- Joined
- Jun 9, 2019
- Messages
- 1
This won't be of much interest to most of the members here, but I figured I'd share since this is where I turned for info when researching this project.
I ground a knife and a hatchet from a junk leaf spring with an angle grinder and some files, then I hardened them in a bonfire in my backyard. This was pretty much the quintissential poor mans build, I dont think I could have used any less resources.
I tempered them at 400 degrees in the oven after. I'm sure the temperatures werent perfect, but the blades hold an edge great. Both of them will hack off some hard wood and then carve it up like butter. As a bushcraft tool I really like the hatchet, which uses the leaf spring eye for a socket. I can make a nice handle for it in a couple minutes, or just use it with a bare branch or as a hand axe. It was also very easy to grind.
Sorry the video is so long, I wanted to include as much of the process as possible. Hopefully this will help someone else who doesn't have a whole lot of equipment at their disposal.
I ground a knife and a hatchet from a junk leaf spring with an angle grinder and some files, then I hardened them in a bonfire in my backyard. This was pretty much the quintissential poor mans build, I dont think I could have used any less resources.
I tempered them at 400 degrees in the oven after. I'm sure the temperatures werent perfect, but the blades hold an edge great. Both of them will hack off some hard wood and then carve it up like butter. As a bushcraft tool I really like the hatchet, which uses the leaf spring eye for a socket. I can make a nice handle for it in a couple minutes, or just use it with a bare branch or as a hand axe. It was also very easy to grind.
Sorry the video is so long, I wanted to include as much of the process as possible. Hopefully this will help someone else who doesn't have a whole lot of equipment at their disposal.