Tomahawk trainers in progress

Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
2,506
I had to toss my entire first batch of tomahawk trainers that I had waterjetted. Something about cutting the holes in the ABS caused the spray to deflect, cutting through the sides of the holes. I finished out a couple of the more solid ones just to be able to show folks at the Blade Show what I had in mind.





I just got a new batch of trainers waterjetted. These are made from 3/4" ABS, and should be very tough. I'll be doing some demonstration videos with them after they're completed. They are the same thickness as the handles of the real tomahawks and will be beveled the same way. The heads are the same pattern as the hammer poll I'm making, with more rounded corners and with anchoring holes to allow for padding to be easily added when sparring with a partner.



These were cut without holes. In the lower left you can see a pattern that I had cut from 1/4" mild steel that I will use when drilling the holes with my drill press. I added three additional holes to the head of the trainer from my original batch to allow for padding to be anchored all the way around the head for safety when practicing blocking and hooking techniques.



As you can see, they are the same lengths as the available tomahawks. They are only made in hammer poll form as adding a spike would be too dangerous on a hard plastic trainer; even a rounded one could easily penetrate a temple or an eye. The hammer polls are still long enough to train with hooking and limb deflection techniques that you might use with a spike 'hawk.

I also had some 'hawk blanks cut from the 1/4" mild steel to make sheath blockers with, so that Kydex sheaths can be built around them. I hope to have those available soon.
 
Nice job on the ABS trainers. I'd personally like the hammer style hawk for more utilitarian use vs a tactical fighter ... but that always comes down to particular tastes.
 
Got further progress on the trainers today. I started by lining up the pattern with a blank, C-clamping it, then drilling the holes.





Then I swapped for a countersink, set the depth stop on the drill press, and countersunk the holes, both sides.







After that, off to the router table. This is the same 45 degree bevel bit I use on the handle slabs on the real tomahawks, and the thickness of the ABS is the same as the handle (tang and slabs together) on the finished 'hawks.





It gets rather messy. I usually use a shop vac to try to control the mess, but opted out for the pictures.





After the first side, I decided to go ahead and use the vacuum.





And there you go, one 18" hammer poll training tomahawk with padding anchor holes.



Get a shave and lose some weight, man! :D
 
Shaw11b - It's a Grizzly milling machine that doubles as a drill press. I got the biggest table top model they have, and it was surprisingly inexpensive. Not that I know much about machining, unfortunately.

JayGoliath - Not yet. I haven't gotten to start on them yet. I will post pictures when I have. The process is the same, just the length is different, so I'll just post pics of the finished trainers.
 
I just use my press for kydex and and leather so no need for a bigger press. However like anything when you see a guy with a bigger car, gun, knife you just feel lacking lol. Plus if if I spent my money on a bigger press I wouldn't be able to buy the 12 in hawk to keep in my truck.
 
Finally got a finished picture of a 12" 'hawk trainer.



Next to an 18" version:



And a shot of both in hand:

 
Back
Top