JRigoni Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) A guy at work wants a pick head axe, so here we go. The first two attempts were disasters. The chisel kept wanting to walk to either side under the power hammer when drifting the eye, and trying to forge down a corner for the pick head axe part, kicked a yellow hot 10lb chunk of metal into my chest and hand. Finally, on attempt block#3, I drilled/filed a 3/8" groove into another blank and it worked. I also cut out a square of material from the blank to help make the forging process go easier. So far so good. None of my drifts would fit under the power hammer, (having 8" clearance) so most of the work was slowly done by hand with sledges. The block started out as 1.5"x3.5"x8". The axe is pretty much forged, and now it's up to the client to either have me smooth the sides or leave it as forged. I'll profile the handle tomorrow. Axe is now 7.5lbs, solid 4140.John RigoniRigoni IronworksFrom the first failed attempt I made this drift for the next block.Eye is drifted.Spike is finished, woot! More handwork since the taper was too extreme for a taper attachment on the power hammer.Rough forging is finished, time to straighten the blade and begin the outer profile.Here is the axe so far. 7.5lbs, fought me most of the way, but so far so good. The texture from the forging was achieved using crowning dies on my Sahinler. Next step is the handle and inlay. Edited September 13, 2015 by JRigoni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Looking good so far, just a thought, if you put 2 light lines down the side of the 'spike' you will have a great bird of prey head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 When you say "profilimg" the handle, are you talking steel or wood? Wood is used because sometimes one has to use his axe to cut electrical cable glass being the alternitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 (edited) The handle will be cut from ash, not sure which wood to use for the wedge though. Edited September 14, 2015 by JRigoni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Nice, somthing as hard or harder for a wedge. To often I see hicory with popular wedges. The wedge gets crused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Wish I could remember which woods were used for wagon wheels, one would shrink the other expand, and everything would stay tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I have seen wood working that specked dry spokes, green hubs and fallons. Simularly seen the same in willow and chestnut chaires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Today's work: Overnight soak in vinegar to pop the forge scale off, grind down the cheeks, and wire inlay his badge number in copper. Almost finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Looks good, planing on forging the other half of the Irons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Thanks, and no. No halligan forging in the near future. Too large a forging for this small shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Bet you can figure a work around, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Frisse Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Rigoni, I'm in love with this ax! What was the process for the copper inlay? I just did a small ax from 4140... what will you temper it as? I went with 400 F for 1.5 hours. This is just awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Thanks for the inlay, I used a no.6 flat graver and copper wire from home depot, annealed. Undercut the grooves and hammer in with a small punch. I hardened the working edges and tempered in the oven at 400 for a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 What would it take for you to make another one, pm me, I cand get you badge numbers. That ax turned out awsome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 19, 2015 Author Share Posted September 19, 2015 Firefighter axe project is finished. The finished weight is 7lb. Axe head is 4140, with the cutting faces hardened, ready for the house fires Definitely the largest blade/tool I've made so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 that is nice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 I really like the way the hammer marks compliment the wood grain in the handle. Beautiful piece of work, no fu-fu, all serious business.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalanton Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 that's a beauty for sure. your work is very precise... even your eye drift is perfection. thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRigoni Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Thank you After three separate attempts (failures) it worked out just fine. If I make another, I will make a series of power hammer drifts to relieve the stress of hand forging the eye like this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I really like that axe, it is superbly understated and I love the forge marks. All the ebst Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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