Mjolnir for Christmas: One Helluva Deadline

C

ColdDeadHand

Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
141
Mod: can I post this here? Gonna be more of a war hammer than a hammer...It has a sharp edge on the back.
I just think the tomahawk customization guys are gonna be more help here than the "Cutlery and Tools" folks. I could be wrong.

Back story:
My lil sis is a sculptor, BA FA and everything.
She has a hammer, but I want to take her game up. Oh, and she's into comics and mythology, so Thor is pretty high on her list.
This project started life as an Estwing Bricklayer's hammer w. wooden handle.
Stock:
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Sanded the handle, dyed the wood:
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Shaping the head (it's pretty rough around there):
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Stripping the head:
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Getting close to something I can etch on:
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Final project will need a lot of really cool Norse-themed etching, then patina, then thinking a leather guard toward the head for protection, and going to make a really cool belt hanger so she doesn't have to set Mjolnir on the the ground or a table all the time.

What do you think?
Please, any suggestions or warnings from experience here are welcome, I have never really done this much with a hammer or tomahawk.

Thanks!
 
Someone on here mentioned they were cleaning up rusty tools in a vinegar bath. After a while the bath gets pretty funking and the tools come out with this black scum on them. The person I'm refering to mentioned that they left the scum on the tools and it gave it a really cool hand forged look. I tried that and got similar results. This hammer might look good like that. Of course you would have to suspend it in a way that didn't touch the wood or tape it up really good and cross your fingers.
 
I think I'm ok on the etching, but has anyone tried both electric and just straight acid?
How do the results vary?

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Here's something I know I don't know:
How do you put the leather guard on the top of the handle by the head?
was planning on a relatively simple wrap around with a leather lace closure.

Anybody have a link on like a How-To video for that?
 
Another How-To vid I could really use a good link for is how do you do the file work around the edges?
was thinking I'd polish the head, THEN do the file work around the edges, then tie the etching into the file work.
 
First some file work on an old CS GI Tanto for practice. Not bad, but learned a lot.
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Head came out like this. It's a little unusual as the bevel there is on 45º angles, not 90º like on a knife spine. SO glad I did a practice run on the tanto first.
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Now for the "lightning" down the sides of the blade.
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A lot of work to do still, but getting there. Might even make it in time for Christmas.
 
More progress photos. Etching today. I doubt anybody cares, but it's nice to have a place to keep up with my progress and see it coming along.

The black stuff in nail lacquer.

The runes say "Mjolnir" in Younger Futhark:
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Odin the All Father. No disrespect intended, I'm just not artistically gifted.
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Lightning down the sides on the All Father side.
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Lightning down the blade:
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Left most of the lacquer on wherever I did not etch. These are the principal icons, but I feel like it needs more filled in all around.
 
Looks pretty cool! Not such a fan of the partial lacquer though. You don't want too dark a patina to hide the etching. Can try heated lemon juice, or maybe an irregular mustard patina woud give a suitably ancient look. Interested to see what you come up with, since I have an axe I want to "viking up" a bit.
 
I like the mustard idea. Or a paper towel soaked with pickle juice will make an irregular patina.
 
No disrespect intended, but for the sake of honesty, this isn't really my cup of tea. But, the lightning is fantastic! Could you explain more of how you achieved that?
 
Thanks for all the replies. For the lightning I had to cover the whole thing in the nail lacquer and let dry for a few hours. Then I did a Google image search for Lightning and looked for something I liked. Printed it out in black and white and set it up while I worked. I actually use a mechanical pencil to remove the lacquer, then kind with the poky metal tip, .05mm. You just scratch off the lacquer wherever you want etched.

Then you etch it. My setup currently is 12V 1A "Full Battery Charger" I got for like $8 at Harbor Freight. The fluid I use is a couple Tbs. of water, a bunch of white vinegar heated, and salt until no more will dissolve.

Watching this video was my "Aha" moment when I realized I could etch at home without super-powerful chemicals.
[video=youtube_share;jibYm-EB2BY]http://youtu.be/jibYm-EB2BY[/video]
 
Pretty much done with etching, just have a little lacquer to get rid of with Q-tips.
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I think it could've been better. Could've been worse, though.
 
Thanks for the ride along on your project. Looks good. For what it's worth, Odin only has one eye :pirate:
 
This is for my little sister who is a sculptor, very much into mythology and currently finishing her first comic.

You have saved me from lifelong humiliation.
 
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