Spike Hawk from ball peen

[Nowicki]

It's been a while since I been here....Busy as $#*!  but I found a little time to do some forging.
This is my first ball peen hawk. I did a spike on this one. I think there will be more in the future.
Spike Hawk made from a 24 oz. American made Ball Peen Hammer
Aged patina with a hickory haft.


Larry

[ottawa]

24oz that makes better sence  ive seen these nice looking hawks made   butt all they say is ball peen did you drift the eye too make it bigger? been trying to make a drift or locate one no luck on both.. nice looking hawk

[Brian]

Nice job.  Very nice piece of work.  If I had access to a forge I'd try it myself.  But you seem to have it under control

[eseabee1]

Nice job I am looking right now for a forge but all I find are propane ones are they any good

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Wicked.  Terrific.

[Chuck Burrows]

Nicely done especially since it doesn;t look made from a hammer as do others I've seen....

...I am looking right now for a forge but all I find are propane ones are they any good

Propane forges can be just fine - I use one mostly anymore due to ongoing fire restrictions (we're in our 15the year of a drought) - IMO I would check with Darren Ellis http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/
Drop him an email and discuss your needs and he wil get you setup - I like the blown forges myself....

[Nowicki]

I did drift the eye to fit the hafts I use. I don't remember where I got it but I'll probably forge my next one. I was at a hammer in this spring and watched Tony Swatton forge a drift for a chasing hammer he made and it didn't look hard to do. He makes everything look easy. I haven't been looking for one so I'm not sure where to tell you to get one.

I like coal but gas works better for clean controlled heat. I just built an oil fired one and it works great. It is all I use right now.  I used a Becket burner and designed it to be portable. The main body is poured refractory with the top stacked fire brick. The brick can be stacked to do small stuff or long stuff up to 38" or more if the back end is open.
I can be at forging temps in 3 min. and welding in 7. It burns 1.25 gal of oil a min and that's cheaper than propane.
I have made some nice damascus with it. I even designed it to melt stuff for casting but haven't done any yet. It will take up to a #4 crucible.

Larry

[ottawa]

1.25 gal a min? of oil    you dont spend a day working at the forge using just that? never hurd of the oil burning forge gas and coal thats all

[Nowicki]

My bad......1.25 gal per hour

Larry

[Nowicki]

Here is a pict of it

Here it is with the chamber open

[jmforge]

I am pretty sure that Hawkins Knifemaking Supplies in Georgia still sells tomahawk drifts in a couple of different sizes.