Hog slayer..

[Raymond Richard]

Normally I don't like to take orders but after Blade I was so beat the first few days back home I got no insperation on my own so I took an order for a spike hawk to be used in hog hunting. That got me going. I decided to give the customer a choice so thats what I did. He picked the bottom one which was the first one I made but I just couldn't stop with one.

[B.Finnigan]

Those are some nice hawk heads. I couldn't drill those holes with a drill press let alone hot punch them. I have been making some railroad spike hawks and only one out three turns out. The hot punching is a big challenge for me. It is getting easier and better with each one though. By the time I am in early 90's I should have it down.

[Raymond Richard]

The hot cutting is a real challenge mainly because you can get off center very easy. I end up making a slot by drilling 5 -- 1/4" holes in line and then cleaning that up with a carbide burr. I used to go ahead and forge the eye first but now its the last thing I do. When the eye is done first its in the way most the time and its real easy to distort it with a miss placed hammer blow.

[Lawrence Kemp]

Hey those are really nice Ray! Nice meeting you at Blade!

[Trenton Entwistle]

Ray, those look great! What kind of dimensions are they?

Trenton

[B.Finnigan]

I will have to try drilling multiple holes. I have tried pre-drilling one hole as a pilot before hot punching but the sides get too thin. Sometimes I have hot chiseled a slit and then round flared it with a punch but it usually comes out off-center. Maybe that is why they invented drill presses..?????

[Raymond Richard]

Trenton, I'm going by memory as far as the sizes go. The bottom one is 8 1/2" with a 2 1/2" cutting edge. The others are all around 8" and the cutting edges are around 2 1/4" . The bottom two were forged from 1" square 1084/95. The other two were forged from 1" hex 1080.

Larry, It was good to finally meet you at Blade also. If all goes well I'll be back next year.

[MPMetal]

I good trick for the holes is to drill 2 holes, say 1/8" an 1" or so apart then hot cut the web, hammer on the end of the bar to open the hole a bit then drift to shape, or slot punch out the web for a cleaner hole .... the punch/ hot cut will follow the holes makeing it a hole lot easier. if you need more thickness around the hole widen the spaceing on the holes (and use a wider punch.)
MP

[Sweany]

The hot punch or slitter needs to be straight on the sides (width) a slight taper on the thickness of the punch.

here's the kicker, flat on the edge. NOT beveled like a chisel

I tried for years to punch a hole useing a regular chisel, never worked till I tried this set up.

Pilot holes are good too, use a sharp bit so the hole is straight.

my .02

[Raymond Richard]

There's a number of reason I prefer to make the slot and not hot cut or slit the eye besides the chances of getting off center. 1) I end up shaping the eye around the drift instead of having to move all that material. 2) its quicker, not counting the time I spend to make the slot. 3) the drifts last longer 4) I very seldom have to do any forging to the outside of the eye. 5) the most important to me is it works everytime.

[jdm61]

Hi guys,
I read in one of these forum threads that an eady,albeit expensive way for a newbie to try hawk making is to buy a large ball peen hammer, anneal it and forge the face inot a blade and the peen into the spike and then grind the whole thing to whatever thickness/weight that suits you. I would think that as long as you don't distort the slot, you could buy a stock hammer handle and profile it whatever way you like. I realize that this may be sacrilege....lol Anybody have any experience or advice in this matter? Joe

[Raymond Richard]

Here's how the slayer turned out:


I put steel caps top and bottom and a ring for a lanyard. I also textured the bottom third of the haft for a better grip.