Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

Hi guys, I'm getting ready to mod my own hawk and I'm getting tons of inspiration from all the ones I've seen so far. Just checked the UPS site and it looks like my pipe hawk will be waiting for me when I get home.

I do have a few questions before I get started with the mods. I'm thinking of doing a leather bootlace wrap on the handle but I'm concerned that some of the bootlaces nowadays are treated with so many preservatives that they won't absorb water and I won't be able to get a nice shrink-wrapped fit. Should I be looking at rawhide laces or a specific brand of laces so I can use this technique?

I was also planning on bluing the head using express blue. How easy is this product to use? I've used oxpho blue before on a kukri project and wasn't happy with the results and this seemed like it would be a good solution

thanks for the info in advance!
 
Hey Smith, I've seen sandal and clothing leather shrink pretty well but don't think I would trust shrinkage alone for a handle wrap on an unmodified handle. If there were some recesses it could shrink into, maybe, but even then I'd be inclined to swab on some shellac or glue. maybe I'm a pessimist....
 
Thanks for the info. I was also planning on using some brass tacks as a wrap stop at the top and bottom of the wrap, so I'm not relying on the shrinking of the leather as the only thing keeping it all together, I was just hoping it would add a little tightness to the wrap. I'm sitting here thinking of all these different things I could do to the hawk...I think I'm going to have to get a few more :D
 
Just finished my mod...but I'm stuck. I cant seem to get the head as far up the haft as I want. What should I do? Keep hammering it down? Or just leave it? It on there good.

c8a25ce3.jpg
 
Colog, you could knock it back off and then remove more wood from the haft such that it fits better. I usually use a wood rasp and rough sandpaper. Or, get a saw and hack off about half an inch from the end.
 
What pullrich said. :thumbup: You can also use a sharp knife to whittle the wood down as well.

Nice spike hawk BTW!
 
Messed with my old Riflemans Hawk last week.... here's what I ended up with:

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...I decided to use a longer 22" haft, and knock off the hammer poll for better ballance.
This was my first try using leather on a hawk, it was a learning experience. I made some mistakes but will do better next time. :)
Tried to give the lower part of the handle some more grip by denting in the wood in a stippling process, my wife says I should call it "dappled" -like the horse. :)
Gave it some tacks on both ends, and some embeleshings on the head..... anyway I think it feels pretty good in the hand, and can't wait to use it!
 
All great but what really stands out for me are the vertical lines you filed around the eye. That just really ties together what is otherwise a messy profile. Well done!
 
pullrich said:
All great but what really stands out for me are the vertical lines you filed around the eye. That just really ties together what is otherwise a messy profile. Well done!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I've had this head laying around for a while now, and I did the filework on it years ago. (I think I could do better these days) I like the Norse style etching you did on your rifleman a while back and my have to try some norse/celtic stuff sometime myself! :)

foecutter said:
looks like it means business. Dose the leather on the end help your grip?:cool:
Click to expand...

Yep, I made the leather wide enough to grip, and it feels pretty good in my hand. :)
 
So here is my finished spike hawk. I kept it simple. Stripped the head and aged it in cider vinegar. Sanded it with 220. For the haft I carved some grooves in the handle, burnt it and sanded down to 100. Stained it with 3 coats of walnut poly stain. I didn't get the head on the haft as far as I wanted but I don't care. I'm going to throw this and use it camping. I'm pleased with my first attempt. Definitely going to do more hawk mods in the future.

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The tree is on my property and coming down soon. So I don't feel bad about driving the spike into it.

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Really fun project.
 
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BryFry said:
Messed with my old Riflemans Hawk last week.... here's what I ended up with:

006-6.jpg

007-4.jpg

005-10.jpg

008-1.jpg


...I decided to use a longer 22" haft, and knock off the hammer poll for better ballance.
This was my first try using leather on a hawk, it was a learning experience. I made some mistakes but will do better next time. :)
Tried to give the lower part of the handle some more grip by denting in the wood in a stippling process, my wife says I should call it "dappled" -like the horse. :)
Gave it some tacks on both ends, and some embeleshings on the head..... anyway I think it feels pretty good in the hand, and can't wait to use it!
Click to expand...

That is beautiful. How did you do the brass colored star where the allen set screw was ????
 
TwinStick said:
That is beautiful. How did you do the brass colored star where the allen set screw was ????
Click to expand...

Thanks! I shaped it with a Dremel cutting disc, then filled it with a "liquid steel" like two part compound, let dry then sanded smooth.

Ideally you would use a nice metal like silver, gold, or the more affordable pewter, and melt it down to fill the hole. But I don't have the means for that. ...could have used dyed epoxy too, but the stuff I had on hand comes out a nice off white color that's not bad. :)
 
BryFry said:
Thanks! I shaped it with a Dremel cutting disc, then filled it with a "liquid steel" like two part compound, let dry then sanded smooth.

Ideally you would use a nice metal like silver, gold, or the more affordable pewter, and melt it down to fill the hole. But I don't have the means for that. ...could have used dyed epoxy too, but the stuff I had on hand comes out a nice off white color that's not bad. :)
Click to expand...


If you would be so kind, what is the name of it & where might one find something like that ? I am working on a CS Trail Hawk & Spike Hawk. These are my first hawks, i'm takin it very slow & hope they might turn out to look as good as yours. Thanks
 
TwinStick said:
If you would be so kind, what is the name of it & where might one find something like that ? I am working on a CS Trail Hawk & Spike Hawk. These are my first hawks, i'm takin it very slow & hope they might turn out to look as good as yours. Thanks
Click to expand...

I bought it a long time ago over the counter at a local auto parts store. I don't recall the exact brand, as all I have now is a clear tube of the stuff. But it looks like this style of "putty epoxy" :

http://www.amazon.com/Henkel-431348-Loctite-2-Ounce-Epoxy/dp/B000BOB8P6/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

The outside compound looks blue, but the center is white. You cut off a portion and kneed it together like playdough. It turns to an off-white to blue'ish grey color, and has the feel of sculpting putty, but hardens to a metal like consistency.

To fill your set screw hole with it, just smoosh it all in there so that it fills every crevasse, and just leave extra putty sticking out the top rather than trying to smooth it right away. Let it dry and harden for the recomended amount of time, THEN sand the excess putty down flush with the surface of your hawk.

I haven't tried it, but I think you could also use a clear epoxy like this: http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-84101-PermaPoxy-General-Purpose/dp/B000ALJ4NS/ref=pd_cp_hi_2 -and mix in a little clothing dye with it to make it any color you wanted!

-Hope that helps!
 
Could you use use a blow torch and melt copper wire or tubing to fill the hole? Someone told me the blowtorch was hot enough but I've never tried it.
 
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