnight. I also had to re-anneal it during the forging process because as I worked on it the steel began to get stiff and hard to move(of course I may have been getting tired and the steel just felt hard to move). The handle came unfinished from R.E. Davis Co. I bought the over-sized handle because my drift is a little larger that most commercially available drifts. I also like a longer handle. It is curly maple as many of you already know. I stained it with Aqua Fortis which is nitric acid cut with steel wool. I did not make the batch I have now but purchased it online. I brush a coat on the wood after sanding and raising the grain several times until it is smooth. I then just heat up a bar of steel in the forge and hold it close to the wood and the color changes to what you see in the photo. I then use some fine 0000 steel wool and boiled linseed oil and rub it in to the wood. I gave this handle three coats. That is it in a nutshell. I am chomping at the bit to get some more made but our weather here has been so miserable and cold that I have not been brave enough to get outside and forge. I need to build a covered shop someday. I hope you all have a Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 " I have not been brave enough to get outside and forge.".... It's been so cold here, even if I was healthy, I don't think I could stand to be out long. It's been down in the high twenties in the mornings and the low fifties in the afternoon. Afternoons wouldn't be too bad but those mornings would lock my arthritic joints up like crazy! Happy New Year to you too! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsilver4 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Hi great job,matt was right no need to anneal unless youre going to grind or file cold.I have done a pile of them and it is a job to hand forge them,I couldn't do it without my faithful tirehammer--keep on hammerin Regards Butch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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