pkrankow Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Got the stand made, got the pictures, got the 403 error and they will not upload, sorry, will keep trying. I was getting that yesterday, and 400x300 uploaded fine, but 800x600 would not attach. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks Phil looks like that works, Here are the pics, hope you can see the detail on the relevant faces. Made the stand from 2" x 2" x1/4" angle, foot pads are 80mm diameter x 3mm plates I used for candle/lighting sconces. Working height is 30.5" ,same on all 6 planes, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 nice!! thats neat john. i will have to get my act together and do something similar :)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenbeast Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Smart stand John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks, at least the block won't stay on the floor, danger is it will get used as a table ! Got to take it up to Westpoint now, will probably be the last thing made in my workshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 john that is both sad and very cool, you will make loads at west point though. stand for a cool custom swage block is a cool last project though :) see you soon down there i hope.. hope the move is otherwise, going smoothly? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Yes, a very good stand John. Although I favour wood myself, I suspect that something very close to your design will be what most people opt for. For those awaiting a block... the foundry's melting equipment has a coolant problem, therefore no blocks this week. Assuming it has been fixed in time, I should have the next batch of blocks at the end of next week. Apologies for this, it is not something I can do anyhting about. Obviously, the foundry is every bit as keen to have things up and running again as I am; I shall inform you as I am updated. Some time ago I mentioned that I had heard of a possible pattern for a floor mandrel. Well, I have located the pattern in question and it is for a large bollard. It is conical, but with a a very small angle, about three feet high, starting at a seven inch base and finishing at about four inches. There is a small band around the centre. So, no easy-to-make cone mandrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 no worries giles, i can wait patiently :) and the cone mandrell, the band around the centre, whats that? a good design also would be the one where you have a narrow strip cut out or reccessed vertically from top to bottom, so you can get tongs in to take off rings easier. mine does not have this feature but i reckon its a nice one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I have watched this thread develop with interest . well done on a great product . Have you thought about putting them on ebay? as I perceive this is now the biggest available source for blacksmiths tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hello Owen, thanks for that; I've seen your courses on there and often wondered how successful a place it would be. Yes, ebay has been considered and I think I'll give it a go once the first orders have all been completed. Do you think I would have to do any finishing / dressing on them for ebay? I'm reluctant to because (a) it would mean bumping the price up & (B) I don't enjoy it and have better things to do. Interestingly - well, interesting for me anyway - I took one to the the Thame show today (& for tomorrow) and had interest from a silversmith in a block. Compared to what he would have to pay for the equivalent silverworking kit he thinks it a bargain to get one and then sand / polish it to mirror finish himself. I started out with silver myself... but it would take a lot to persuade me to put a mirror finish on one of these blocks! Beautiful though, if he does it I shall ask for photo's. Apologies to those awaiting blocks, I didn't hear from the foundry last week and was in no state or mood to chase the them up having been knocked flat on my back by a stomach bug from my little boy... I'll contact them toward the end of this week and post the result of my enquiry. I do know that they were growing a back-log due to a coolant failure and, as always, we will be at the back of any queue... but it saves money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 For some reason a bracketed letter b results in the sunglassed icon thing above! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 sorry to hear you been ill giles :( how did the show go otherwise? interesting the silver man would like a block, those silversmith swages are a lot of money tho... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Hello all, I stopped at the foundry today (on my return from buying a pretty good set of great bellows). They managed to get the coolant system up and running at the start of this week, but there is a back log of work to be done. It is possible that some will be cast late next week, but the following week is more likely. I will keep you informed. Beth, the show was an interesting experience. Hatfield Show is next, bigger and better known. Walsh is the firm I used to buy jewelling kit from and they were not as expensive as you might think. That said, the number of tools needed to replicate my block's functions would stretch to well over £1000, nearer £2000 in fact; but it would take many hours to get a block to the level of finish required for silver working. With luck, silver smiths may buy a few blocks in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 Firstly, apologies to those still awaiting a block; please do bear with me. For a number of reasons there is no chance that the foundry I have been using will be able to do another casting run soon. Therefore, in the hope of having some blocks to send out, I have brought the pattern home and shall try to find another foundry that can cast to the same standard at as competitive a price - I suspect that this will take some doing. Should my search prove unsuccessful I’ll go back to the original foundry and resign myself to waiting, and waiting… If anyone wants to ask questions or have more detailed information, please PM me. If anyone is tired of waiting, fair enough, apologies again and please let me know. Beth’s ‘home foundry’ sometimes appeals to me, but I really don’t think it is viable for a big lump like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Update… Blocks will start to be cast again from mid-August and I am pleased to write that they will be cast at the original foundry. This will allow me to keep the cost down and should ensure that the quality of future blocks matches those already cast. I do regret this delay; however, with quality and cost being key considerations I believe that this foundry’s work is worth the wait. Regards to all, G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I keep meaning to post up some pictures of the things I've used mine for, keep forgettign to take said pics though! :rolleyes: Mostly I've found myself using the Nike swoosh, upsetting holes and the smaller spoon blank. Making small spoons and curving a few bits that wouldn't fit in my normal swage block (half rounds too small, so the swoosh worked well). I know I used some part of it to shape that Hipposandle I made a while back, can't recall what (I think it was something in the angle of the straps and the heel?). I've used the cone swages a bit for tidying up a few sockets, but to be honest I find it easier (and more flexible) to start the socket in a normal half round swage and then move to the face of the anvil. I think it works well for tidying or starting long narrow sockets (such as a spear or chisel) but not so well for the shepard's crook I made the other day (short wide socket). When I first got it I drove some hot iron into the decorative escutcheon (??) dies and made some nice keyrings with clam shells and stars, they looked pretty good especially when given a brass brushing. The rose was a little tricky to mainatin the orientation, but worked also. Aside from the casting flashes I've still not got around to radiusing anything,or building a stand for that matter. It's light enough that I can pick it up and plonk it on my normal swage block when needed (got a thin rubber mat between the two). Nice bit of kit and I really should be making more use of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 great news about the date giles :) i have deliberately not harrassed you for mine - i know your on it :) am really looking forward to getting it - dave sounds like youve had a bit of a useage of yours - the whole build a stand thing is a bit tedious, far more exciting to use the tool... i look forward :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Foreigner Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Hi Giles, I was only thinking yesterday about you and the block, looked in today and find you posted. :) My oak beam off cut and me are still patiently waiting. No metal bashing at the moment due to guests though to Sept. Got a ton of coal delivered a couple of months back - only burned a couple of lumps in the wood burner... back to making crossbows until the autumn :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Giles, Thanks for pointing me to this thread. It's taken me a couple of days to get through it and absorb all your ideas and see if there's any design changes for my 8 swage blocks. I'm working on a trade and might get another ten blocks so I'll see how many I have made. That sounds like quite the pounding you gave your blocks in testing. I plan on having my first prototype waterjet and I'll do some of the same. I'm tempted to see about having a couple depressions, dips n such milled in too. I already have a block with spoon and ladle depressions so wasn't thinking about other people wanting them. And,I was trying to keep the costs down, but the more useful the block the more people will want one! I like the iron stand. I have one drawn up that allows my swage to be at the same height on all 6 planes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 You’re welcome fluidsteel (don’t know your name). Not sure you need to prove the strength of a tool steel block, I think it’s a given. Depressions are always useful, if you can have them milled economically, go for it; remember, you can form – to a degree – small spoons / ladles in big depressions. Maybe consider upsetting holes too – useful for small stock. Metal stand is John’s design and very well made too. Dave, the shell, the rose and the star are just details that were often included on the handles of old hearth tools; sometimes on the very end of a handle (as in the base if it were a cylinder) and sometimes the upper face of a flat ended handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 giles any news on the next run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Hello Beth, still scheduled for the middle of the month; I'll take the pattern back in a fortnight & they'll cast when there's a gap twixt big jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 great thanks giles - you had said that - i lose track its the summer hols and time gets all warped :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 As of this afternoon the pattern is back at the foundry (which is busy as always!). I'll let everyone know once there are good castings ready. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 YAY!! excited :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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