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- Dec 13, 2008
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Hi again..Well we did one WIP on a slit & drifted style hawk...I wouldent feel right unless I did one on a traditional hawk...One you would find a woodsman from the late 16th century to the mid 19th century would be carrying...Id like to start of with a bit of history..
Steel was very scarce on the frontier, and my frontier I aint talking about the wild west
Im talking about the frontier outposts where fur trappers,traders and settlers traveled..The Appalachias and Adirondacks early on, then during the westward expansion..A great mnay of the tomahawks available on the frontier where trade items brought in by the French and English..One reason the trade axe is often refered to as the "French Trade Axe"..It was a utilitarian tool..It done everything from buthering to self defense..Cutting trap stakes to driving tent pegs..
Now back to the "steel was scarce" part...Wrought iron was the most abundant material available..Steel was far more costly at this time in history..Steel was refered in several forms..According to old inventory books there was "Blister Steel", "Shear steel" or "Cast Steel"...According to at least two historical texts I have read several frontier blacksmiths shunned blister steel and ordered "cast steel" whenever possible..
I suggest "Firearms, Tools & Traps of the Mountain Man" as it has copys of many frontier inventory lists, blacksmith accounts and details of historical knives,axes,firearms and other sundry items used by frontiersmen..
The "Wrap & Weld" method of construction was used to conserve the more precious steel..The body was formed by using a strap or flatbar of wrought iron, bending in a "U" shape..Then the eye was formed and a smaller piece of Steel was placed between the two cheeks..Then it was welded up..When forged down and sharpened the softer wrought iron was removed exposing the harder steel underneath..
here is a website with many historical representations and good information..
http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/
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The construction..
There is less forging in these style of axes than in the slit & drift style but its harder to make one of these..Ive seen a lot of people give up on making these because they could never weld them right.The dosnt have to be the case though.I almost did myself but im to stubborn
.Its not like welding damascus, since you have two materials that are so drastically different its very,very easy to get the wrong welding temps on one or both..Wrought iron takes an almost White heat to weld..do you know what happens to say 1095 or file steel when it gets White hot????? It turns to dust when you hit it, thats what happens..Theres a trick or two to that but Ill get to that later..
A weld like this is going tobe subjected to stress with every blow.So ity has to be right..If not you'll find out fast..I know the creek in front of my shop is full of failures frm years ago..
Ill try and devote a good long post to the welding..For now Ill can say is practice,practice,practice...Everytime you light a fire, weld something..I heard Mark Aspery say in a demo once that "You can call yourself a welder after about a 1000 of them"
For ours I think we will stay fairly traditional..Lisa will draw out a piece of wrought iron to about 1/4" thick x 1 1/2" wide by about 10" long..Then we will take a piece of 3/8" thick spring(which we happen to know is about 1060" and make the wedge for a cutting bit..
Then I think we may make our own haft from some curly maple boards we have stashed away
For tonight Ill post a pic or two of a standard "Wrap & Weld" hawk so you can see what we are after..
This one was Wrought Iron and high carbon cutting bit..
This one was 1018 mild steel and high carbon cutting bit..
Any questions just let me know..
Steel was very scarce on the frontier, and my frontier I aint talking about the wild west
Im talking about the frontier outposts where fur trappers,traders and settlers traveled..The Appalachias and Adirondacks early on, then during the westward expansion..A great mnay of the tomahawks available on the frontier where trade items brought in by the French and English..One reason the trade axe is often refered to as the "French Trade Axe"..It was a utilitarian tool..It done everything from buthering to self defense..Cutting trap stakes to driving tent pegs..Now back to the "steel was scarce" part...Wrought iron was the most abundant material available..Steel was far more costly at this time in history..Steel was refered in several forms..According to old inventory books there was "Blister Steel", "Shear steel" or "Cast Steel"...According to at least two historical texts I have read several frontier blacksmiths shunned blister steel and ordered "cast steel" whenever possible..
I suggest "Firearms, Tools & Traps of the Mountain Man" as it has copys of many frontier inventory lists, blacksmith accounts and details of historical knives,axes,firearms and other sundry items used by frontiersmen..
The "Wrap & Weld" method of construction was used to conserve the more precious steel..The body was formed by using a strap or flatbar of wrought iron, bending in a "U" shape..Then the eye was formed and a smaller piece of Steel was placed between the two cheeks..Then it was welded up..When forged down and sharpened the softer wrought iron was removed exposing the harder steel underneath..
here is a website with many historical representations and good information..
http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The construction..
There is less forging in these style of axes than in the slit & drift style but its harder to make one of these..Ive seen a lot of people give up on making these because they could never weld them right.The dosnt have to be the case though.I almost did myself but im to stubborn
.Its not like welding damascus, since you have two materials that are so drastically different its very,very easy to get the wrong welding temps on one or both..Wrought iron takes an almost White heat to weld..do you know what happens to say 1095 or file steel when it gets White hot????? It turns to dust when you hit it, thats what happens..Theres a trick or two to that but Ill get to that later..A weld like this is going tobe subjected to stress with every blow.So ity has to be right..If not you'll find out fast..I know the creek in front of my shop is full of failures frm years ago..
Ill try and devote a good long post to the welding..For now Ill can say is practice,practice,practice...Everytime you light a fire, weld something..I heard Mark Aspery say in a demo once that "You can call yourself a welder after about a 1000 of them"For ours I think we will stay fairly traditional..Lisa will draw out a piece of wrought iron to about 1/4" thick x 1 1/2" wide by about 10" long..Then we will take a piece of 3/8" thick spring(which we happen to know is about 1060" and make the wedge for a cutting bit..
Then I think we may make our own haft from some curly maple boards we have stashed away
For tonight Ill post a pic or two of a standard "Wrap & Weld" hawk so you can see what we are after..
This one was Wrought Iron and high carbon cutting bit..
This one was 1018 mild steel and high carbon cutting bit..
Any questions just let me know..
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