Forging Progression on Bearded Axe

[Matthew Paul]

I've got this one ready for heat treatment. The body was forged from 1" square A36, and the bit forged and ground from 80crv2.
The first photo shows the axe ready to be heat treated, as well as the starting steel stock. A lot of the smaller steps are not shown, but this is what I had for photos. 

So, the block is heated only on one half, and then upset to form the most basic of axe shape. I kept the stock 1" wide at this point, but upset the profile of it. Then the eye is punched. I did this on the home made hammer as I no longer have a striker around to help out on the axes. The eye is drifted close to its final size, and the "ears" are forged out a little, with the drift in eye. Then the bit end of the axe is forged out closer to the final shape, about half way between the starting size and the final shape, in both height and thickness. After that I let the head cool, blast it, and cut the edge with the band saw. I usually use a torch with the head clamped in a vice, and cut it with a chisel, but my torches are out of gas so I just cut the slit instead. The mouth is opened up and the bit is forged to shape from bar stock. I clean the bit, and the mouth, then heat, flux, and lightly seat the bit. This is the first time that I have done an axe without cutting teeth into the bit, so that it would bite into and hold in the mouth cut while forge welding, and I wont be doing that anymore. Once the pieces were hot to forge weld the bit would slide around in the mouth cut. So, I used a step block in the hardy hole to but the bit against while I welded it. It worked out just fine, but some more care was needed while welding. After welding the axe was drawn out some and then allowed to cool so that I could trim the excess bit material away, and finish the forging. Yes, I could have hot cut the material away, but it can be difficult to hold the tapered axe head, keep the cutting plate in place, and operate the hammer and chisel. Doing this operation is much easier with a striker. I need to forge a small cutter for use on the power hammer, and make a cutting plate to sit on the bottom die. The axe is finish forged to shape, cleaned up a bit on the grinder, blasted, and ready for heat treatment. It is in the kiln now being normalized. 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2015 by Matthew Paul

[Charlotte]

Thank you for the excellent description of your process and the clear sequence of pictures.  That looks to be a great design for the ax and will be striking when fully dressed. Great

work.

[ThomasPowers]

To deal with sliding you could always rivet the pieces together cold and then forge weld them---it's mentioned as a method over 100 years ago...

(and while cleft welds are common for this process; lap and even butt welds have been documented historically.  Cleft welds  work well when you do a wrap around and weld body)

[Dave Budd]

I chisel barbs into the thin edge of the steel bit so when the orange hot body is forged down onto the cold edge, the barbs lock it in place   

 

Nice axe btw

[Matthew Paul]

I chisel barbs into the thin edge of the steel bit so when the orange hot body is forged down onto the cold edge, the barbs lock it in place   

 

Nice axe btw

Thank you. That is how I have always done it, but I did not on this one and I was not thrilled with how it worked out, although it did work.

To deal with sliding you could always rivet the pieces together cold and then forge weld them---it's mentioned as a method over 100 years ago...

(and while cleft welds are common for this process; lap and even butt welds have been documented historically.  Cleft welds  work well when you do a wrap around and weld body)

I usually cut teeth into the bit, but I have riveted it before welding before. It worked well. The cool thing with doing it that way is there is a mechanical back up in the event that a weld fails in use, although I would not count it it. The history is always interesting. 

Thank you for the excellent description of your process and the clear sequence of pictures.  That looks to be a great design for the ax and will be striking when fully dressed. Great

work.

You are most welcome, and thank you. I'll post up a photo or two when it is finished, although the customer wants a rearward curving handle, not my ideal choice but that is what the want. 

[Daswulf]

Love the shape on that. Thanks for the run through. Great work! 

[Kyle Cox]

Amazing!!

awesome write up and explanation!

 

[norrin_radd]

Great post! Thanks alot for sharing!