My First Tomahawk

[Hunterbow Smithy]

Here is my first completed tomahawk. It was forged from a ball peen hammer, drifted with a tapered punch and then etched in ferric chloride.

 

[Connor Beiter]

Hey! I really like the way this looks, and I am about to make one myself. But I've got a few questions, 

What did the Ferric Chloride do to it?

How hard would something like a tomahawk be for a beginner?

Thanks!

[Frosty]

That's a very nice hawk on all counts. Well done.

Welcome aboard Conner, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

Ferric chloride is basically iron oxide dissolved in hydrochloric acid. It's an echant that produces colors often desirable to the project. It's very popular for bringing out pattern welded products where the different steels and alloys etch not only at different rates but react differently.

Yes, it's a dangerous chemical and you shouldn't mess with it till you know what you're doing.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Hunterbow Smithy]

Hi Connor,

What Frosty said. In my case, the ferric chloride produced the shiny patch that you see in the middle of the hawk due to the difference in hardness. Additionally, the etching coloured the steel to the gun metal grey as well. You could use vinegar or lemon juice or even a combination of the two if you don't want to mess with the ferric chloride. They will give a slightly different effect though.

As for making a tomahawk yourself, I believe that if you take your time and work diligently at it you should be able to produce a hawk to your liking....or anything else that you set your mind to. Honestly, if you start with an old ball peen hammer and get a tomahawk drift it shouldn't be too taxing. My hawk was 63 Rc at maximum hardness and 58 Rc after I tempered it.

 

[Shamus Blargostadt]

I'm guessing that forging a proper tomahawk drift is an advanced project?

[Malice9610]

That is one Awesome hawk, the spike on the back is quite mean looking and the finish on the metal goes well with the handle. 

I need to get my crap together and take a bash at making a Tomahawk...

[Frosty]

I'm guessing that forging a proper tomahawk drift is an advanced project?

​Not really but there are things about a drift that make them . . . well, okay more advanced than first session beginner.

A drift is used to put a precise shape to a punched or drifted hole. No surprise there, right? So, you want a gentle even taper from a narrow end that fits into the slit/punched/etc. hole. It then expands in a smooth taper to the finished size and shape. This is basic forging and plannishing followed by grinding/hot filing/etc. smooth so it doesn't gall in the hammer eye.

Now we get to decisions that . . .Well, you need to make this decision before you start forging. What kind of eye do you want in your hammers? This decision will be effected by what you're using it for. For instance a pic has one type eye and handle while a sledge hammer has a different one. They're entirely different so you have different drifts and processes to get them right. With me so far? Good.

If you're making top tools a simple relatively straight through eye is fie, you're not swinging it so it doesn't need to withstand centrifigul forces and high impacts. For this kind of eye you take the drift described above and taper both ends with a couple inches in the center that is the desired shape and size. The struck end taper is so you can drive the drift all the way through the eye and not chance damaging the drift by havint to drive it out from the starting end.

If you're making a hammer you need a taper in the eye so wedges can apply forces against a solid backing to keep the handle where it belongs. A single taper from the side of the eye away from the handle (Far Side for purposes of discussion) requires a drift you only drive from the far side so they eye is conical. When you fit the handle and the wedges are driven in the handle is now larger than the only exit available to it. The hammer head stays in place and will warn you if it loosens up so you can keep it secure.

Another method is to taper the eye in an hourglass shape, tapered in from both ends. Same process as above but you drive less deeply and from both ends of the eye. Wedged in the handle is larger than the eye in either direction so very secure and will warn you just like the other.

I hope that helps, if not there are a number of good video how tos and having seen Brian Brazeal demonstrate in person I'm sort of  prejudiced towards his method. It's not the only method and many work as well.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Hunterbow Smithy]

I'm guessing that forging a proper tomahawk drift is an advanced project?

​Hi Shamus,

As Frosty has stated above, making a drift has it's own set of unique challenges. However, you need not have to manufacture your own tomahawk drift if you only wish to make a small number of hawks. I bought my drift on-line from a blacksmith supply store for about $20.00 USD. The drift that I bought was cast steel and not of the best quality in my opinion, but it did the job and gives me a point of reference if I decide to make my own drift.

[Charles R. Stevens]

1 1/16 and 1 1/4 bull pins cost about half that and depending on the size drift may just do you . 

I dont know how big a bull pin that Thomas Powers uses, but he often metiones it in conjuction with hawks

[Shamus Blargostadt]

I was looking at a few online. They seem to range between $25 - $38. Shipping tends to double it though. Is a bull pin something common that could be bought in a steel supply or home depot type place?

I did pick up a huge chisel looking thing at a second hand store with a mushroomed base, about 12" long and approximately 1.5" - 2" Diameter. I'm doubting I have the skill to draw this to a useful taper though.

 

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

I can pick one up at any oil feild supply, but northern tools lists them in their catalog. 

[Hunterbow Smithy]

Hey Shamus,

I would imagine that you could use almost anything of a suitable diameter such as a bull pin, truck axle, jack hammer bit, etc. Once you've found a suitable piece of material, then go to Crazy Crow Trading and look at their hawk handles. They give the dimensions of their hawk handle eyes, which will give you a good starting point. The first 3~4" of the drift are not that critical since you are just trying to open the hole you've punched, but pay close attention to the upper 6" to ensure the dimensions and taper are as good as you can make them. I believe that the taper is about 2 ~ 3 degrees, but you may want to research that further. Also, you don't have to forge the drift to "the perfect" tear drop shape and taper, just forge it as close as you can and file it to shape using stations along the length of the drift to guide you and check your work or heck don't even forge it at all, just blue the steel and scribe guide lines and grind the profile with an angle grinder. One final thought is that if you are planning on making your own drift and handle, then don't worry if your drift doesn't match a commercial drift in every aspect since it only needs to match your desired handle size. Good luck with this project, I am sure that with a little caution and a little confidence you will be pleasantly surprised how well your drift will work for you. I will try to post some dimensions of my drift for you to follow.

 

Have a look at this link: http://brentbaileyforge.com/forgenotes/index3.html

 

Edited April 18, 2015 by Hunterbow Smithy

[Jonah k]

When I forged my drift i forged it to fit my existing cold steel hawk. Works very well has nice shape and taper. It makes it a lot easier to forge the drift if you have a head to fit it to.