Forge welding leaf spring steel

[TheEdge01]

I want to try making a tomahawk using leaf spring steel. Could I forge weld two pieces together to form the socket that the handle goes through? Or would there be an easier way?

 

[Joshua Fisher]

If you aren’t comfortable with forge welding it would be easier to start with a block of steel and punch then drift the eye. You could also drill a starter hole then drift that depending on the size stock. You can use 1045-1060 or 4140 for tomahawks/axes and those steels are easier to find in blocks. If the leaf spring is 5160 it tends to be a bit more difficult to weld to itself you want to make sure surfaces are very clean and flat, if you have a oxyacetylene torch or coal forge you can heat the middle of the bar and wrap the ends around then tack weld them together, I’d suggest adding a piece of steel in the middle of the leaf spring as your cutting edge. Not the best idea to have a potential seam where your edge is going to be. If you heat the leaf spring in a propane forge to bend it in shape you’ll need to reclean the inside faces which can be a pain. Hopefully that helps.

 

[Alex Topfer]

The term i've heard is a wrapped eye axe. I haven't tried it, but I agree with Joshua that you may as weld in a piece for the cutting edge.

 

[TheEdge01]

If you aren’t comfortable with forge welding it would be easier to start with a block of steel and punch then drift the eye. You could also drill a starter hole then drift that depending on the size stock. You can use 1045-1060 or 4140 for tomahawks/axes and those steels are easier to find in blocks. If the leaf spring is 5160 it tends to be a bit more difficult to weld to itself you want to make sure surfaces are very clean and flat, if you have a oxyacetylene torch or coal forge you can heat the middle of the bar and wrap the ends around then tack weld them together, I’d suggest adding a piece of steel in the middle of the leaf spring as your cutting edge. Not the best idea to have a potential seam where your edge is going to be. If you heat the leaf spring in a propane forge to bend it in shape you’ll need to reclean the inside faces which can be a pain. Hopefully that helps.

Big help! Thank you!

 

[Natlek]

I want to try making a tomahawk using leaf spring steel. Could I forge weld two pieces together to form the socket that the handle goes through? Or would there be an easier way?

Why you need to forge weld two pieces together to form the socket ? Make it from one piece of steel ?
Something like this in middle of that picture .Just clean inside surface before you bend it .Then mig/tig weld sides and in forge ? I can t see any problem to do that . Actually I think that I will make one this summer , I have plenty of spring steel Is it 52100 good for edge ?

or this picture show better

 

[TheEdge01]

Why you need to forge weld two pieces together to form the socket ? Make it from one piece of steel ?
Something like this in middle of that picture .Just clean inside surface before you bend it .Then mig/tig weld sides and in forge ? I can t see any problem to do that . Actually I think that I will make one this summer , I have plenty of spring steel Is it 52100 good for edge ?

or this picture show better

Thank you!!!! I’m going to print this off and hang it in my shop.

 

[weo]

Is 52100 good for edge?

If the leaf spring is 5160 it tends to be a bit more difficult to weld to itself

It's my understanding (please correct me if I'm wrong) that it's the chromium that makes 5160 tricky to weld, and 52100 has almost twice as much. So not sure if it'dbethe best choice for a wrapped eye hawk.

But to answer your question, Natlek, yes I'd say it'd be good for an edge as chromium is added to increase tensile strength, wear resistance and hardness (and corrosion resistance) Isn't 52100 considered a stainless steel?

 

[A.McPherson]

52100 is a chromium alloy steel. With 1.3 - 1.6Cr. I think stainless starts at 13%? Not positive though...

 

[weo]

I think stainless starts at 13%?

You're right about that. I'm wrong, I read my info sheet that 52100 had 13-16% chromium, not 1.3-1.6 as it should be. Thanks for the correction.

 

[velegski]

2 cents. Not an expert but I've made a dozen or so hawks using 1018 mild steel and 5160. I use the wrapped eye technique around a mandrel. I tried the small carbon steel insert technique but didn't get the weld joints clean enough so I switched to inserting a larger carbon piece that inserts to point where eye is wrapped around the mandrel. Clean contact surfaces to bare metal, tack weld insert and flux as needed.