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I Forge Iron

Chisel swage


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Well It would be helpful if you posted your location so we could direct specific help to you. For all I know you could be sleepless in OZ,
bashfull in Bellgrade, or dinning in London. Please go to User CP and give us a location .

Swages, Top and Bottom are available from many tool suppliers .

There are also swage blocks of various sizes with pre-cast shapes of many sorts in one piece.

A lot of smiths make their own by a number of methods depending on thier skill, tools, equipment and pocket book.

Could you be a little more specific about what you mean by a chisel Swage.

It brings a large host of images to mind.

Edited by Charlotte
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mikinvt, I bet you mean gouges, don't you?

If you're interested in making chisels and gouges, buy Alexander Weygers' The Complete Modern Blacksmith. Weygers was a very talented woodcarver and made most if not all of his own tools. He discusses making gouges and chisels a fair bit, and I don't believe a swage block is required for any of his methods.

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I am located in Westford Vermont. What I am looking to make is a 2" framing chisel about 12 inches long. If I had a swage block of the shape, I thought I could make several and sell some of them. With a swage block I could have a consistent design.

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Sorry, I can't imagine any way that a swage block would help or even be used for this. If it's a flat chisel, you just do it on the anvil or power hammer. What stock are you planning to start with? Socket or tang or what? Swage blocks aren't for real forging, just finishing and a little shaping, especially tool steel.

From one who has made hundreds of thousand (maybe millions!) of chisel, by dozens of methods.

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I am located in Westford Vermont. What I am looking to make is a 2" framing chisel about 12 inches long. If I had a swage block of the shape, I thought I could make several and sell some of them. With a swage block I could have a consistent design.


It sounds like you might be better off doing it stock removal style.
There are some alloys available for places like Admiral Steel and many Knife maker sites which are very excellent when used for your application.

Everything from plain carbon to high alloy tools steels.

Admiral can be found at Admiral Steel - Spring, Strip, Alloy, Tool Steels, Bars, Structurals, Building Products

There is an excellent book availble titled "Tool Making for Woodworkers
by Ray Larsen. You may want to look at that.
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