tompdw Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) These are a couple of hawks that I have been working on recently. They aren't done yet. Hopefully I will get them in the next couple of days. They are leaf springs. Edited May 20, 2008 by tompdw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRobb Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 No links came up. Try again. I'd love to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Look'n Good; Are You Gonn'a Forge Weld Them Closed? If You Do Please Explain The Process .:confused: That Being High Carbon And Me Still Think'n Forge Weld'n Takes Magic!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 that looks like a tougher forge weld than the ones made of mild steel with insert..its possable to forge weld them tho and they should be good when done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompdw Posted May 21, 2008 Author Share Posted May 21, 2008 That is a question I posted recently. I have never forge welded before. Yesterday I tried using a piece of mild bar stock with some plumbing paste flux, It was all I had and it didn't work. I may have to arc them but I really want to forge weld them. Wish me luck. I will work on them today when I get home from work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 for flux get some borax .. it is in the grocery store with the clothes washing soap dont get boraxo soap get the borax laundry additive ...and be real careful on the heat if you get it too hot it burns too cold no stick .. but heat it too fast and theoutside burns and it still dosnt stick....If you were closer ide show ya how I do it but its tough to show with pictures ... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I haven't done a lot of forge welding, but in my experience and from what other more seasoned smiths have told me, welding hi carbon steel is actually easier than mild. I don't know why. It just does;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.S.T. Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Dodge looking good so far make sure you clean them up real god before welding. I usually clean them up with a wire brush on the angle grinder before welding. Tom you should be able to Twenty Mule Team borax at local Wal-Mart. I also think higher carbon welds easier. But it is also easier to mess up. A.S.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Arron, Not mine. tomptw's (see first post), but I agree about the clean up prior to welding. Time spent avoiding as many impurities as possible is time well spend toward a quality weld! -Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Ohio is right next door to Fort Wayne Indiana. I usually have time on weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 ya the problem with hi carbon forge welding is overheating... it tends to crumble if you get it too hot that is why it us usually sanwiched between mild steel (it was also done when hi carbon steel was REALLY expencive) the mild welds at a higher temp but is a lot more forgiveing of overheating... good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 then there are wacko's like me that use high carbon on the outside to cover the tool steel's like L6 on the inside. Starting with mild IS a good idea, after you get that, the other stuff IS easier. and the mild is more forgiving of mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.S.T. Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Oops my bad looking good so far tomtw. Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompdw Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 I ended up using my mig welder. I have the tomahawks done. I will get pictures and post them. I still wish to get some borax and learn to forge weld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I tried doing a hawk out of solid leaf spring once, but it didn't work out all that great; it worked, but didn't look very good and weighed a ton since the steel was so thick. Forge welding those hawks that you posted pics of is going to be a lot harder than welding a mild steel/HC steel bit style because you've got that big eye for the handle to deal with; i tried doing that a couple times, and I always burned the eye steel up. I'd suggest trying to weld a HC steel bit into a mild steel body next, I think you'll find that you can heat up and weld the end part without too much trouble. With that method you can also make the bit stick out from the bottom a little more and give it that cool tomahawk shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompdw Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 Here is what they look like finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 not bad for your first hawks! you might get a tommahawk handle to use in them ...they work better and last longer because they are tapered like a pick handle so as you throw they try to tighten themselves ..good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Alan Longmire has a killer wrap & weld hawk tutorial over on Fogg's forum. That's really worth checking out; Alan knows his hawks. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt993fod Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Higher carbon steels weld at a lower temperature than mild steels, but burn at a lower temperature too... Hence welding carbon steels could be easier in the sense that it can be done at an easier to reach temperature, with less chance of heavy scaling (due to having to use a strong air blast), but is harder in the sense that they are much easier to overdo, and burn. Many other things can go wrong. Most resources I have consulted state that welding carbon steels in the forge is not practical!? I can't agree with this, since many have actually achieved it just fine... So that is why I always find it head-scratching how people are able to do pattern welding at all, since surely the carbon steel would have burned by the time the mild steel is hot enough to weld. Then again, I guess there must just be a really narrow temperature range where welding is actually possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 (edited) Higher carbon steels weld at a lower temperature than mild steels, but burn at a lower temperature too... Hence welding carbon steels could be easier in the sense that it can be done at an easier to reach temperature, with less chance of heavy scaling (due to having to use a strong air blast), but is harder in the sense that they are much easier to overdo, and burn. Many other things can go wrong. Most resources I have consulted state that welding carbon steels in the forge is not practical!? I can't agree with this, since many have actually achieved it just fine... I recently did a hatchet with a piece of 5160 in the tip. Went smooth and my tags have about disappeared. Edited May 29, 2008 by Tald the dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 tompdw i advise not using a circular handle. the spin around (bad) and if improperley fitted will movearound and come off. i see you have a bit of extra space in the handle. try shaping a limb off a tree with a knife and a chisel to fit. it works way better than a dowel. the hawks themselves are great bettter thn my attempts good job and good luck. what are you goin to use them for any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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