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Mike's Flintknapping, Blacksmithing, & Primitive Crafts
- Thread starter Blade-meister
- Start date
Here's a better picture of the filed tomahawk heads
I also had a good afternoon of blacksmithing this past Saturday creating some much needed things around the smithy. I needed a metal flux spoon so I made that and put together a dipper for my half barrel water quenching tank. The most interesting thing though was a Christmas ornament order for a 11 yr. old aspiring blacksmith. I came up with this hammer. I even put a wedge in the end like I would if I were putting a handle on one of my own hammers. It was a fun project.
Here's a better picture for size perspective:
I also had a good afternoon of blacksmithing this past Saturday creating some much needed things around the smithy. I needed a metal flux spoon so I made that and put together a dipper for my half barrel water quenching tank. The most interesting thing though was a Christmas ornament order for a 11 yr. old aspiring blacksmith. I came up with this hammer. I even put a wedge in the end like I would if I were putting a handle on one of my own hammers. It was a fun project.
Here's a better picture for size perspective:
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Love the pictures. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
that's a pretty cool little set for the 11 y.o.
He only gets the hammer
but I plan to have him come over so we can forge together sometime. The kid has quite the primitive set-up to forge and he's using an old I beam for an anvil. He made a little knife though. I'd like to see him making some hooks and things to start out so he can learn hammer control, drawing out, etc....A lot of youngsters jump into making blades and never learn the basics of smithing which would help them make better blades IMHO. This past weekend I also made a long hook so that I can hang my work pants on it. I had them crammed on this screw-in hook thing and thought "Hey dummy, you are a blacksmith just make a hook that works." I truly love this aspect of blacksmithing. Normally a guy is stuck going to a home center searching for a hook that work and settling for something that won't work but is as close as you can find. When I first made the hook I took it upstairs and found it wasn't long enough so I just drew it out more and I was golden.
Not just the youngsters......
Been there too many times to want to recall.....
That’s a bonus few get to enjoy. My brother is a race car/truck fabricator and as his shop grew and the tools he has at his disposal has grown there is nothing he can’t do for himself. He went from looking for parts or tools he needed to do a job to just making whatever he needed. Being able to make whatever you need is a real bonus in life, those of you here on the forum that have those skills are quite lucky.He only gets the hammer
This past weekend I also made a long hook so that I can hang my work pants on it. I had them crammed on this screw-in hook thing and thought "Hey dummy, you are a blacksmith just make a hook that works." I truly love this aspect of blacksmithing. Normally a guy is stuck going to a home center searching for a hook that work and settling for something that won't work but is as close as you can find. When I first made the hook I took it upstairs and found it wasn't long enough so I just drew it out more and I was golden.
Dude...those tomahawk heads are amazing!
Chris, I do appreciate being able to make stuff I need. I think at the heart of every man there is this need to make stuff and to build things because it's what we did for thousands of years. A blacksmith I know of says this: "Need a tool make a tool." and that just stuck with me.
Thanks Don! Lots of elbow grease to get them across the finish line, but I'll take TSC on the journey.
So the work continues on the pipe tomahawks. This morning I got quite a bit done.
I cut in the stem areas that I will cast pewter into to form the mouthpieces. This was a lot of filing and using the coping saw. Both tools came from my Grandfather's shop. I just love using their tools.
Now it was time to prepare the mold to cast the mouthpiece. I use old manila file folders and painter's tape to construct my molds. You'd think this would not work, but it works perfectly. Not shown above, but I place a wooden dowel in the hole that goes through the middle of the wood so that I don't fill it up with pewter when I pour it. After things cool, you just pull the dowel out and peel off the tape and manila folder.
Yeah, it comes out pretty ugly looking when you take the mold off, but that's good because you want to grind / file away all that rough and discolored stuff. If you shook your mold right after pouring, there shouldn't be any air bubbles that would necessitate starting over. This one came out solid as did the other one. Now it's time to really get to work filing and grinding them into the rough base shape.
As you can see above, the pewter pours turned out great. All that ugliness is gone from the pour. Lots left to do, but they are all cleaned up and ready for final filing into the shape I decide to do at a later date. Now it's on to fitting the heads to the handles for a preliminary fit before sanding.
Here's the rough fit. Sanding will loosen the heads, but the brain tanned deer leather gasket under the pipe bowl will tighten it back up nicely. I was super pleased with the progress I made all before lunch. Now that all the technical parts are done and successful, it's on to the fun part of finishing the handle, filing the heads, and bringing out that beautiful curly maple figuring in the handle. Aqua Fortis is the best thing to bring out that tiger striped pattern.
I cut in the stem areas that I will cast pewter into to form the mouthpieces. This was a lot of filing and using the coping saw. Both tools came from my Grandfather's shop. I just love using their tools.
Now it was time to prepare the mold to cast the mouthpiece. I use old manila file folders and painter's tape to construct my molds. You'd think this would not work, but it works perfectly. Not shown above, but I place a wooden dowel in the hole that goes through the middle of the wood so that I don't fill it up with pewter when I pour it. After things cool, you just pull the dowel out and peel off the tape and manila folder.
Yeah, it comes out pretty ugly looking when you take the mold off, but that's good because you want to grind / file away all that rough and discolored stuff. If you shook your mold right after pouring, there shouldn't be any air bubbles that would necessitate starting over. This one came out solid as did the other one. Now it's time to really get to work filing and grinding them into the rough base shape.
As you can see above, the pewter pours turned out great. All that ugliness is gone from the pour. Lots left to do, but they are all cleaned up and ready for final filing into the shape I decide to do at a later date. Now it's on to fitting the heads to the handles for a preliminary fit before sanding.
Here's the rough fit. Sanding will loosen the heads, but the brain tanned deer leather gasket under the pipe bowl will tighten it back up nicely. I was super pleased with the progress I made all before lunch. Now that all the technical parts are done and successful, it's on to the fun part of finishing the handle, filing the heads, and bringing out that beautiful curly maple figuring in the handle. Aqua Fortis is the best thing to bring out that tiger striped pattern.
I was at antique store today and ran across a BIG hunk of stone that looked like one of those you would chip away at to make different sharp implements out of. I don’t know for sure, maybe it was jasper or something like that but it was big and kinda shiny where it has been broken away from whatever bigger hunk it was once part of. It was about the size of a large bowling ball and had a price tag of something like $40 or something in that range I think. I was really eyeing it thinking, “I bet Mike could go to town on that and make all sorts of stuff with it”. While I was trying to figure out how I would ship it to you my wife came over and killed the plan. She said “I don’t know who you’re planning to get that for but you can’t mail a boulder to someone...it’s not right”. I paused a minute and agreed, it doesn’t seem right to put a big rock I’m the mail to someone..
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Much like Shawn's thread...there is a lot of manliness going on here! I feel my testosterone rising just looking at this page! 
In all seriousness...you have a skill and a talent that most will never have! The Tomahawk Pipes look amazing!
In all seriousness...you have a skill and a talent that most will never have! The Tomahawk Pipes look amazing!
Chris, your wife was probably on the right track. There are a whole lot of rocks out there that are not able to be knapped or might need extensive heat treatment to be worked. Jaspers and agates are types that often can be finicky. I get boxes from time to time from people that know me and sometimes the stuff is workable and sometimes it isn't. I do appreciate you thinking of me though.
I'll send you some Mississippi Mud...what can you do with that?
bluesman
Shave Enthusiast
Just read through the thread. Nice stuff!
Have you ever knapped novaculite? I'm told many do. I know very little about knapping, but it's intriguing.
I'll be going by Folsom NM in February and I might try to stop in. I don't know if there is anything to see there. Folsom is just north of Capulin Volcano Nat. Monument where I hope to explore a bit.
Have you ever knapped novaculite? I'm told many do. I know very little about knapping, but it's intriguing.
I'll be going by Folsom NM in February and I might try to stop in. I don't know if there is anything to see there. Folsom is just north of Capulin Volcano Nat. Monument where I hope to explore a bit.