Forging a trade axe or tomahawk part 1 - blacksmithing for beginners

Рет қаралды 43,019

5 жыл бұрын

The simple wrapped eye axe is one of the oldest axe designs. Similar axes were made all over Europe at one time. In the US these were a common trade item and are now often simply called a tomahawk.
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The following list provides just a few resources to help you find supplies and equipment for blacksmithing.
These first links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you buy from these dealers.
My blacksmiths apron www.Forge-Aprons.com use code BBF
My favorite cordless angle grinder - www.anrdoezrs.net/links/885600...
My cordless die grinder - www.anrdoezrs.net/links/885600...
To find more information in blacksmithing in the US or to search for your local ABANA affiliate group visit.
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Other suppliers of blacksmithing tools and supplies
Self contained air hammers - www.saymakhammers.com/
General blacksmithing supplies - www.oleoacresfarriersupply.com/
General blacksmithing supplies - www.piehtoolco.com/
General blacksmithing supplies - www.centaurforge.com/
General blacksmithing supplies - www.blacksmithsdepot.com/
General blacksmithing supplies - www.blacksmithsupply.com/
Square head bolts and lags - www.blacksmithbolt.com/
New anvils - www.oldworldanvils.com/
New anvils - www.nimbaanvils.com/
New anvils -
Industrial supplier - www.mcmaster.com
Tong blanks and tools - kensironstore.com/
Fire brick and refractory - refwest.com
Blacksmithing and related activities can be hazardous. These videos are not a substitute for competent professional instruction. Your safety is your sole responsibility. Always use appropriate safety equipment including eye and ear protection when working in the shop. Follow manufactures safety guidelines for the use of all equipment. In the event something shown in one of these videos seems unsafe, it is up to you to make the appropriate changes to protect yourself.

Пікірлер: 92

@Little_River_Forge 9 ай бұрын

If you have a forge and have ever swing a hammer or even want to learn, this is the best channel on KZfaq, if you’re not subscribed to johns channel you are missing out on a ocean of knowledge

@caleblandry1780 2 ай бұрын

I’ve already turned a claw hammer into a hachet as a twist on your ballpeen hammer video and and since then learned how to forge weld steel and wrought iron gonna give this a shot tomorrow on a smaller scale incase I mess up and if I get it right will scale it up and give it my best, thank you john your a amazing teacher/blacksmith and explain unlike any other thanks to you I’ve got way more comfortable and started my own shop recently!!

@RojasCarpentry 5 жыл бұрын

I get more and more jittery wanting to swing a hammer here at college. Back home my anvils await me!!

@Puppybreth242 3 жыл бұрын

Same

@countryboy4383 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video sir

@garygraham2974 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome job bro

@moretimethanmoney8611 5 жыл бұрын

I like that you point out the delicate nature of the weld. Many people don't realize that no matter what you do, there will always be impurities in a weld that make it weaker than the parent metal. I've seen a few x-rays of welds on piping and the difference between weld and parent metal is obvious.

@BigWillSD 5 жыл бұрын

Keep the primitive coming!! I love it!!

@stanervin6108 5 жыл бұрын

My two favorite topics: forge welding and edged weapons! 🐾🔥⚒

@frankgaletzka8477 3 жыл бұрын

Hello John This Video is very teachfull You show in a very good way how to forge a Axe I like that Have a good week all the best Yours Frank

@heinoobermeyer7566 5 жыл бұрын

I have been fighting with this style for ages! Thank you for the great advice

@williambeshearssr3958 4 жыл бұрын

Nice another project for me thanks

@marcusstarnes8760 5 жыл бұрын

Hey john thanks for the video we have a customer asking for a tomahawk and was not sure how to do it , but there you go right on time with the answer. keep it up great work

@3870TheDad 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome video, John!!!

@larryking606 5 жыл бұрын

Wonderful project ! I have been very tempted to do this project , but now you have given me much more confidence to jump into it Thank you for the Inspiration ! Take Care

@Vic1943_ 5 жыл бұрын

thanks john nice work great looking trade axe. have a great day blessing to you and yours

@lenblacksmith8559 5 жыл бұрын

Love seeing you forge weld things like these axes.

@mikejeffers6371 5 жыл бұрын

Great Hawk John can't wait to see it finished.

@dsmasynergy 5 жыл бұрын

Outstanding! I look forward to your videos every day!!

@mustang198626 5 жыл бұрын

Nice little axe. Can't wait to finish my forge up and start making them myself

@hannemannironworks1651 5 жыл бұрын

I look forward to the next videos this is a project I’ve been wanting to do for a while!

@workwithnature 5 жыл бұрын

Makes sense to get the eye in the right shape before welding and having the bit cold so it does not burn, hoo and well with the teeth it really looks like it stops the bit from popping out. Must give all that a try. Thanks.

@adampablodayc 5 жыл бұрын

Great job,nice Hammer from Daniel Moss.I just found some 1/4 × 1 1/2 about 20 in long and an old 2ft piece of leaf spring ,down by the river while fly fishing .I will be trying this project soon.

@MP_Single_Coil 5 жыл бұрын

Great timing! I just bought a tomahawk drift today for tomorrow's project. You answered quite a few questions.

@silvergoldking 5 жыл бұрын

Wow you whipped that right up.Great job.

@grandadz_forge 5 жыл бұрын

You made it look soooooooo easy. Fun to watch

@Pseud0rand0m 5 жыл бұрын

Great video, I liked the voiceover. I make these using large farrier rasps and they will definitely chop! Often times I add another piece to the end to give the axe more of a beard.

@schmiedepeter3881 5 жыл бұрын

This is another wonderful Video from you - THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

@jjppres 5 жыл бұрын

Nice John! Seems you just kind of knocked that right out very quickly. Looks good.

@mikechapple2363 5 жыл бұрын

I think that may have given me the confidence to try a weld that big. Thanks

@robertmartin7643 5 жыл бұрын

Great work John!! Thanks for the inspiration!

@NeilGraham.I.M.F 5 жыл бұрын

Good work as always. Liked the vioce over narration

@steelpennyforge5152 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome job. I need to make a few of these. I love to throw them !

@danielrogers32 5 жыл бұрын

I really like the voiceover narration. It is easier to hear what you’re saying.

@johnjude2677 5 жыл бұрын

Good timing for I have started mine but putting coil steel in mine only still got to forge it down to .5 in. .then find the time after a first job to do next. Thanks John Have a drawing for to have a beginer come and work under you for a prpject.

@lut5ch3r Жыл бұрын

That is a nice piece! Btw. I think you were a bit hungry at the end of the video :)

@gabrielnavarro8721 5 жыл бұрын

Great work !

@ronthacker211 5 жыл бұрын

Great video. Loved it.

@richardsolomon8076 5 жыл бұрын

Lovely piece of work, well done John

@jls191 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks John.

@BIGDOGFORGE 5 жыл бұрын

Great project Good job.

@brettsayers7768 5 жыл бұрын

I have been thinking of making something similar and this has really helped, thanks John.

@dadegroot 5 жыл бұрын

I made one of these from an old farrier rasp. Worked brilliantly and I've even used it to fell small sapplings. (a rasp doesn't get you a large cutting area).

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

The rasps look good, but as you say aren't a lot of material.

@gurvinderkau1e5w18 5 жыл бұрын

Nice video. Waiting for hardening and tempering video

@blackdeath4u 5 жыл бұрын

Great video! My next project is a small axe, but I've been struggling with trying to figure out how to make the axe eye. I'm not confident in my ability to drift it in yet, so this is perfect for me! I'll be using 5160 for the cutting edge, so I'll reference your other axe videos on hardening and tempering. Thanks again! You make it look so easy!

@e.lworkshop5832 5 жыл бұрын

I watch it well ~

@Zogg1281 5 жыл бұрын

That's a brilliant little axe! I was having a bit of a laugh at your "flux addiction" (your words, not mine 😂) after watching a load of Roy @Christcenteredblacksmith video's about forge welding with "correct" amounts of flux 😂 I think your flux addiction should probably be called "recovering" as you don't use as much as you used to 👍👍😋

@Cubic5 5 жыл бұрын

Nice video. Is it possible at the end of the video to put up the time it took you to make something. It will give us amateurs a good time to shoot for if we attempt something like that.

@AlbiesProductsOnline 5 жыл бұрын

I have never had a problem hearing you the few times the gas forge was on and you talking the mice is close enough to your mouth to make your voice loud enough to hear no problem I can only speak for myself but it’s not a problem to keep it on in my opinion it’s all good

@johnkotlarchick4191 5 жыл бұрын

Did u see Paul pinto made a 4 sided hammer. How practical do you think that is?

@Frie_Jemi 5 жыл бұрын

ever considered painting one side of your touch mark punches for faster orientation?

@TheLoneWolfForge 5 жыл бұрын

Another good one John! You may have answered this before, but where do you get your drifts? Looks cast.

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

This one is cast. I don't have the name for who I bought it from, it was many years ago. But they are on ebay most of the time. Cast ductile iron instead of regular cast iron, so they stand up to the abuse.

@danielcrawford7315 5 жыл бұрын

Neat item. And the 1075 bit should make it pretty dog gone useable. Large forge weld for sure. May i ask, have you an oppinion on the practice of adding 1080 powder steel to the flux? Thanks for having us out to the shop today. Blessed day sirSir, Crawford out

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

Many fluxes have some iron powder. But I don't know about steel. It moght burn off before the weld is ready. worth trying if you have the powder on hand

@danielcrawford7315 5 жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge thank you. Tim at big dog uses it i think. Just curious on your take.

@yandiwa4707 5 жыл бұрын

Make a wood bowl adze one of those days, another tool to HT !!

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

I have several videos on the subject.

@yandiwa4707 5 жыл бұрын

Thxi did check them out. Do you know how to forge a wood gimlet? Don t see that around... but it s a very cool tool. Thx for all your exceptional video and knowledge content!

@fiorevitola880 5 жыл бұрын

John: How do I get you to make me an Axe-Like the one you are making? Thanks

@megadwood18 5 жыл бұрын

I like your ruler can that style still be bought .

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

That one os shop made from a square

@bunyanforgings7849 5 жыл бұрын

With the drifting proceedure it sounds like forge welds aren't quite as strong as fusion or even brazed welds. That's not to say that they're weak. At what point do you know when it's time to stop bringing the piece up to welding heat?

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

They can be, but the section near the eye needs to remain as thick as possible. Which means you have minimum opportunity to refine the weld. As you get further down the blade the areas that received mire forging and refinement have much stronger welds.

@codyironworks307 5 жыл бұрын

Do you have a good place to get that style of foundry gloves... I haven't had any luck finding them on eBay... does amy at piehs sell them? I got several pairs for Christmas but I used them up

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

They are from Pieh Tool

@18tblacksmithingstarttofin82 5 жыл бұрын

Beginner Smith here and I'd like to send you a few things I've made

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the thought. There is a mailing address in the video description

@lenblacksmith8559 5 жыл бұрын

I'm wanting to make an adze for a friend but I don't have any carbon square steel, I have some fairly big round spring steel from an axel from a 4x4 any Idea's how to go about it, have tried punching a hole but boy it's hard stuff.

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

I'm afraid that punching the hole is still a must. However if you are comfortable forge welding, I prefer to make the body from mild steel with a welded on edge. I have a few videos on the subject. The mild steel is much easier to punch

@nathanstrunk7673 5 жыл бұрын

Using the flux as glue? We all do it at times

@johnwalker5938 5 жыл бұрын

Another great instructional video...and timely as I'm about to forge a small axe for a friends 65th birthday. I usually avoid welding in my gas forge as the flux instantly destroys my refractory! Just wondering if you have the same problem or have you found a way minimize this problem. Thanks again for the terrific videos.

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

You can use a sacrificial tile or kiln shelf but even those don't last long. My forge now has a hard fire brick floor that seems to be holding up way better than most forge lining material. James Austin adds coke to his forge floor as a consumable floor that gets refreshed throughout the day.

@hosiercraft9675 5 жыл бұрын

Is 4140 a good axe steel do you think?

@BlackBearForge 5 жыл бұрын

Lots of people make axes from 4140. It would be good for hard use axes but perhaps not able to hold an edge well enough for carving axes

@Earth-bornGraffics 2 жыл бұрын

Where can one get tomahawk and traditional axe drifts?

@BlackBearForge 2 жыл бұрын

Try Pieh Tool

@sirkai007 Жыл бұрын

My attempt to replicate this project has not yielded the same results. If I'm using O1 for the cutting edge, does that present any challenges?

@BlackBearForge Жыл бұрын

I have always had trouble forge welding O1. 1075 or 5160 are good options for the bit.

@yourredcomrade717 5 жыл бұрын

next video do a forging job dressed like dr phil! lol

@donaldbayes6235 5 жыл бұрын

Have you ever thought about making a smoking pipe axe or Hatchet.. it's a Native American I believe from the Plains Indian where they were traded with them don't quote me on that