Hand forging a hawk

Raymond Richard

Raymond Richard

Joined
Jun 17, 2001
Messages
5,705
For the last few days my interest has turned away from knives and hawks and axes are my new interest. Anymore the amount of the more physical hammering involved in forging a hawk keeps that interest away most the time. I've had a 1" square piece of 1080 already slotted thats was 6" long ready to be forged sitting on one of the benches for well over a year. I went and picked it up last night to use it for a straight edge and this morning I found myself sticking it in the forge. Anyway I took some picture that I hope will help explain whats going on.

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The first few heats I do will make the front of the steel wider by holding the butt end flat on the anvil and hammering the top of the steel. This is called "bumping up" or at least what I call it. This is a step that is usually skipped by fellows on the first few hawks they make. They get that banana looking thing on the one end. :D If you want to have an ax or hawk to be wider on the front this needs to be done.

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After the bumping up I start using my 6 pound straight peen to stretch and lengthen the steel. I may have had 10 or 15 minutes into what you are seeing now.

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This is where I chose to give the old arm a rest. After I did the stretching The next step is to start widening. I do that by using the cross peen hammer. 99% on the hammering done to this point was done with either a straight peen or a cross peen with the steel right on the flat of the anvil. I'll bring the camera back out to the shop and take some more photos shortly.
 
In the industrial world "bumping up" is called "upsetting". Not that it's upsetting to do it, but that is just what it's called. I thought you might like to know that little factoid.

Nice thread Ray. I've been wanting to make a hawk for a while, but have been waiting for a thread that goes through the process step by step, so that I have sort of a guideline to follow. If I were to choose someone to put together this type of thread, I would have chosen you. I'm really impressed by your hawks and can't wait to see more of this thread!
 
Looks great once I can get a forge setup hawks are what I want to learn so this thread is GREAT!! one question, What did you use/do to get the hole for the handle?
 
Ray,
I take it this thread is what you were refering to about using that extra head you'd made when you made mine?
If so, it's always a treat watching these threads and getting clued in to what takes place when you guys make the stuff I end up collecting... Yeah, the live demos at the shows are interesting, too, but I think it's the floor show there that I enjoy more! :D
This way, I can keep coming back to specific steps and figure out what you're talking about... :thumbup:
Looking forward to seeing more!
 
Awesome, looking forward to seeing this one unfold Ray --- thanks for taking the time to post this!
 
scottickes said:
In the industrial world "bumping up" is called "upsetting". Not that it's upsetting to do it, but that is just what it's called. I thought you might like to know that little factoid.

Nice thread Ray. I've been wanting to make a hawk for a while, but have been waiting for a thread that goes through the process step by step, so that I have sort of a guideline to follow. If I were to choose someone to put together this type of thread, I would have chosen you. I'm really impressed by your hawks and can't wait to see more of this thread!
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Scott, you must be the one......... :D I like bump up better.

AV has bumped up the amount of space for my web site so now I can take and store more pictures. I'm taking pictures as it happens and I'll try and explain as I go. I just hope it all makes sense when its over. I just basically want to show the sequences as they happen.

Is it November? I think I'm going to put on some shorts to do the rest of the forging. I don't ever remember saying I had to stop forging because it was to darn hot in November. I was just down to my sandals and I had to leave.....

Joe, Your right about the piece of steel it was from when I did yours. I've got a different idea going through my head now for this one. I've got enough steel to forge in a spike but not 100% sure yet.
 
Cool Ray, It isn't that hot down here. I guess it is just in those "northern" latitudes. Very nice progression thread though. Waiting for some grinding shots though.....Oh I think you should male your next one out of O-1:D I know you have a piece of stock.....
 
A C Richards said:
Cool Ray, It isn't that hot down here. I guess it is just in those "northern" latitudes. Very nice progression thread though. Waiting for some grinding shots though.....Oh I think you should male your next one out of O-1:D I know you have a piece of stock.....
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Chuck, You'll be waiting along time to see one out of that O-1 I got from you. When I'm done forging this hawk it will need no grinding. :D

Ryan, The eye that I had in this piece of steel was done by drilling two half inch holes in a row and then cleaning out the web with a carbide burr. I've already done a little drifting to it now but I'll re drift the eye when I'm close to finished with the forging. I'm not going to be doing the conventional eye for this hawk. It will mount up more like the store bought axes with a wooden wedge to lock it in place.
 
Raymond Richard said:
It will mount up more like the store bought axes with a wooden wedge to lock it in place.
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Hey Geezer,

Does that means it won't have a "fiberglass" handle like the store bought ones?

Get off your duff and post some more pics.

Geezer II......... Robert
 
Great thread Ray. It is always nice to see how someone else does it. Sometimes I pick up easier ways of doing things.
 
Bruce Evans said:
cool thread Ray...Nice to see how you make these....

Bruce
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Bruce, If it wasn't for seeing your video my ax and hawk making would have never started. Granted I have learned a few things since then but your video got me going in the right direction.

I'm going to post a bunch of pictures and try and fill in captions as I go. I'm go off of memory so this could be tricky.

One thing I have learned about hand forging is your goal is not reached on the first go round. Basically I follow a series of steps and I do these several steps several times before I end up with what I'm wanting and even then I may change my mind. Pretty much what I showed on the first post was step one. Step two is pretty much the samething as step one except theres a little more going on. I guess what I'm trying to say is to bring everything up equally and don't try to do it all at once. Go from small, to medium, and then to large. 3 different steps if you want to look at it that way.

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What I'm showing here is the cold shunt that forms almost anytime your moving this much steel by hand. You can grind this off but I chose not to. I'll just use the hammer and hammer it back into itself and at the sametime I'm shaping the profile as I go. These next 3 picture show me truing up the profile.
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This photo shows where I'm at now. The bits about 3/4 forged at this time. Its now time to shove the drift in the eye and true that up before it gets to distorted. When I'm using a drift its about the only time you'll see me wearing gloves. After the drift is used it gets pretty hot. Its real tempting to pick up bare handed. Normally after you get done using the drift it ends up on the floor. Its not uncommon to smell something around this time. Most likely what you smelling is the soul of your foot gear burning.
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I'm using my handy dandy Godzilla to get the spike started. I'll do just enough with that to get a tapper started on both top/bottom and sides.

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This is where I stopped. I'll take a good look at it and determine what I need to do next.

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Mr. Richard, thanks for posting these pics, they are helpful. i'm also on the list of folks looking forward to trying a hawk sometime soon, and i know this will be helpful when that time comes.
 
What a treat Ray! Thanks for showing the magic. Like everyone else, I'm watching with my breath held. I got my little one out to look at while you're doing this. What a nice piece that is!
 
Good post Ray, you do great work ..!! Now I know that when you refer to "foot gear" that you are just saying that for us softies..I've seen those feet and I don't think that a hawk drift is going to do much to them...
 
Ray,I see that old press you had just got before the fire is still in the corner and not fixed yet,why dont ya just box that thing up and send it to me and get it out of your way,roflmao.....

Bruce
 
ray....i know u said you were suing 1080 for your hawk....do you think there is any advantage to using just a bit of steel for the cutting edge or to use one piece of steel throughout the hawk.....i've seen people weld a small piece in the tip for the cutting edge...just wondering if there is a difference.....ryan
 
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