Council Tool Flying Fox

That's exactly why I used them, because they're hard. But I definitely should have pointed that out. if somebody was under the impression that they are as soft as a typical nail, it definitely would have given the wrong idea!

Thanks Josh! Coming from you that's high praise. It is a nice one, it really does feel great. I have a bunch of heads that I think the general shape and swell type will work wonderfully on if I scale it up.
 
I filed my flying fox yesterday. A moderately worn Simonds file woudn't cut it except with the less-used tip of the file. A new Simonds multi-cut file cut it very well. Based on that I'd estimate a hardness in the mid to low 50's HRC, maybe 52-54. I call that a good hard axe. I didn't file the poll.

I honed with Norton tradesman stones, black Arkansas and a razor hone. It shaved nicely.

The temper colors appear to have been made by inserting a hot drift into the hardened axe and letting the colors run to the poll & bit. With the poll's small size and proximity to the eye the heat runs into it fast. This explains why the poll isn't quite as hard as we'd like it. Cooling the poll earlier in the tempering process could correct this.

I matched the hatchet with a Harry Epstein #3 axe sheath and gave it to a friend as a kindling hatchet to go with her new Yotul stove. My friend has been living off grid in Thurston Co. for 30 years.
 
Square_peg said:
The temper colors appear to have been made by inserting a hot drift into the hardened axe and letting the colors run to the poll & bit. With the poll's small size and proximity to the eye the heat runs into it fast. This explains why the poll isn't quite as hard as we'd like it. Cooling the poll earlier in the tempering process could correct this.
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I'd be very surprised if they did it that way. They heat the bit and poll using an induction heater and the colors are simply at the border of where the heating was done. I'm pretty sure they're batch-tempered.

Edit: yeah, I just was informed that they batch-temper them in an oven resembling a kiln. Definitely no hot drift involved.
 
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Now that I look more closely the colors run the opposite of a hot drift temper. Straw is inside of purple and blue. That would indicate that the heat was applied at either end and not in the center.

Borrowed picture from Junkenstien.
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So this tempering would have had less or no effect on the eye. One must assume that the eye was already soft and wasn't hardened in the quench.
 
I already said--they use an induction heater. It uses a magnetic coil that resonates the iron molecules to create localized heat through friction. It's the same technology used for hardening modern saw teeth, and responsible for that same rainbow coloration on them. I use a mini version of one to heat and bend scythe tangs so that heat doesn't migrate into the cutting portion of the blade. :)

You can see one example of such a device at 0:25 on this video. The ones used in factory settings are pretty large and use a coil optimized for the nature of the work being heated.

 
I bought two one for my son that has a birthday next month and one for to keep in my truck. It took me just a few minutes to round off the edges on pole and top of head where it had been ground leaving somewhat sharp edges. I used a file to thin the bit a touch and then used a buffing wheel to produce a razor sharp edge. The handles are both decent but I did thin them down a bit and finished with Walnut oil after staining. Over all for around $40.00 they are a great value.
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FortyTwoBlades said:
I already said--they use an induction heater. It uses a magnetic coil that resonates the iron molecules to create localized heat through friction. It's the same technology used for hardening modern saw teeth, and responsible for that same rainbow coloration on them. I use a mini version of one to heat and bend scythe tangs so that heat doesn't migrate into the cutting portion of the blade. :)

You can see one example of such a device at 0:25 on this video. The ones used in factory settings are pretty large and use a coil optimized for the nature of the work being heated.
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Square_peg,i actually meant to ask you this for some time (if you know of course)-Grant has passed on his induction forge "line" to Larry(last i heard),did you hear if it then went on to someone else in the PNW?

FortyTwoBlades,if it's ok to ask,of course-are you using one of those systems,originally introduced by Grant Sarver?(one in the video looks like one of them,as far as i can remember what they looked like).

Thank you for the info,and sorry for slight derailment.
 
jake pogg said:
Square_peg,i actually meant to ask you this for some time (if you know of course)-Grant has passed on his induction forge "line" to Larry(last i heard),did you hear if it then went on to someone else in the PNW?

FortyTwoBlades,if it's ok to ask,of course-are you using one of those systems,originally introduced by Grant Sarver?(one in the video looks like one of them,as far as i can remember what they looked like).

Thank you for the info,and sorry for slight derailment.
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The induction heater I use is a Mini-Ductor II by Induction Innovations. It's about the size and shape of a large Maglite flashlight and uses solid coils.
 
jake pogg said:
Square_peg,i actually meant to ask you this for some time (if you know of course)-Grant has passed on his induction forge "line" to Larry(last i heard),did you hear if it then went on to someone else in the PNW?
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No, Larry Langdon didn't take over the induction forge business. OCP's equipment was sold to Blacksmith Depot. Larry and Andy Blakney formed Quick and Dirty Tools to compete in the tong business. But Larry's heart wasn't in it and Andy kept that business going using Larry's shop and equipment. Larry had a top of the line induction forge.

When Larry's business, Monster Metals, burned to the ground Andy started over in a nearby building and is still making tongs there today as Quick and Dirty Tools. Andy's a great guy and makes first rate stuff. He and Larry both learned the business from Grant Sarver but Larry was the best at least at first.

Larry loved being creative and hated the mundane work that brought home the bacon and kept the shop running. At one time he was doing a thousand breaker points per week for the rental industry. He sold that business to a fellow in Spokane.

After the shop burned Larry was in a funk. He moved back to Buhl to try to help save the family fab shop there. But there just wasn't a market there anymore and that shop ended up failing. Larry took his own life a year ago last June. :..(

It's true what they say, that everytime a blacksmith dies a library is lost. Grant was the Library of Congress. It hurt to lose him. Then losing Larry, too, was a real big blow to NW blacksmithing. Those 2 guys were my mentors. Real industrial blacksmiths that knew their stuff.
 
Thank you,Square_peg,for filling us in on more of that story,as grievous as it is...
It was during that mass breaker points episode that i remember talking to Larry last.There was too much of an artist in him for settling contently for that...:(
It all makes sense now,and so that's who Quick&Dirty Tools is...Excellent shop,i wish him all the absolute best.
Induction forge is such an excellent tool for axe work especially.How cool would it be if someone got set up repairing/re-blading vintage axes on a small scale...
 
As a heads up, belt sheaths are now up and available for them. Thanks to the new steel rule die they've turned out even nicer than I'd anticipated. When off the hip the belt loop rotates out of the way, so it can be used as a conventional mask, or a cord can be run through it for baldric carry.

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FortyTwoBlades said:
As a heads up, belt sheaths are now up and available for them. Thanks to the new steel rule die they've turned out even nicer than I'd anticipated. When off the hip the belt loop rotates out of the way, so it can be used as a conventional mask, or a cord can be run through it for baldric carry.

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I just gave my truck hatchet to a visiting Swedish friend to take back and I think this set-up/material is exactly what would be appropriate for my needs. It will live behind the back seat in my truck with other gear and present for most camp/small cutting needs. :thumbsup:
 
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