Torture Ideas Please

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
3,745
I'm in the 4th prototype of the interchangeable poll hatchet now and am pleased. I have one more prototype that should make it a little more production friendly, before I post pictures.

I've tested it pretty hard so far and am pleased...so far anyway:confused:

One problem I have always had with multi use tools is they never seem to do anything really well. So I made it a good hatchet first.

Second, I made a spike poll that really works well and takes abuse well and changes well.

Third, I redesigned everything to work better.

Forth, I redesigned my handle up carry system because it "Ain't no good if you don't have it with you"

5th, I designed a sleeve that allows use with the hammer poll also.

I have chopped with it. One log was 20" in diameter and it held up fine.
I dug with it. It isn't a great digger but is better than a knife.
I hung tree steps with it.
I used it to pin catfish heads while skinning them.

Then the big test since I had a request for one to go to Iraq...(I have mixed emotions about this one but I'll get into that when I post pictures for comment)...anyway I used it to poke some holes in a helmet. I hate to disappoint anyone who thinks I have Kevlar helmets in the bottom drawer but I had to use a steel pot.
It punched very nice holes with very little damage to the poll.

Anyway.....I even loaned it to my son. This is always a sure fire way to break it and it even survived that.

I need new ideas to put this through before I come up with the final design.

Thanks
 
Send it to me for my son to test. If it passes his torture it will pass anything!

Id like to see this thing Peter.
 
One idea to develope the design a little is to now only hard test it but soft teat it (I made these terms up :p )

Try doing detail work with it as well. This could aid in the general shape some. Try using it in the kitchen and see where it digs into your hand and modify the choke up shape some.


Just a thought......
 
Come over to my house and dig up all my crabgrass, Then cut up my steak that you cooked for me and Deb :)
 
Marriage.

Oh wait, you mean torture for the hawk. Ok. :-)

Try chopping copper electrical tubs to see how it holds up to that. I messed around with this a bit.

Tim
 
Maybe find something heavy to pry to see how it holds up. I would image that it would be hard to find a old door that you could try to pry open but that would be a great test also. Interested in seeing pics, sounds great. Mark
 
I second the comments about making sure it's comfortable to hold if ya want to choke up and use it for finer cutting.

What about making it harder to break the handle, since that's usually the weakest link in the chain? Maybe use Osage orange or walnut instead of the lesser hardwoods. (if you aren't already) Or, add a strip of steel that extends down from the head to cover 3-4 inches of the front (and back, since you obviously intend the poll(s) to be used a lot as well) of the handle. This would protect the wood immediately below the head if ya miss what you're swinging at. I've seen strips of steel fastened the full length of the handles on medieval battle axes to protect the wood from swords. (and then of course, they just started making the whole dang thing out of steel)
 
Maybe take it to a junkyard and try prying open a couple doors or trunks with it, or see if you can hack your way out of the inside of a car with it?
 
The tests went well this weekend. I used it in the yard, pried stuff, chopped stuff, cut a hole in a 55 gal drum and punched several more holes in my steel helmet.

I used two polls. One longer than the other and both with the tapered shroud. With the exception of dulling the polls and blade on some of the unusual cutting, no damage so I guess the heat treat is OK. It's made from O1.

I couldn't get any Derilin for the handle so I had to test it with wood. Still didn't break it.

My biggest concern has been the threads holding the poll. The shroud seems to have solved that problem. It takes most of the impact on it's shoulder.

I'll post pictures next week but don't expect much. This thing has no soul at all. It's all tool.

It's flat ground and I milled the eye to cut down on weight. The closest it has been to an anvil was when I stuck in the forge to heat treat.
 
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