Forging a Viking Age Broad Axe

[TheKordox]

Hello Today I will forge weld a three-pronged blade length of 500 mm head. Your video is an inspiration to do it. Keep your fingers crossed. I'll know how it went.

[shawtyshawts]

Was this recorded on a cell phone? But that is great work, very impressive

[Arelak]

How hot does it have to be to make an iron or steel axe (forge).

[MrZeus232]

He looks like viking even without axe.

[Antiks72]

epic beard is epic.

[TheGarcia350]

he made an axe...wow!

[lsk300mag]

like to see clearer video but cool thanks for making it

[deathofkindness]

massive respect...

[ConorC96]

Could a fire pit be used as a forge?

[ElDuderino909]

Why is this so damn entertaining?

It's a man beating down some metal haha. :P

[ScandinaviansAreCool]

What tempurature does the steel need to be for it to forge weld?

[HowToHistory]

I appreciate the amount of effort that must have gone into this project. Have you actually tried to use the axe? If so, how did it perform?

[impavitus]

how clean does the metal need to be to accomplish the forge weld? I was tempting that today but did not get fusion. Also, do you use borax as a flux? Thanks

[DarrellatWareham]

@impavitus

There are a number of things that can screw up a forge weld. NOT CLEAN is the easiest to provide for - and one thing that certainly can result in a failed weld. Personally, I will put the faces to join on to the belt sander and rough grind all the fire scale off to bare metal. I use cheaper 'washing' borax - and plenty of it. It does mess up the fire, but I find it better to have too much - than not enough!

[DarrellatWareham]

'Rich'

What I mean is specifically a 'slitting chisel'. Two 1/8" dia pilot holes were drilled. The chisel I used is made of air hardening tool steel, 1" wide by 3/16" thick. It was driven down from both sides, using the holes as a guide.

I consider a 'hot set' to be a narrow wedge *on a handle*. I think this is also what you are referring to? (We learn in isolation, language is slippery some times!)

[MrSaxonwarrior]

@DarrellatWareham Hi Darrel i wanted to show you a video of a young chap trying to say hes making a Saxon viking pattern weld sword this guy has no idear how much work went in to a viking sword making .

youtube.com/watch?v=62iHEaE8uz­I

Could you reply back to me please and tell me what you think. Danka Darrel

[Rich5578]

What you call a 'slitting chisel' I've always known as a 'hot set' as in it's for cutting hot metal (not hardened or tempered), you can also get a 'cold set' which is hardened and tempered and as the name says is for cutting cold metal. Same reason why you can buy a 'cold chisel' from a tool shop.

[DarrellatWareham]

warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com/­2008/07/t-shaped-broadaxe-new-­details.html

Provides some more details on the archaeology of this type of ship building tool.

[chialeux514]

Very nice work !

However, I'm just wondering how practical such an axe might be in real use. The axe seems to me a bit cartoony. You said the Bayeux tapestry was your reference. Keep in mind these were all very stylized and simplified, representations. If you wanted to reproduce, say, a spear as depicted on the same tapestry and you had never seen one, the piece you might end up with would be no more than a quarter-inch thick or so.

Thanks for posting !

[DarrellatWareham]

@chialeux514

In the research, and later, I found at least three existing artifact samples. I must admit that I did not specifically ask about the practicality of this tool at the Viking Ship Museum. We did talk generally about the use of broadaxes (yes) against adzes (no) based on tool marks on the original ship timbers.

Does make this seem like a real working tool in the Viking Age

[ASiLAYdyingKYLE]

what OZ is your hammer

[Tynanboyle96]

The Last of the vikings.

[jimerick1]

the sounds of the hammering that ping sound. it get me gousebump, i love it

[stavros500]

I wonder how they made the first hammer (not wood)

[groundguy]

masterful! thanks for the video and i will be a avid follower from now on. Please keep them comming :D

[Antiks72]

A real viking showing us how it's made!

[fst3v0]

i'm sure it's just the camera... but that is an awesome purple glow around the 1:58 mark

[RDPproject]

@ fst3v0

Im seeing it aswell....

By the way....really nice urban camo on your Sig.

Wicked cool.

Rob.

[MedievalConflicts]

That is more in line with a Berdiche Axe like that used by the Rus.

[Noahwig]

The Rus was Swedes, has nothing to do with berdiches the ''Rus'' was vikings with normal viking axes.

[amioldnuff4u]

I was curious about this because i want to do it very badly

[ragincajun125]

@amioldnuff4u I'd like to do it well ;) Why don't you aim for higher goals? lol

[brewa90]

magnifico trabajo !

[slab698]

nice vid. hope to try some forge welding myself soon

[teta008]

tr00

[Matunaagah]

I personally do not like the eye-punch method. It seems like it would be hard to do without adding needless weight to the haft area.

[jiro9cuts0001]

Personally I prefer the 'wrap' method, where you forge out a plate to the rough shape of the axe for both sides, with the sides being the faces of the axe, and the connecting part becomes the 'eye' or socket, then forge weld the face halves together with a piece of 1095 or O1 between the front edges of the faces, to form the edge, heat treat, and mount once it is clean of scale and pitting.

[kakashi1578]

where can i get iron or steel for blacksmithing?

[WilliamE216]

If you have any metal factories or welding or plasma-cutting businesses in your area you might be able to get their scrap for a cheap price. Old railroads that are no longer in use are also good places to get railroad spikes which are excellent for any smaller project. I have an old tressel where I live that hasen't been torn down yet and I made out with... Lots of spikes so I'm set for awhile. Just check around your area I'm sure you'll find stuff everywhere.

[karlsefni01]

Damn! you are an awesome smith!

[82f150]

sounds like you got a damn good anvil.

[1911CoLt45gov]

hey guys just attended this guys basic blacksmithing course and it was nothing but the best instruction you can get out there.

[usernamedoamaral]

Very nice. I really want to start blacksmithing - can't right now, though. : /

Your explanations were very clear, thanks a bunch (though the hammering garbled some words in the middle). : )

[bifflover666]

nice video =D

im thinking about making an axe myself, but i have one question.

du you bend the steel and clamps it together (as if closing a book) before making the hole? =)

[GavinS1965]

Beautiful!I've been trying to figure that one out for a long time,thanks!

[DarrellatWareham]

Check my blog, there is considerable more commentary on both the artifact and this whole project in general (search 'Viking Axe')

[Blacksmith1964]

Everything is difficult to see in this video.

I can't tell if you dip your drifts intot coal dust in order to get it to slip through the metal easier. If not, give it a try you'll be surprised how much faster your drifting becomes.

[DarrellatWareham]

On video: Most video cameras use some form of infra red focusing system. I have an older JVC digital camcorder, and have been quite happy overall with its abilities (especially recording sound in the workshop). Remember as well how bright that metal colour is (starting at a light yellow) compared to the dark background. All cameras also 'see' farther into the red / infra red than human eyes do. Without specialized filters, this is the best you can record.

[DarrellatWareham]

On Drifts - Yes - what you can not see is me using a lube made of 50 % bees wax mixed with 50% vascelene. This cools the drifts as well as helping to lubricate them. Frankly, I had forgotten (thanks) the carbon dust trick. Adding some powered graphite to the mix would be a great idea. I did have some problems with drifts sticking, but then I was spreading from slits to about 1 1/4 x 3/4 ovals, and the bars cooled with the drifts in place over each working heat.

[Blacksmith1964]

I thought you must be using something but couldn't see it.

I'm not a fan of the wax/vaseline mix only because it tends to gum up my fire. Of course I only use welding compounds on very rare occasions. Normally all my forge welds are done without flux or compound.

[pyroticben]

Nice weld!

[BerserkJheova]

EXELENT.

[dawolfdawg]

how in the world do ya'll keep your metal that hot that long?????

[gggt59vke4]

behaus it is so thick,, and then the anvill wont chill it down so fast;D

[DarrellatWareham]

Remember those are 1 x 2 inch blocks to start with! The problem is more getting them up to a proper working temperature - which is why I like the higher temperatures available from a coal fire (rather than propane). Also the colours are inaccurate on the camera. Except for the welds, I am starting at a mid yellow, then working down to an orange - then back to the forge. Many smiths work their metal too cold - it just means more work!

[haralfhalgrada]

impresionante

[Josspoiss]

u did blacksmithwelding?

[DarrellatWareham]

All forge welds for this project. The long blade is three pieces - a spring steel core with two mild steel plates. This was forge welded separately (not seen here). I did cheat a bit and use a spot of arc weld to hold the blade in place to the body for the hammer weld joining them (which is seen here). I work alone, otherwise you need two people to get both head and blade correctly in place (quickly!) to manage that weld.

[ulfen92]

Thank you for sending this to me!

Really cool!

[cpsan117]

that was really fascinating! please make some more videos of your work, darrell