How to build a perfect axe drift

[@Vikingwerk]

And this boys and girls, is the difference between good custom work, and hardware store axes. Beautiful work Tim!

[@garyverduzco9025]

Thanks for showing the drift production process. You had said in a previous video that you might not tape that production. I quite enjoyed this video. And a big shout out to Martin. We need more Martin content!!!

[@richardhazell2601]

Your attention to detail is impeccable. Great work dudes.

[@WayOfHaQodesh]

Beautiful workmanship brother. Those axes are gonna be righteous weapons of wood destruction.

[@OOOHBILLY]

It’s quite the rollercoaster. Glad you were able to dial it in. Remember, without disappointment, victory wouldn’t be so sweet.

[@matthewdancik5515]

That look on Martin's face, saying nothing but everything at the same time ( 14:44)... PRICELESS!!! Tim, are you okay?! I feel like Martin just evaporated you. LoL

[@NineWorldsWorkshop]

Thanks so much for this video!! I have made a few drifts and refinements on them trying to get a good handle/axe seat and it's never been satisfactory. I haven't seen anyone else explain how the final shaping works and why the geometry is the way it is, this helps tremendously. I usually see people using a drift from the top and bottom together but the taper always leaves strange issues with fitting the handle, but this nails it. Cheers!

[@davidmech2956]

Keep the forge lit, keep up the attention to detail, and most importantly... keep the faith! Great work you do. Life is a constant learning process.

[@docschro6847]

Hey Tim, I love these videos and I love the hatchets I bought. I took both my 1913 and 1919 Blackhawks to the fire station where I work and a few of the Firefighters were really impressed with the 1919 weight and handle design. One of them even said they'd be tempted to take one with them to do roof ventilation during training. Just so you know these guys are seasoned veteran firefighter so take pride in your work and keep being awesome.

[@deanbuckley2651]

Everytime I see one of your videos I wish and dream of having the money for one of your axes to just hang on my wall in my shed above my forge and grinder. Especially now they come in the box. For inspiration. The RND that go's into your work to match your level of detail you expect from yourself is inspiring beyond belief. I would even pay for one of your RND axes. Keep it up man your skill set is now incredible.

[@kaeskawood9020]

Excellent. I always enjoy seeing the thought process that goes into the design of tooling. Beautiful work, mate.

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Awesome video as always Tim!

[@singJJBplay]

Absolutely love the dedication to perfection of your product. You guys are an amazing team.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Always good to see a new video Timothy. Always great to learn from you. Can't wait to see more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend timmothy. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. Keep Forge lit. God bless.

[@Niksow]

Just unbelievable. The amount of prep you put into these 🪓 !! Amazing work. And the RnD on that vise for pressing, I love it.

[@ryanwood2110]

That axe is beautiful

[@greenthumbprepper8653]

Nice work Tim

[@carbon_no6]

The axe head actually looks surprisingly like a raw bar of silver.

[@henry9806]

Love seeing the axe videos, wish I could afford one

[@kenwebster5053]

Dude, ever heard of a pattern duplicating lathe. Well, you don't need to buy one, you just need 2 linked parallel shafts, put the handle on the pattern shaft & the drift on the other shaft & mount the angle grinder as the cutting tool. The shafts don't need to be powered, just hand crank because the grinder will do the cutting. The pattern follower & cutter are linked. As the follower follows the shape of the handle' it controls the cutters position to duplicate the exact shape. Sure the grinder will wear as it cuts, so make cutting depth adjustment and several passes until it measure exactly the same as the handle using Vernia calliper's. That way you get the drift exactly right on the 1st attempt. It's a bit build, but how useful will it be over many projects.

[@angrydragonslayer]

Might as well go full cnc at that point :)

[@kevinrippeto]

You should make a video showing us how to do that. It sounds like a technique many would be interested in.

[@tobiashangler]

Very useful, thanks mate!

[@stevenschroeders4635]

Thank you so much, looking so good. Absolutely love my hatchet can't wait for the big brother 😁

[@Chadconnolly17]

Love it bro keep it up and hopefully I can get one of those beasts in the future!

[@BirdTho]

Hey Timothy, is there something special about the train rail or is it mere novelty?

[@magnusbergroth5319]

👍 lots of work to get that “perfect fit”!

[@ClintsHobbiesDIY]

Very good how-to vid.

[@htownblue11]

Martin is a Robot blacksmith from a superior alien race. Only explanation for his skills.

[@MrTedeton]

I can’t afford one the super nice axes on your website, so is it possible to get one of what you would call a reject?

[@Kurogane_666]

Timothy I love your work I wish I had the money spent on one of your actors but I'm trying to make my own ax I want a square sided rounded axe eye, any advice on what I size would be best for say a 2 lb bearded? Also for say a chopping/splitting axe?

[@justingravitter4258]

Looking good 👍

[@billwoehl3051]

Great learning material, have a question though: why leave the hammer marks on the blade itself? Wouldn't that cause enough drag to stop the axe before it goes into the wood far enough?

[@tjboylan20]

All of these axes were for just testing so the flaws aren’t very important. Your question though is somewhat true if you’re not very strong. For most axes it’s the weight and the swing that separates it not the edge.

[@benr8772]

Other way around... The uneven surface means that less metal is in contact with wood, so less friction and deeper cut. Some kitchen knife blades are textured for the same reason.

[@Tinman97301]

Outstanding 👍

[@makuuse]

Is that drift slightly barreled and will the end result have slightly hourglass shape?

[@genghischuan4886]

I kind have always thought A2 tool steel would be a good choice for these drifts. I use it a lot for knives, but also made a hammer with it and man it does not wear at all

[@GregorShapiro]

Shouldn't you have CAD modeled (or XYZ scanned) the axe handle and milled the drift on the 5-axis HAAS?

[@kentmckean6795]

Nice!

[@jeffschroeder9089]

What dremel bits you using to chanfer the bottom of the eye?

[@_Neutrino]

What are the earbuds Martin is using?

[@markmoreno7295]

Just wondering. If you went to multiple hardware stores and bought multiple axe handles, are the going to be pretty much identical? If they are different, is there one style or shape that is better?

[@rocky3075]

How are you and yours doing Timothy? I pray that all are happy and healthy. Standardizing the axe handles and making the axe drift size to match, a good snug fit, will help speed production and reduce labor cost immensely. 👊🦊👍

[@Mr.duryong]

What is the manual press?

[@anthonywheeler6133]

Do you ever sell any blemished or test pieces? Just asking because you said you double marked it and it's a write-off.

[@Kurogane_666]

It's all trial and error, I FINALLY have an anvil, I'm hoping to make a drift to make an axe soon, one to carry all places with me, wish I had fancy tools ahha

[@Pez_Destroyer]

Great Video, but I was wondering the whole time why you kept wasting your time barely grinding/sanding it down (the drift) when you were press fitting it on so tight, you could have easily brought it down enough on 2 or 3 trips back to the grinding station. I feel that you want to bring that front left section that was marked kind of low down a bit more even though it is still good, and that goes to what I originally said, wasting time being over scrutinous on such a wide tolerance of that whole handle top.

[@dragonwaterforge]

Awsome vid

[@TimothyDyck]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! Keep the forge lit. 🔥

[@davidcarberry3547]

nice

[@varun009]

The first one I ever made (for a small tomahawk) was just 2 cold chisels stick welded all around and ground down to form a taper (basque style). Don't bother using cast iron, snapped in half while driving it through. Do NOT BUY CAST IRON DRIFTS.

[@pineapple5783]

Hope you doin well

[@MadebyKourmoulis]

"Nobody will appreciate that" Me-Wonders why there wasn't more video of the vise build.

[@shanek6582]

Man I’d love to have that drift! I bet if you could cast them somehow they’d sell like hotcakes.

[@Munxcub]

Dude how big of a snipe did it take to bend that ratchet handle? Haha

[@TimothyDyck]

No snipe. M A R T I N .

[@Munxcub]

@@TimothyDyck yeah, I'd buy that actually, what a beast, hahaha

[@jamesball7322]

Could just sacrifice one finished axe and chop it in half to make forging dies and forge the eye with it Way less elbow grease 😅😊

[@rudyroberts2957]

Do a meteor hammer

[@jonnyphenomenon]

and here I was thinking I was the only person who ever used tig welder electrodes for scribes.

[@Zogg1281]

You can't throw that "finished" axe head away, just make a handle from scratch for it and it will be ready to sell 😊👍👍👍

[@jsweizston5410]

Why not just machine the axe drifts? Or perhaps if you acquired a shaper or a Shizuoka you could focus on forging and let Martin machine the drifts.

[@REAPER85151]

y will say u need to grind litlle bit more to the tip of that drift to make contact all the way

[@ThomasShue]

It should be tapered

[@minnesotatomcat]

Do not question Martins methods, just stand back and be amazed. The Germans are crafty folks 👍

[@NavyVeteran1776]

Hello sir.

[@zeez9053]

Thanks for your video description 👍🇬🇧

[@OOOHBILLY]

Yo yo yo

[@dansharpie]

the axe isn't a write off sell it, because it is unique, in the money collecting world a coin or note with imperfections is highly prized.

[@eddyarundale1566]

👋

[@Blue.4D2]

⭐🙂👍

[@nebojsanesic5326]

"Pretty good, I can even go a little more" is downplaying it my friend. You need contact to be on above 90% of the surface and you have it below 40.

[@petesmith13]

That's without the wedge in bro, of course when there's a massive gap in the wood it's going to push together before scraping on the metal

[@nebojsanesic5326]

@@petesmith13 You're going to need more contact even without the wedge. The handle should be a bit thicker to begin with. Then you "rasp" the handle down a bit to fit it in the axe. The wedge should only be a safety measure. That's how late grandpa Djura though me. Pass on the knowledge bud. Cheers!