Cleaning up cast tomahawk head?

[NorthFork]

I have a TOTW 'Iroqouis' tomahawk head that I am working on. It is a cast 4140 head. I have filed off the sprue and have draw filed off the mold parting lines on the top and bottom edges. No problems there. However what should be done with sides of the hawk? Being cast, it has a slightly rough surface. I'm hesitant to start with files as the surfaces have cast in 'engraving' and I would prefer not remove them. Here is a link to what I'm talking about.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/471/2/TOMAHAWK-IR
How would you all proceed with cleaning up the sides of the hawk? Thanks.

 

[oldwood]

Sorry if you don't have a 4" X 36" belt sander , w/ a blue , or green belt on it. The job should take about five min's to get the rough off , then some light hand work with a fine grit emory cloth with wood backer. Not bragging , but for 50+ years , I've accumulated 3 belt sanders , mostly because I'm lazy , and don't like to struggle working with metal.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

So I would get some very fine emory paper 800 grit or 1000 grit, and some oil, like that used on a sharpening stone to hone knives. I'd wrap the 800 grit or 1000 grit around something with a flat level surface, such as a block of wood. Something to keep the paper flat and rigid. Then I'd apply the honing oil to the paper and the side of the hawk blade, and begin to polish the surface. The honing oil helps to keep the microscopic abrasive surface of the paper from becoming clogged, and the use of the hard flat device to hold the paper keeps it from dipping down into the cast engraving. Don't use a rubber tool meant to hold sand paper as that can flex a bit. A felt or cotton wheel with a polishing compound will also dip down into the "engraving" and mess that up. You just want to polish the surface of the sides of the blade but not dip down into the "engraving". As soon as you get one side polished up bright, stop, as you are slowly removing metal and making the cast engraving more shallow as you proceed. Repeat for the other side.

LD

 

[Tom A Hawk]

What LD said.

 

[NorthFork]

Thanks guys!

 

[user 48679]

FWIW, I just removed the painted (?) factory black finish from my CS Frontier Hawk, and started to dance with who brung me...….. after shortening/staining the issue handle & adding some garnishments, of course..

 

[Artificer]

So I would get some very fine emory paper 800 grit or 1000 grit, and some oil, like that used on a sharpening stone to hone knives. I'd wrap the 800 grit or 1000 grit around something with a flat level surface, such as a block of wood. Something to keep the paper flat and rigid. Then I'd apply the honing oil to the paper and the side of the hawk blade, and begin to polish the surface. The honing oil helps to keep the microscopic abrasive surface of the paper from becoming clogged, and the use of the hard flat device to hold the paper keeps it from dipping down into the cast engraving. Don't use a rubber tool meant to hold sand paper as that can flex a bit. A felt or cotton wheel with a polishing compound will also dip down into the "engraving" and mess that up. You just want to polish the surface of the sides of the blade but not dip down into the "engraving". As soon as you get one side polished up bright, stop, as you are slowly removing metal and making the cast engraving more shallow as you proceed. Repeat for the other side.

LD

Excellent advice!

I would add that for the curved surfaces, you can wrap the emory paper around something like a half round file, though be careful not to cut the surface of the hawk with the teeth.

You can also just round a piece of wood to closely match the curved surface of the hawk and do the same thing with it. This is safer to do because then you don't have to worry about the file teeth.

Gus

 

[NorthFork]

Got it done. Just took some elbow grease. Waiting on a proper hickory handle. The one TOTW shipped with it is grossly undersized in diameter for the eye on the head.

 

[BillinOregon]

Please let us see your finished hawk, sir.

 

[NorthFork]

@BillinOregon

I'm embarrassed to show my work. I cannot do the quality of workmanship that others can do on this forum. The head has been blued. I may work the blueing back some with steel wool. Undecided at this point. I also need to sharpen it. Right now I'm fighting fitting the handle. The one TOTW sent is grossly undersized. I ordered 2 from CrazyCrow that SHOULD of been too large in diameter and one is barely adequate and one is undersized. I will work with the adequate one for now. I may need to just buy a hickory shovel handle and work it doesn't a tear drop shape.

 

[NorthFork]

Hopefully the pics work out. Poor quality camera on tablet combined with a non tech savvy operator.

 

[NorthFork]

I got 90% of all pits out. 100% of any casting marks. All file work. I then progressed on to steel wool. I gave up on any thoughts of wet sanding very early on.

 

[NorthFork]

Hmmm... no comments on pics.

 

[andy52]

Your work looks fine to me, I generally brown my hawks but the blueing looks nice also.

 

[Ruben44]

Looks like it turned out very nice, great job!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hmmm... no comments on pics.

OK so that's partially done...,




Now it needs some "field testing". Maybe two years worth. Send it to me and I'll test it for you free of charge?


NO ?


Hey I took a shot! No pun intended.

LD

 

[Kenn]

Hopefully the pics work out. Poor quality camera on tablet combined with a non tech savvy operator.

Very nice! I agree with your thoughts on lightly using 0000 steel wool to back off the bluing. Your 'hawk looks brand spankin' new which is fine if that's the look you want. Gradually applying steel wool would soften the bluing & give it an antiquish appearance which might be more favourable for you. If you disliked the results, you could always re-do the bluing & return to where you began. Nice 'hawk though. The for sharing photos!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Looks good and I would rub it back to expose some steel and give it an aged look but that's just me. Hey I have that same book Flintlock Fowlers. Great book!

 

[Notchy Bob]

It looks great! I would agree with buffing it back a little, though... A little more buffing here, a little less there, to give the color a pleasingly uneven, patinated look rather than the uniform coloration of a fresh blue job. I would use fine steel wool or a worn Scotchbrite pad.

Good work!

Notchy Bob

 

[crowbarforge]

nicely done.