Reshaping Modern Axhead

[nuttbush]

Any pards out there ever taken a modern axhead and reshaped it to older belt axe or tomahawk.
I have a small craftsman axhead I would like to try it on. Would you use hacksaw and files. Blowtorch would ruin the temper. I am not a smith so reforging and heat treating not an option. I would basically be cutting new shape out of old and refinishing, I know that it would take a while and a lot of elbow grease, but I thought it may be fun to try. Any tips or advice appreciated. Thanks.
Gene

 

[BRUN]

What about a grinder?

 

[Black Hand]

I found that a grinder was not the best option for me. I had much better luck with a vertical belt-sander with an aggressive belt. Make sure to keep it cool while you work the metal.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

You can give it a try but the handle shape will be all wrong due to the size of the eye in the head. Could be an interesting project...

 

[chipper]

I would use a 4" angle grinder with a cut off blade to cut sections off you don't want. I do this all the time to my hammers. I make small sledge hammers into double ended cross peens all the time. Once you get the basic shape down. Then use a grinder attachment to the angle grinder and shape away.
You may need to re-temper when your done, but that's simple if you have a forge. I ussually heat 4-5 inches of the blade up to critical, quench the first inch in oil. While the rest of the head is still hot, pull it out of the oil and watch the colors run down into the blade. Once you have the right color, quench it all. I've had really good luck with this re-working tomahawks used for hammers.

Regards
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado

 

[Black Hand]

You may need to re-temper when your done, but that's simple if you have a forge. I ussually heat 4-5 inches of the blade up to critical, quench the first inch in oil. While the rest of the head is still hot, pull it out of the oil and watch the colors run down into the blade. Once you have the right color, quench it all.

Neat trick Loyd. Thanks!

 

[ameling]

Over the past few years, I've modified a number of modern hatchet and axe heads to earlier shapes. Some I did by just grinding them on the bench grinder (cooling them often to retain the original temper). Some I cut up with my chop saw (metal cutting saw). And some I reshaped/forged/tempered in my forge. It's all a matter of what you want to end up with, and what you have to do to the original axe/hatchet head to get to that shape.

I often cut a modern single bit axe head or small hatchet head into two pieces - 1/3 and 2/3. I do this with the chop saw, but the hard part is holding/clamping it down to cut it safely. I usually then cut off the extra metal on the Poll, if I want to round out the eye. The forge then really helps to re-shape the eye, blade, and poll sections. But I also do that with the grinder - if the shape is close enough. If you are forging it, you have to re-temper it. If you are grinding to shape, cool it often to retain that original heat-treat. Just grind off the extra metal that isn't in the right place. Yes, I also use a hand-held angle grinder for a bunch of this, and for that finish work - with both grinding and sanding wheels.

Filing to change the shape will take a long long time. The bench grinder of hand-held angle grinder really speads that up. 2/3's of a modern hatchet head does make up into a pretty good small "bag axe" or belt axe. The other 1/3 forges up into a very good spike hawk - in a much more correct small size. 1/3 of that modern single bit axe head forges up into a good large spike hawk or bording axe (the pole becomes the blade, with the old blade portion being forged into the spike). The other 2/3's can be ground into a good small or "half" axe. If you remove the extra metal on the poll and round the eye, you can get a good classic trade axe, but you have to re-forge it.

The hard part of making any axe or hawk is getting that eye made. Starting with a modern hatchet or axe solves that, plus you already have good metal to start with. The rest is just getting creative, and "seeing" what you want within the shape you start with. A forge to re-shape things really helps, but you can do a lot with the metal cutters and grinders.

Have fun. Just look at the pictures of the original axes and hawks, choose what style/shape you want, and then "see" what can be done to get that style/shape out of that modern axe or hatchet.

Just my humble thoughts to share.

Mike Ameling

 

[PaulN/KS]

I have modified a couple of the hatchets that have tha hammer head on them.I look for the older ones that have the octagon hammer polls then use a 4" hand grinder to remove the nail puller notch and reshape them.The older roofers hatchets make a nice light weight belt axe especially if you thin down and reshape the handles.I got a couple of old carpenters hatchets a while back that are nice as they are.The hand grinder works best for me then a little file work to finish them out.

 

[doverdog]

The photo below is of a tomahawk a friend made me for my birthday. It is made from a modern carpenter's hatchet, done with a 4" angle grinder and files.