I picked up some large Ball Peen Hammers, I've found lots of info already on forging them into Tomahawks...

Question:  My Ball Peens seem to have a variety of hole diameters for the handle, all of which seem small for a Hawk.

Do most people use a drift to enlarge the original hole for a hawk?

 

Thanks...

I do; we use a bullpin to make them larger.

Yes. Make them fit, that's part of the charm of fire and hammers you know. <wink>

Frosty The Lucky.

I leave the hole as is then I can simply re-handle with a stock ball-peen hammer handle. If you want to use something else for a handle then you will need to drift.

Look at the brazeal style hammer making vids on YouTubeYouTube. It will show the "camel hump tools;-) use something like that to keep your cheeks from getting dented...

Not only that, I often forge with the drift still in it. More convenient that tongs.

If Im turning a ballpeen into a hot set I leave the original hole so I can replace the handle with hardware store handles, for a hawk I drift it out, draw the cheeks down etc.