Gents,the time is nigh for me to pry myself out of the forge,this time for realz,before i'll seriously jeopardize my "real job".
There'll be assorted grinding and HT-ing,by'm by(the first i'm particularly worthless at,nor have any proper equipment for,i'm a hot-work shop very one-sidedly,so it won't be very interesting).In a few months,hopefully,i'll resume from this point onward.
What did we all learn on this journey so far?
Seems like,many of these axes were made in that time when the last of the smaller forges were giving way before the irrepressible onslaught of very large companies.
I think that as they were getting steam-rolled they imparted much to what eventually became these several iconic American axe patterns,that in turn practically changed the very axe-paradigm all over the world,with their huge bit-length,convex cheeks,and much more ample eye-volume.
But back then the Industry was just getting going,and they still had many attributes of older,more hand-made processes.
They likely Were the transition.
I'd cautiously venture to say that they were based on the availability of rolled stock,probably strap in 1/2" or 3/8" thickness(from before-,during and after the growing capacity of US to produce it's own;iron for tires was always an important staple).
In Eric Sloane's "Noah's Diary"(18-teens) the smith buys all his material as tire stock,using remnants for all other projects.
I initially started playing with 2" starting width,and it seemed a bit on a skimpy side.Axes` were looking too narrow for the period(or they would've have to been smaller/shorter).
This last one was at 2 3/4",and that 3/4" increase in width created a fairly radical change in all physics,so that's something to file for the future experiments.
That smaller/narrower eye was most likely re-designed sometime soon after,as the mass of axes increased...
Speaking of eye dimensions,that height of eye(dictated by a long edge?)was just So much more conveniently/economically achieved by welding vs slitting,that welding remained a standard procedure for well over a hundred years hence,serious changes in technology nonwithstanding...
I some obscure,imaginary reality how cool would it be if someone did an in-depth historical study of this...(and how i'd love to be on the testing/forensics crew of something like that!
There'll be assorted grinding and HT-ing,by'm by(the first i'm particularly worthless at,nor have any proper equipment for,i'm a hot-work shop very one-sidedly,so it won't be very interesting).In a few months,hopefully,i'll resume from this point onward.
What did we all learn on this journey so far?
Seems like,many of these axes were made in that time when the last of the smaller forges were giving way before the irrepressible onslaught of very large companies.
I think that as they were getting steam-rolled they imparted much to what eventually became these several iconic American axe patterns,that in turn practically changed the very axe-paradigm all over the world,with their huge bit-length,convex cheeks,and much more ample eye-volume.
But back then the Industry was just getting going,and they still had many attributes of older,more hand-made processes.
They likely Were the transition.
I'd cautiously venture to say that they were based on the availability of rolled stock,probably strap in 1/2" or 3/8" thickness(from before-,during and after the growing capacity of US to produce it's own;iron for tires was always an important staple).
In Eric Sloane's "Noah's Diary"(18-teens) the smith buys all his material as tire stock,using remnants for all other projects.
I initially started playing with 2" starting width,and it seemed a bit on a skimpy side.Axes` were looking too narrow for the period(or they would've have to been smaller/shorter).
This last one was at 2 3/4",and that 3/4" increase in width created a fairly radical change in all physics,so that's something to file for the future experiments.
That smaller/narrower eye was most likely re-designed sometime soon after,as the mass of axes increased...
Speaking of eye dimensions,that height of eye(dictated by a long edge?)was just So much more conveniently/economically achieved by welding vs slitting,that welding remained a standard procedure for well over a hundred years hence,serious changes in technology nonwithstanding...
I some obscure,imaginary reality how cool would it be if someone did an in-depth historical study of this...(and how i'd love to be on the testing/forensics crew of something like that!
