Ballpein tomahawk heat treat?

[Jon Walker]

I whipped this guy up today and he is ready for heat treat. Does 1550 degrees into 120 degree veggie oil sound good or can I get away with water? What steel are american made carpenter ballpein hammers?

 

[Bruce Bump]

Your formula sounds good. I think 1500 will do the trick. I wouldnt use water unless the oil doesnt work.
I heat treated just the edge on mine with a torch and magnet. It left a nice hamen line but I have no idea what the steel really is.

 

[Jon Walker]

I am thinking of doing satanite on it for a hamon so that I can hamon the blade and the spike. Thanks for the info Bruce!

 

[MSCantrell]

I cracked one in water a month or two ago. Do the oil.

 

[Jon Walker]

Got it heat treated and tempered, now I just need to find some curly maple to get a real handle on it and finish polishing it up.

 

[Stuart Willis]

Like Bruce Bump said. I just heat treat the edge with a torch and magnet.
Nice hawk by the way.

 

[Jon Walker]

thanks it is my first try i plan on doing more

 

[Reynaldo Garza]

Hey Jon, I have never done a tomahawk yet since, I'm new at this. Can you or any of the gentlemen knifemakers send me instructions on how to make a tomahawk from a ball peen hammer. I do have a forge I got from Gary Franklin and it should get hot enough to pound on the anvil. ? is, what kind of ball peen hammers do I use, harbor freight or usa made? Thanks, Rey

 

[Jon Walker]

I used a USA made hammer because I figured the steel would be better quality. Basicly I flattened the larger ball of the hammer and then drew the smaller ball out into a spike. I just bought 6 more ball peins to make a few more and I will try to get some pics for a tutorial for you.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Most all of my ball pein hammer heads were bought at a yard sale for under $1. The reason there are allot of them is because the handles always break off. The steel on most all of them are good enough but the eye needs to be drifted bigger so the new expensive handle doesnt break off the first time you use the hawk. Rade Hawkings sells a standard size drift. I highly recommend it or at least enlarging the eye with files and sanding drums.

 

[Jon Walker]

Thanks for the tip Bruce! I will be buying a drift for the next ones!

Any one have tips on how to finish a tomahawk handle or curly maple in general?

I wittled the handle with a small bowie I made...

The did a test stain with walnut stain. I don't like it and I am going to sand it off. How do I get the Bill Moran look/finish on maple?

 

[drewfacehotm]

in how to make knives he says that he used a brown dye. he would wet the wood after it was dyed and heat it to make the grain rise, over and over till it stopped rising.then he put raw linseed oil till the wood would stop soaking it up it would take about a week. i don't know about raw linseed oil, but the boiled stuff you get at lowes will set itself on fire if you don't lay out the rags to dry before throwing them out.