Here's my first mouse hawk attempt. started with 1 in x 1/4x 8 inch flat bar of mild, with a 5160 truck spring middle core for the edge and to give it a bit more material to widen the blade. Folded it around the mouse hawk drift from Kayne and Sons. Grabbed some of their handles from there, too. They're pretty nice, although they didn't want to take much of a stain (even after sanding!). It's only about 3.5inches or so from the back of the eye to the bit. Fun little things to make, I hope to make more! 

Nice serviceble tool/weapon. Not a fan of anything but oil on my tool handles, so no stain is a goot thing.

I'd wonder if they were treated with PEG as part of the wood drying process?

More likely that they were treated with an acrylic finish or a bit of acetone... Both are used by handle manufacturers. PEG is quite expensive. I never heard of it being used as part of a commercial production process! Acetone and some acrylics can be highly diluted and treat hundreds of handles for very low cost. This is often done.

Looks good, what did you use for flux?  I assume you mean A36 when your talking mild steel?  The one hawk I did with it instead of 1018 or wrought iron didn't weld a 100%.  I was using anhydrous borax, will try another with iron mt flux.

Hey folks, thanks for the compliments. The only thing I tried to put on the handle was boiled linseed oil, I apologize for improperly labeling that! Just didn't suck it up like hickory usually does... 

 

My flux was just good 'ol Borax. I sometimes get bad welds, but if I find them after grinding I just go back and re weld it, then clean it up again. And I'm pretty sure its A36, I can't remember if the mild my step dad always gets at the steel yard is hot rolled or cold rolled. One of those two, though! 

I did find that after I finished the hawk, my bevels on the bit were pretty steep, so next time I know to grind a flatter surface for a sharper edge and better sticking! 

 

Thanks! 

Benton; Think of taking the class a Campbell Folk School this coming Aug Axes & Tomahawks what was your thought on the class?? Was any tooling (drifts)made in the class?? thanks' bob

Each one keeps getting better, nice one! btw, sent you a pm a while back ref: sources, don't know if you read it, but looks like u got what u need.

I did! Thank you, Mitch! I had a couple of pm's I didn't realize I had. I had forgotten to check those in a few months. Much appreciated, my friend! 

"mouse hawk", eh???  You must have big mouses and slow hawks, but that looks the tool to do it.  Nice work :)

I've used plain old borax for years welding damascus with no issue, but the first time I tried forge welding A36 it didn't take.  I had it mostly welded, but there were less than perfect welds all through it.  Could have just been that stick of metal had some wierd alloys , or maybe I didn't clean good enough prior to welding.

 

If your using cold rolled, it's 1018, or at least it is down here.  That's what I use now when I want to forge weld mild steel, no issues yet.  Or if doing a hawk I grab some wrought iron, though it's getting harder to find reasonable.

 

Any event, love the hawk, any outdoors man would love to carry it.