ot: about axe styles

Y

yoippari

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May 8, 2004
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I am planning to make a forgebeque and already have a few knives and small swords (seax to practice strait, single edge, kerambit to practice an inward curving blade, and probably a "aragorn elven knife" for a back curve). I would however, like to make an axe.

Any suggestions on what style to make?

I like most axes but I would like one that you could not just go out and buy at the hardware store.
 
easiest/cheapest type axe to make is to buy a plate of mild steel, and get a small piece of tool steel. Heat the mild and fold it in half making a sandwich with the tool steel. Keep a cool hardened rod nearby to keep an opening for the handle. If you have a piece large enough in diameter, then you won't need much reshaping later.

Then just forge out the end to whatever shape you want. A "battle axe" is the most common and easiest because the steel will have a tendency to spread out as you beat on it.
 
What I would suggest is to pick up an old 25 cent ball peen hammer head at a garage sale. Or from your garage. Pick up a decent size one, maybe 1-2 lb, that has a large eye in it. This way you probably won't have to use a drift to widen the eye. Then just flatten out the hammer side, it kind of takes on an axe shape as you go. You can also turn the ball-peen side into a spike, or adze, or whatever else you want.

I have almost no skill whatsoever at this sort of thing, but I did not find it too difficult to make a small axe in this fashion. My problem was that I chose a hammer head that was too small. I don't have a drift so I didn't widen the eye. When I put it together there just wasn't enough wood in the handle below the axe head, and the handle broke off after a bit of chopping.

I was very suprised at how well it chopped before it broke, considering how small and light it was. The steel got extremely hard when I quenched it in oil, and it took an excellent edge.
 
I wonder if you could forge a 2# Sledge Hammer into a double headed battle ax type head and then by immersing only the edges in oil, end up with a differentially hardened battle ax? I wouldn't want a totally hard head (no jokes please!)
 
See my Avatar,this Dane axe has about a four foot axe handle, cut back from 5ft, as used at the battle of hastings & earlier. carbon steel about 1/4 in thick, hardened steel insert hammer welded into edge which is about 8in. , socket is reverse tapered so axe is threaded on from the foot of the shaft & tightens just as it reaches the end. bayeux tapestry shows harold's housecarls neatly removing williams knight's horses from their heads with one blow of a dane axe. definitely NOT designed to cut wood. note edge is angled a bit like a khukri & slightly curved to enhance the slicing action...
 
I can get leaf springs from the scrap pile at my friend's british car shop. I figure that I would try the folding method but it would be the first forge welding I have ever done, or seen for that matter. Considering that winter is coming up I dont think I would be able to get the steel to the anvil befor it cools down too much.

The major thing I am not sure about (with the exception of the overall design) is shaping the hammer side. Oh ya, forgot to mention that. I will probably keep a round hamer head on the back side of it.
 
yoippari said:
The major thing I am not sure about (with the exception of the overall design) is shaping the hammer side.
Click to expand...

I think you have to just go and try it... it will become clear once you start working how to shape it.
 
I agree that making a small axe out of a ball pein is a good starting point. If the axe will get much serious use I would drift the eye to a larger size (so that it will accept a larger diameter handle).

The folded style of axe that Dan suggests (this is how most tomahawks were made) can be tricky for a new smith that doesn't have someone to help him along with the forge welding. I have made them and it takes some doing at first.

Another option for an axe from scratch is to start with square or rectangular medium carbon steel, then punch/drift the eye to shape. Punching the eye solo can be tough, so give your buddy a beer and get him to come swing a big hammer.

Two good referances for making axes are Jim Hrisoulas "The Master Bladesmith", and I believe "The Book of Buckskinning IV". I haven't done any smithing for at least 10yrs do to an injury, but if I can help you with any Q's just shoot away. :)

Adios,
stevo
 
cool stuff....yes, that's the kind of swedish carving axe I'm looking for. Need a large one and a small one....but I must admit....I'm feeling kinda lucky....probably going to try my hand at one soon....:D
 
FWIW, I tossed together a cinder block enclosed firepit in the back yard. I suppose we all could give it a try at next year's MWKK if ya'll would like to try.

A couple of questions: What is suggested for fuel for the fire? Charcoal? When you get the steel red hot and bring the folds over, do you use some sort of flux as in soldering to help in the forging process?
 
I'd definitely say charcoal--but not briquets! They have lots of clay (or somehting) as a binding agent, and they are "sticky" if you try to forge with them.
 
What you want is coke. You can burn coal to make coke.
You can burn wood to make charcoal - also an option.
I can get you info if you're really interested.

[edited to correct grammar oopsie]

You'll also need some type of blower, bellows, etc.

Forge welding is done at higher temperatures than forging. And yes - you'll need some flux to keep the weld clean. Many use off-the-shelf Borax (find it at Kmart in the household area). You can also use anhydrous (water removed) borax - more expensive, limited access.

Heat, Flux, Heat, Flux, Heat, Flux
Heat, Weld, Flux
Heat, Weld, Flux
(till you're done)
Heat, Forge to shape, Flux
(and so on)
Heat, Air cool (to normalize)
(repeat 3 times)

Done!


Sounds easy, right? :D
 
Nasty, lump (natural charcoal) is what you want, especially if you want to weld. Before you fold the steel over onto itself you need to get it to a good red heat, wire brush all the scale off of the steel, then sprinkle it with Borax (anhydrous works best ~ it takes less, it doesn't bubble up as much, and tends to stay put better. It can be bought from a blacksmith's supply; plain old 20 Mule Team can be had at the grocery or hardware store). Once you fold it over, bring back to a good red and flux again from the edges. The actuall weld will be done at a much higher heat, the steel should look like a cube of butter that has been left in the sun ~ almost translucent light yellow, and the flux should be whispering to you :) If the steel has a bunch of sparks coming off of it you have over heated it and it is now poop. Start the weld closest to the eye, and work towards the bit. This will probably take a few heats, so overlap the areas that are welded as you go. Do not pound the steel like crazy, strike firm deliberate blows. The steel is very maleable at this temp and can overly deform.

You will have to line your fire pit with clay or some other heat resistant material, or it will break or worse yet explode. Cinder blocks will not take the high temps that a forge will generate. Hope this helps :)
 
Nasty said:
A couple of questions: What is suggested for fuel for the fire? Charcoal? When you get the steel red hot and bring the folds over, do you use some sort of flux as in soldering to help in the forging process?
Click to expand...


Might be a better question in shoptalk but I believe they use Borax (likely available in a discount store or a Grocery store with the Laundry section, common brand is 20 Mule Team). Here in Kentucky getting coal itself isn't hard to do. You might want to use the charcoal as metioned earlier by Bismark. If you search for "Making Charcoal" on Google you used to get lots of hits. search for tribal blacksmiths too.
 
Charcoal is made from wood, and it is just that ~ charcoal, there is no next step but ashes ;) . You have burnt the wood enough, with limited oxygen, to form almost pure carbon. Coke is a different animal in that it is made from bituminous coal. As you burn coal in your forge the impurities will burn off, sulphur is a big part of this. This coke is light and airy, looks like lava rock sorta. This type of coke works well, and the only way I know to get it is to make it. I will elaborate if needed. The industrial coke that can some times be found is made under pressure and looks like a rock. It is hard to burn in an open forge, you need an excessive blast of air to keep it going. This air, if your forge fire is not deep enough, will oxidize your steel and cause excessive scaling and your welds to fail.

stevo
 
K Monster, what was the process you used to harden your axe that broke? I might be able to give you some pointers to keep the next one alive.

stevo
 
Yes....grammar oopsie - thanks for catching it stevo.....was trying to give Nasty some ideas....

Frankly, it's easier to just buy or make a gas forge. And a heckuva lot less messy.
 
First, a thanks to Dan for posting the pics. These pics were taken while I was in the process of making a handled drift, you'd do the same though to make a punched eye axe. In the one on the left I am using a long slender punch to put the initial hole through the stock, which happened to be the axle out of a one ton pickup (most are 1050 medium carbon steel). In the second pic I am using a drift that is much more obtuse, and that is handled, to enlarge and give final shape to the eye. The colors are misleading, the steel was not quite as hot as it appears ~ this work was done at a very bright orange to dark yellow. Most tool and blade forging is done a little cooler than this, but it is just a PITA to punch these holes at lower temps.The pics show very light yellow, which would be a welding heat.
 
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