tomahawk eye

clint c

clint c

Joined
Aug 21, 2001
Messages
397
I was wondering if anyone here could give me a few hints on how to go about punching a handle hole in the head of a tomahawk. I'm figuring on forging a head of mild steel, and enveloping a highcarbon cutting edge. I have a 24 ton homemade forging press, and was thinking of making an appropriate sized die to punch it through when at welding heat, but was just curious what others had done. Also, what is a good source for tomahawk handles?
 
Clint,
I make all of the hawks (with the exception of damascus)the way you described. What I do is drill two 5/32" holes, one at each end of where the eye will be, and use those as guides for you hot cut. The press is a poor choice, speaking from experience, for hot cutting or drifting the eyes. The even steady pressure will wedge the cutter or drift so tightly into the hole, that you will have to cut the hawk head apart to get your hot cut or drift back! I've tried coal dust, cooking spray, and what ever else I could think of to avoid the tools sticking in there, but so far have had no luck in defeating the probelm.
I've come to the conclusion that for punching and drifting eyes, it's either best to do it by hand, or with a power hammer set up with spring fuller type hot cut and/or drift. Whatever you do....DO NOT HOLD THE HOT CUT OR DRIFT BY HAND ON THE PRESS OR POWER HAMMER! That's a good way to loose some fingers, or break a wrist! There's not a man alive who can keep one of those things from suddenly twisting or slipping in a press or hammer.

If your looking for hawk handles (ash or hickory) you can get those from a buddy of mine at... http://www.medriver.com
As mentioned before, the fancy maple handles can be had from Rade Hawkins!

Let us know how things go.
 
I've done several both by drilling a couple holes like Ed or just by spliting with no holes, the holes do help keep you in line with your cutter. I do all my forging by hand, I wished I had a press and power hammer, but a poor man has poor ways.:D When spliting and drifting keep you spliter and drift cooled and cover with bearing greese, this will help keep them from sticking, I keep a 3lb can sitting beside the anvil and just dip the tools before and after, when you first put the greese covered tools to the hot steel you will get fire so I wear a heavy leather glove on the hand holding the tools.

Good luck and be careful,

Bill
 
Thanks very much, fellas, I appreciate your input. In fact, you probably saved me a solid week of sweating and swearing, as thats usually what happens when I attempt something I havn't tried without consulting others in the know! Again, thank you.
 
I dunno if this works i haven't tried it personally.

The Guild of Metalsmiths presents:
Materials you might use




A durable hot cutting, swedging, punching, lubricant


Mike Mobley, a smith and farrier for over 50 years offered this recipe for his own special lubricant designed especially for hot cutting, and forming. Mike says it will stick on the tools even when driven into a workpiece at red heat and pretty much prevent the tool from catching and sticking in the work. He says it also helps maintain the temper in your cutting or forming tool.


Lubricant Recipe


2# of beeswax
1/2qt of 90 wt gear lube
2 cans of STP
4 tubes of graphite

Boil it.


This lubricant ends up as kind of a paste which you can keep in a can near your workstation and periodicly dip your punch, drift, or chisel into. Mike kept a stiff brush in his
 
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