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duterfel
duterfel
My weapon submission
Jul 28 2010, 5:58 PM EDT | Post edited: Jul 28 2010, 5:58 PM EDT
I cast this brass axe head back in high school. I carved the axe head out of wax, then made a sand mold, then poured the molten brass. The decoration was hand stamped into the head while it was hot. The same pattern is on both sides.

This is probably the best metal weapon I have ever made with my own two hands. Do you find this valuable?    
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AlexHigginbotham
AlexHigginbotham
1. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 28 2010, 6:43 PM EDT | Post edited: Jul 28 2010, 6:43 PM EDT
Looks very nice but isnt brass a little soft to make an axe blade from? Is it functional or for looks? Do you find this valuable?    
duterfel
duterfel
2. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 28 2010, 10:22 PM EDT | Post edited: Jul 28 2010, 10:23 PM EDT
"Looks very nice but isnt brass a little soft to make an axe blade from? Is it functional or for looks?"
Oh it's functional. The brass is quite hard...for brass. The axe was never meant to have a sharp edge. It's more of a bludgeon than an axe. I would say it's a soft target weapon only.

Much like the blunted war hatchets the indians use to make. This axe is small but it's fast. Great for sweeping or catching other weapons. I love that little axe. i wish I had the ability to make stuff like that now.

I'll do a free hanging coconut test if you like. Do you find this valuable?    
OutlawJames
OutlawJames
3. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 28 2010, 11:39 PM EDT | Post edited: Jul 28 2010, 11:39 PM EDT
Whats it weigh about? Being brass I would imagine it has pretty good mass for its size.
Being the anceints used brass and bronze for weapons untill the romans started using iron, I would imagine that would make a real good head splitter. Do you find this valuable?    
duterfel
duterfel
4. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 29 2010, 12:16 AM EDT | Post edited: Jul 29 2010, 12:16 AM EDT
I would say that it's less than a pound and all the weight is at the end. I've thrown it a few times. It spins pretty good and flys pretty far...but it's still just a fine edged club. Do you find this valuable?    
Filadog
Filadog
5. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 29 2010, 8:51 AM EDT | Post edited: Jul 29 2010, 8:51 AM EDT
Interesting axe
Did you cast it with the eye already in it or put it in later? Little unusual to use a wax pattern for sand casting, usually wax patterns are used with slurry molds.
Don't understand when you said you stamped the pattern in while the head was hot...ypu removed the head from the mold while it was still hot...didn't it cool down befor you did all that stamping ?...Looks to me the design was cast into the head.
Why would you stamp designs into a head that was hot since brass is soft enough to be stamped when it is cool


 Do you find this valuable?    
duterfel
duterfel
6. RE: My weapon submission
Jul 29 2010, 10:58 AM EDT | Post edited: Jul 29 2010, 10:58 AM EDT
"Interesting axe
Did you cast it with the eye already in it or put it in later? Little unusual to use a wax pattern for sand casting, usually wax patterns are used with slurry molds.
Don't understand when you said you stamped the pattern in while the head was hot...ypu removed the head from the mold while it was still hot...didn't it cool down befor you did all that stamping ?...Looks to me the design was cast into the head.
Why would you stamp designs into a head that was hot since brass is soft enough to be stamped when it is cool


"
The negative space was part of the original cast...it was not added later.

The sand we were using (and this was a long time ago...so I'm trying to remember exactly how it was made) was very fine I believe. The sand was packed around the wax shape and heated in a kiln to burn out the wax. The material was poured into the hot mold and allowed to cool...and then the mold was broken off. I'm pretty sure thats how it happened.

I honestly can't remember if the design was etched into the wax shape or the metal cast. I seem to remeber hammering those designs into the metal axe head...but they could have been etched into the wax original.

Stamping or etching cool metals is harder to do. If the metal is hot it is softer so you don't have to strick as hard which means that less mistakes are made. I found that the etching tool slipped more on cold materials. Heat the material and the tool seems to bite more. Like I said...you may be right. I made that thing more than 20 years ago...and my "memories" from high school are a little fuzzy these days. Do you find this valuable?