Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 BlueprintAgent205 Sign Out Search... This topic 7 I Forge Iron Forums Pages Blogs Gallery Downloads Calendar Chat View New Content I Forge Iron → Bladesmithing → Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc Induction Heaters 4-160KW Affordable, Powerful & Dual-Station Compact, Digital, 2-mode with Timer www.AcrossInternational.com Power Hammer at Lowe's® Find Top-Brand Rotary Tools and Accessories at Lowe's®. Shop Now! www.Lowes.com Carbon Steel Pipe & Tube High Temp / Pressure Pipe Supplier. All Major Specs – Request a Quote www.fedsteel.com Rate Topic Follow this topic 2 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP Started by KYBOY, Jun 20 2011 11:23 AM Page 1 of 2 1 2 NEXT Reply to this topic 25 replies to this topic KYBOY #1 Senior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 11:23 AM This is how they use to do it.No electricity.. *The Materials: A 9 1/2" long, 1 1/2" wide, 1/4" thick strap of 1018. or wrought iron of appx size.. * A 3/8" thick forged to wedge shaped piece of 1095 Thats it for the materials..Smiths of yesteryear kept the cost down as much as possible, hence the mild steel body and Members high carbon cutting edge. Good steel was scarce so as little of it was used as possible.. 905 posts Well we are going ot use the coal forge with a hand cranked blower. Remember, no electricity Location (Appalachia), eastern, Kentucky We use a large deep fire to weld in and bank the coal up. *Heres a pic of the axe head ready for its first welding pass. The eye roughly formed and the high carbon bit in place... *After the very first welding pass, as you can see it still needs a couple more before starting any other magor work.. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 1 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 *Ok, at this point its been three welding heats and the drift as been used the first time to set the eye shape. It wll be used again in a step or two for the final shaping. You will see a pic of it there.. Here is where you see how good your weld is We use a fuller to forge a notch in the bottom of the blade. The edge of the anvil can be used as well. If your welds not right here you'll bust the head apart! *Ok, now the head is ready for shaping. You know that funny looking thing on the back of your smithing hammer???? This is what its for, spreading the blade out wide http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 2 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 *Here we have spread the blade out and am getting ready to square it up to profile.. *Now we use the drift for final adjustments on the eye since about all the heavy forging is done. You can true it up again later if needed.. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 3 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 *Alright, since your using mild steel for the body its going to forge at a differnt rate than the high carbon. It will spread out over the high carbon completely jacketing it. The edge of the blade needs to be trimmed up. Again since we dont know what a 2" x 72" grinder is we are using a handled hot cut to trim it up.. *Again no electricity so no grinder..We put it in the vise and hot rasp the head.. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 4 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 *Here we have a close final shape, stamped with a touch mark. Any filework on the spine and stoning will be done cold..This is what it would pretty much look like as a trade axe. We did go ahead and hot rasp the edge and set the bevels but you cant tell it here..Here we would have brought the edge up to temp and quenched it in the slack tub. Then final sharpening and out to some lucky frontiersman to use.. From what I have researched over the years I think this is a pretty close representation of how a traditional trade axe may have been made..Thanks Please any questions or comments, fire away.. MultiQuote Quote Grundsau #2 Junior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 12:27 PM http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 5 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 Thanks for the great info! I've been wanting to do this for some time now and will try giving it a go. Allen Members 138 posts www.facebook.com/FurnaceCreekForge Location Robesonia, Pa. MultiQuote Quote MLMartin #3 Senior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 03:10 PM There has been many groups that have traded with many other groups over time. You may want to narrow down trade axe to a time period and civilization. If you are going for a American made Indian trade axe for say the 1700 - 1800 you are somewhat off in you shape. And when I say off I just mean for the most common shape being made by Americans Members around that time period. There were many many different shapes made, but that is not the most common one of that 620 posts time period. Location Georgia What time are you portraying? The small axe dose look vary useful in any regards. Not trying to be ugly, It just seams people always say they are reproducing something and don't give any specific context to when or ware the reproduction is to be from. MultiQuote Quote KYBOY #4 Senior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 08:10 PM I know what you mean, not trying to reproduce any certain type of axe. Just the method used in construction.. Members 905 posts Location (Appalachia), eastern, Kentucky MultiQuote Quote MLMartin #5 Senior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 08:23 PM I really enjoy welded steel bit tools. It did make me think when I was watching a video from perhaps the late 60s to mid 70s out of Colonial Williams Burg. The master smith was making a small belt axe, and he just pulled the wrought Iron body from the fire, forged and bent it. Then took a welding heat, I thought that maybe they had edited out the steel bit Members being placed in between. Nope. He welding the body, then took a second welding heat and used a drop tong weld and 620 posts just welding the steel bit right on the side. He did not seem to be worried about the steel not being centered at all just Location Georgia plopped it right on there. When he was done the axe looked great. Since the steel hung out by about a inch I guess by the time some one had worn all the way through the steel bit to where it would be off center it would be worn out any way. Just a different way of doing things. I wish I could remember who the smith was, It was the master of the shop right before Peter Ross. MultiQuote Quote KYBOY #6 Senior Member Posted 20 June 2011 - 09:07 PM http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22286-traditional-trade-axe-wrap-weld-construction-wip/#entry227064 6 / 11 Traditional Trade Axe "wrap & weld" construction WIP - Axes, Hawks, Spears, etc - I Forge Iron 11/19/2012 Ive never heard of that method before, sounds cool. Id like to see that. I have seen a method where the HC steel is folded over the outside edge of the axe head instead of between like in the pics above. Members 905 posts Location (Appalachia), eastern, Kentucky MultiQuote Quote oakwoodironworks #7 Member Posted 21 June 2011 - 06:17 PM Good Job! I really enjoyed your pictures and how to information. Members 123 posts MultiQuote Quote Bentiron1946 #8 Senior Member Posted 22 June 2011 - 02:40 PM Over the years of watching demos I have seen it done with a single piece on the the out side, in the middle and as a "U" shaped over the outside of the welded body. I guess it just goes to show the ingenuity of the various smiths at how they thought it ought to be best. You have come a long way in smithing abilities, you done good. Malleum sapientiorem vidi excusso manubrio! Members 3,476 posts Location Cave Creek, AZ, USA MultiQuote Quote ThomasPowers #9 Senior Moment Member; Posted 22 June 2011 - 03:49 PM Master Curmudgeon One of the methods used to come up with a typology of medieval knives is how the steel edge is applied, *all* those methods and even a simple but weld were used in Medieval European knifemaking. When you have worn through the steel part you take it back to the smith and have him weld on a new piece. Members "Knives and Scabbards", Museum of London, has information on how medieval knives were made---and out of over 12,998 posts 300 medieval examples excavated in London I don't recall a single double edged one! Location Central NM Thomas Psychotic Psychobabblonian Powers MultiQuote Quote KYBOY #10 Senior Member Posted 23 June 2011 - 03:18 PM Bentiron1946, on 22 June 2011 - 02:40 PM, said: Over the years of watching demos I have seen it done with a single piece on the the out side, in the middle and as a "U" shaped over the outside of the welded body.