Titanium alloy plate axe

[Mecha]

Hello all,

Here is an axe prototype/tester, cut and forged from titanium alloy plate. The cutting edge is heat-treated. The handle is elliptical, and tapers from thin to thick as it approaches the axe head. The entire circumference is filed into a bevel (except under the handle).

OAL is 30.5" with an 8" cutting edge, and a weight of 2 lbs 3 oz, balanced right at the top of the handle. The handle is rubber, nylon, and leather.

This axe worked great, so I will make a finalized version. Probably a little bit thicker and longer.

Thanks for looking!

Before testing:

During testing:

After testing:

Worked great, stayed sharp!

 

[d762nato]

Pretty Cool it looks light the way your swinging that beast around. It seems to be very sharp also. The Mad Slasher strikes again! I like it and weather resistant also, what's not to like.

 

[Mack]

That is seriously cool.
I want one. I will say that I would be missing some limbs if I tried your testing method though.

 

[Old Axeman]

Does not look like an axe to me. Also, you need to work on your axe skills as far as safety and woods etiquette.

 

[Square_peg]

I don't see what portion of it is 'forged'. It simply looks cut and ground to me. What am I missing?

At any rate it makes for a good brush axe. Like any axe that thin it gets stuck easily in larger wood.

When I split that red alder I set it on the block and simply show it that I have an axe. Then it falls in two on its own.

The choreography was interesting.

 

[Mecha]

Does not look like an axe to me. Also, you need to work on your axe skills as far as safety and woods etiquette.

Busted. I'm not much of an axe man, more of a machete type.

Not sure what else to call it than a bearded axe.

 

[Mecha]

I don't see what portion of it is 'forged'. It simply looks cut and ground to me. What am I missing?

At any rate it makes for a good brush axe. Like any axe that thin it gets stuck easily in larger wood.

When I split that red alder I set it on the block and simply show it that I have an axe. Then it falls in two on its own.

The choreography was interesting.

Ha! Yes the alder splits nicely. This thing would not be the best tool for use on the heavy stuff, but it sure is fast and easy on the lighter targets. Sort of a thick axe-shaped machete that can split wood. The finalized version will be a bit thicker than this very thin one.

The plate was rough cut and cleaned up, then the entire handle shaft was forged into an elliptical shape which makes the handle more stiff. The curves of the handle shaft were adjusted through forging also, and tapers to be thinner toward the handle. The entire axe cutting face was forged, flaring it out and beveling both sides. Forging refines grain size in titanium alloys and increases toughness. The forged parts were ground after forging, following the planes. Then the cutting edge was heat-treated.

Forging the shaft on this was a one-time deal to get the prototype to the right shape, and on the finished ones only the cutting edge will be forged.

One thing about this axe, it would really be a good one to bring into a Mad Max style death dome.

That is seriously cool.
I want one. I will say that I would be missing some limbs if I tried your testing method though.

It always looks scarier on camera.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[FLINT77]

as far as stiffening the handle goes - I can see why you would want it stiff - to avoid it bending side to side - since the whole thing is one piece and its pretty thin and pretty long - seems like there would be a tendency to bend or warp to one side or the other or both, I know if you had a similarly shaped piece of steel that thing would look like an S after not a lot of rough treatment. I don't know anything at all about titanium though.

I think the guy did a great job. whether I personally am into that style of chopper, or whether he technically forged anything. He did make something that chops the heck out of some stuff (for better or worse) and is better than I could make from scratch.

 

[junkenstien]

Pretty good video.Like the beat and your hat.Glad you didn’t loose any toes.Looks like a good brushwacker and if you find one of them death domes post up the address I would like to see how it treats ya.

 

[Mecha]

as far as stiffening the handle goes - I can see why you would want it stiff - to avoid it bending side to side - since the whole thing is one piece and its pretty thin and pretty long - seems like there would be a tendency to bend or warp to one side or the other or both, I know if you had a similarly shaped piece of steel that thing would look like an S after not a lot of rough treatment. I don't know anything at all about titanium though.

I think the guy did a great job. whether I personally am into that style of chopper, or whether he technically forged anything. He did make something that chops the heck out of some stuff (for better or worse) and is better than I could make from scratch.

Yes the handle is very thin, and the extra dimension helps keep it from being too boingy. And thanks! :]

 

[Mecha]

As far as I understand that isn't forging. Thats just bending it into shape and grinding it afterwards. Forging titanium requires a lot of effort: You need to protect the metal from any interferance from outside contamination. Usually glass is used for that which can stay on the titanium during forging, but becomes viscous. Forging loads are about 1,5 to 2 times higher on titanium on the same temp as carbon steel. Or the temps need to be about 1/3 higher compaired to carbon steel to achieve the same forging loads. So unless you are telling me you have taken all the neccesary precautions you havn't forged titanium. It also why you dont see people forging it, as is way to labor intensive. And it will kill hammers an anvils, because of the reaction to regular carbon steel, because of high temps en pressure. You can grind the hell out of it though.

Why you would want a stiffer handle is beyond me though? Titanium is plenty stiff on its own, even if you skelletonize it. You actually want less stiffness in a titanium handle, just for the benefit of less shock traveling to your arms.

But hey, what do i know?

I've been forging titanium alloy blades for over 6 years. The techniques are different than with steel. Yes it's hard to do. I broke a hammer face apart once while forging titanium alloy. It has also damaged or concaved trip hammer dies more than once. My anvil is chrome-moly but there is no "reaction" to carbon steel.

The handle was forged: distally tapered, forged into an elliptical cross-sectional shape, and the curves were adjusted a bit through forging by hand with a hammer and anvil. The cutting face was also forged: drawn out wider and beveled. The grinds follow the forged planes.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

That is a funny video. Keep providing your service.

 

[Moonw]

Love the music and the axe is cool as well for what it is. You remind me of the "Scumbag Steve" meme with that hat but as an (early) 80s kid loved the whole vibe of the video.

You'd also make a better ninja than me, glad to see you didn't lose anything valuable while making the video .

 

[Mecha]

That is a funny video. Keep providing your service.

Thanks. It's definitely not supposed to be a serious video, just for fun and also to give an impression of what the axe thing is like to use.

Love the music and the axe is cool as well for what it is. You remind me of the "Scumbag Steve" meme with that hat but as an (early) 80s kid loved the whole vibe of the video.

You'd also make a better ninja than me, glad to see you didn't lose anything valuable while making the video .

HAHA! Yep, that's the American Gladiators theme, ca. 1989-1991. That hat is my old welding hat! It's "clean" and has been washed, believe it or not.

 

[Mecha]

Another thing, is that the axe thing has had a bevel filed all the way around the edges. In the photos it looks like flat, square plate stock, but that is only one of the planes - it's sort of an optical illusion. The beveled circumference didn't show well in a photo.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

An interesting piece that seems to use the properties of titanium to make an axe-shaped tool that handles more like a heavy cutting sword while having a thicker cross section than you could normally get for that size/balance/weight. Looks kind of dadao-like.

 

[Mecha]

An interesting piece that seems to use the properties of titanium to make an axe-shaped tool that handles more like a heavy cutting sword while having a thicker cross section than you could normally get for that size/balance/weight. Looks kind of dadao-like.

Hey, somebody had to do it. You know, that's one of the reasons for the long beard, just to give it more edge since it ultimately IS more like an axe-shaped heavy cutting machete sword thing / bladed speed-basher futuristic neoViking weapon.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Whatever you technically call it, it's cool as all get out Well done, as always.

Loved the Gladiators music. They had a traveling show in their prime, and it was coming to town. I was in 5th grade and so wanted to go. My dad was going to take me, but he worked late and broke his promise.

My dad and I now work together (often late). I still rib him about never getting Laser's autograph Now if my daughter wants to go to Disney on Ice, I drop what I'm doing and we go. I don't need that guilt hanging over my head 30 years later

 

[LEGION 12]

Hello all,

Here is an axe prototype/tester, cut and forged from titanium alloy plate. The cutting edge is heat-treated. The handle is elliptical, and tapers from thin to thick as it approaches the axe head. The entire circumference is filed into a bevel (except under the handle).

OAL is 30.5" with an 8" cutting edge, and a weight of 2 lbs 3 oz, balanced right at the top of the handle. The handle is rubber, nylon, and leather.

This axe worked great, so I will make a finalized version. Probably a little bit thicker and longer.

Thanks for looking!

Before testing:

During testing:

After testing:

Worked great, stayed sharp!

That's awesome and you are a madman.