Ball and Bear Tomahawk
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Calvin Hobbs on -
Dan,
These are really cool. I like how they are turning out. What is the history around the original and what led you to start making one? I look forward to seeing your final pics. CH
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Permalink Reply by Dan O'Sullivan on -
Hey Cal
Well tomahawks and powderhorns are an inevitable diversion from making longrifles. Its lots of fun and its a way of using up some of the scrap chunks of maple gathering dust. Its small and it doesn't take up space.
I have been interested in the Iroqois, Seneca and Huron tribes from living in the Champlain Valley. Most of the early tomahawks were made with stone or entirely made of wood. The tomahawk in the photos above are from rough measurements of a Seneca tomahawk. I have not seen or held the original.
The original is a bit bigger than this one. My ball is about the size of a baseball. The original is a larger ball and bear. I am only 70" and 159lbs so maybe the brave that weilded the original was a big guy-- probably a bunch stronger. The Iroqois and Huron were known to be tall and slender people.
One of the things that might interest you would be the way the bear is textured and the eyes are set. Here I will use the "burn in" technique. Once the shape is established, You can make a tool from an old file to burn the fur onto the face. By heating the different cylinder-like tools to a dull cherry red, you can make three of four good runs then reheat. With sugar maple it has a sweet smell that is easy to be around. It goes fairly quickly. I could use small files but I think I am going to be yearning to get back to this rifle I am working and I don't want to spend a bunch of time on the tomahawk.
The tomahawk is going with this walnut hawken rifle and windsor chair. Most of the half-stocks I have been making lately are done in curly maple for the "wow" effect. Truthfully, most of the original hawken rifles I have seen are built with walnut or fairly plain maple. In this spirit, I decided to do a plain rifle. I went out on a limb this time and put the time in the forged iron parts. I forged the buttplate, thimbles,sights and the trigger guard for this one to get a unique shape that I like. The triggers, barrel and lock are from a supplier.
The chair is an "aged" finish to a Rhode Island leg arm chair. I get tired of the box/case work and wander off into the chair and rifle camp for a few months. Its a nice break.
Well that's the long version.
dan o's
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Permalink Reply by Dan O'Sullivan on
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A couple more photos with the nose and eyes coming along. I'm nibbling away at the ears. You know this shaping end grain is a bit frustrating. Not to mention the hardness of the maple. I know ... I started this thing.
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