Crosspost from Axe/Hatchet/Hawk forum: Reshape an axe head?

[DayGlo_Koolaid]

So I was cleaning out my grandparents' garage, and I found this old axe head.

Granddad said I could have it, knowing full well of my intentions. Said it would have ended up in my hands anyway, since he's never gonna use it again. Doesn't have a maker's mark, but it DOES have a crack in the eye that goes down about 3 millimeters.

I'd like to reshape it into a tomahawk, like so.

I've got a pretty decent machine shop available, and I DO intend to drift the eye out to make it bigger. Trouble is, I don't have a drift. What can I use as a substitute? Also, can I use a bandsaw to cut this thing out, or do I need to spend a week cutting it out with a coping saw?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Welcome to Bladeforums.

If you have a pretty good machine shop....just make a drift from mild steel.
The head can be annealed and cut out on a band saw.
Drift the eye at fully soaked red-yellow heat.

That said, the mass of an axe head is distributed far different than a hawk. Also, the eye is going to be quite large. What your drawing looks like it will yield is a small fire axe.

 

[fast14riot]

Well if you just want something to do, then I guess go for it, but it will be cheaper and easier to buy a $20 hawk and modify that how you want. Personally, I wouldn't use it for more than a paper weight, you can see the crack for 3mm but it probably is bigger than that. As over sharpened as that thing looks, you'll have to thin out the cheeks a tremendous amount to get any kind decent cutting ability.


-Xander

 

[DayGlo_Koolaid]

Machine shop, yes. Copious amounts of steel at hand, no.

 

[fast14riot]

You can find an old piece of 5/4 rebar it will make a good drift, or a weight bar for free weights. Maybe even an old RR spike might work. Just remember that the further from the original edge you get the thicker it will be and more metal will need to be removed from the cheeks.


-Xander

 

[chuxwan]

Did you ever get this thing cut out? I was just thinking if it's hawks you want, you could cut it in half lengthwise and make two.