Forging (reshaping help)

[Sean Gadhar]

In a trekking topic (3 days in the woods) we were talking about a light entrenching tool, I came up with http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1473489/

Like most Ideas someone else had it 1st. http://www.amazon.com/Forgecraft-U...OUNG8/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=ARZEG26O0O9M7

So I got one but the handle is oval not teardrop and so the "eye" of the Adze Hoe head dose not quite fit a standard Hawk handle

Here it is next to my Townsend English Light Inf. Axe. head




I have no, zero, nada Forging under my belt, but it seems there is enough metal there to reshape that "eye".

Is that something a 1st timer could do? If so what would I need?

Or would I be best to find a smith here about & not take the chance of mucking up the job?

 

[hawkeye2]

I think I would just get a handle that fit it and reshape that to suit your taste or make one from scratch. A smith that makes hawks will likely have a drift of the proper shape (they are available commercially) and can redo the eye for you if you wish,

 

[Sean Gadhar]

My hope was to have a tool head that I can interchange the handle with my hawk. This head is 14oz I know a 2nd handle is only what? 8oz or so more.

I don't think this tool will make the weekend trekking cut (weight to benefit) but a 4-5 day spike camp might well justify 14oz for a digging tool that can also shape wood and about 4 miles into a 10 mile hike replacing a 25-35oz folding shovel with a 14oz tool (when leaving the extra handle behind) becomes important!

 

[crockett]

Sean- I don't know if your thing is the mountain man era but trapping parties routinely carried grub hoes and used them to dig caches, etc. Miller has one painting of a grub hoe being used and there are a few references in mountain man diaries plus a listing or two on the inventory sheets. A few years back I made an effort to get details on exactly what these grub hoes looked like. My issue was that I could find pre-1840 grub hoes but were they what mountain men used or did they tote along a unique style? If I recall the Miller painting the handle looked to be similar in length to a 3/4 Axe or say 28" and the hoe looked to have a head about like you see on a Maddox. Some other grub hoes have much wider and larger heads but likely not as strong. As much as I could figure- various styles existed. I ended up sort of dropping the quest. Maybe the Museum of the Fur Trade up in Chadron, NE might have detailed information. The handles on those tools could have been round- I don't know.

 

[LaBonte]

Sean - Yes you could reshape the eye and the easiest way is to use the proper drift (an iron tool made in the shape of the hawk handle). Unless am historic type smith most won't have the right drift or any at all.

If you don't have anyone around close to fix it let me know and I have a friend just down the road from where I live here near Durango that could fix you right up for minimal cost. If interested PM and I can set you up.

Just noticed you're a mover - was in that business for 12 years as operations officer for a couple of outfits.

 

[necchi]

Or would I be best to find a smith here about & not take the chance of mucking up the job?

That ↑↑
I'm no forge guy myself,, but what the guy's use what I think is called a spud,,
It's a hard metal spike like thing that's the proper shape for a handle, they get the area to the proper temp then "drive" the spud into the eyelet.
He's not on here much anymore but I can personally vouch for member cutshurt, http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showuser.php?uid/15589/

 

[hawkeye2]

Tomahawk Mandrel
http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/products/knife-making/standard-tomahawk-mandrel.html

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Oh SURE! It starts there. Just one little old Mandrel..... then ...before you know it....I'm sleeping on bags of charcoal in the shed because the wife found out how much the forge on the pallet in the driveway cost!! :nono:

I've heard about you guys trying to pull babes in the woods like me over to the BLACKsmith side :nono:

Besides :wink: I can't tic her off right now I have 5 yards of Spanish Brown canvas all ready to be made into a bed roll & I need her sewing stuff & help to get it done.

:hmm: Of course, she doesn't know what a Mandrel is.....could tell her it's just a tent stake .....will they ship in a plan brown wrapper?


DANG IT!! Now you really DO have me trying to justify a $35 tool to fix a $16 tool so it will do what a $12 folding shovel could do ALMOST as well

 

[hawkeye2]

"DANG IT!! Now you really DO have me trying to justify a $35 tool to fix a $16 tool so it will do what a $12 folding shovel could do ALMOST as well "

Yep, a lot of us enjoy turning a sow's ear into a better sow's ear. :grin:

 

[LaBonte]

Kinda like the guy who decides it would be cheaper to cut his own firewood; $40K pickup, truck, $1.500.00 log splitter, $500.00 chainsaw, etc. (no you don't need most of that but...)

Sean I checked with Jerry and he would be glad to do the job - Jerry Rodri, 9 Tongs, 970-385-7670. Best to get him on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday afternoons. He also makes THE best sparking flint fire starters as well as knives, axes, and hawks.

 

[Mercian]

Yes if you want it to match the eye of you hawk it is achievable but unless you take it to the guy who made the hawk or someone else who has a drift that matches you'll probably have to pay them to make one. Then so long as there is sufficient material thickness in the eye wall to allow for any stretching which may occur, the actual job of drifting it to size isn't that great. I served an apprenticeship and was a blacksmith for thirty two years. If I didn't have a drift to match I wouldn't bother, looking at it I'd just get myself a piece of Ash or whatever you guys use and shape a handle or two to suit.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I'd just get myself a piece of Ash or whatever you guys use and shape a handle or two to suit.

:shocked2: ASH!! Hickory if you please....

why an ash hawk handle is like :hmm: well like Sunday roast with out Yorkshire pudding, Treacle tart without clotted cream, Africa without a Rigby. It is done, but not spoken of in polite company.



:rotf:

 

[Mercian]

Hickory trees don't grow in England, we have to make do, but then our Ash trees are mighty fine trees. :wink: Treacle tart...no no...Blackberry and Apple pie, when Blackberries are in season of coarse. But I thought we were talking about a handle for your adze not your hoe. :wink:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Blackberries :thumbsup: when I would go to the northwest in the fall I could be there for days before I remembered to eat something else. YUMM!

While some custom hawks are out there, and "mouse hawks" are as well, I feel safe in saying the majority of American (sold in) hawks today are of a standard size eye. I have handles from at least 4 different sources, from both cast & forged hawks & I believe all will interchange.

I have a small basket full of handles for when my son & his friends come over & throw. I buy half a dozen when Track of the wolf, crazy crow, or Townsend have a sale. So my energy is being spent to bring this one adze into the fold.