Yippee!! My new swage block

[2Tim215]

Got my new (ancient) swage block today-happy days!

[Blacksmith Johnny]

nice looking, congrats

[knots]

Very nice. What does the flip side look like ? Looks like the holes go through which would mean no spoon or bowl form depressions. However you might check out to see if the smaller squre holes are tapered to receive tinners stakes. I have one that has tapered holes. It is a favorite of mine.

[iron woodrow]

hmm, i might check mine!
nice block tim!

[2Tim215]

Thanks guys - this like manna from heaven - very scarce here in SA.

[2Tim215]

Very nice. What does the flip side look like ? Looks like the holes go through which would mean no spoon or bowl form depressions. However you might check out to see if the smaller squre holes are tapered to receive tinners stakes. I have one that has tapered holes. It is a favorite of mine.

None tapered i'm afraid but it's more for the fact that I have one now than for being used - though once the stand is built it will start working again instead of rusting away or being cut up for scrap.

[ianinsa]

Looks great nice score!

[2Tim215]

Thanks Ian - hows Durbs? Been hot lately!!! Do you know Rob and Roy in Pinetown - They want to start a authentic Blacksmith shop and local SA forum.

[ianinsa]

It's stinking hot difficult to sleep without the A/C , the only Rob Roy I know was a hotel/pub now old age home :)

[Randy]

I wonder why I find swage blocks with v swages, but have never found an old bottom or top swage for the anvil that was a "v", only rounded ones?

[Elemental Metal Creations]

I don't know about old ones but someone is selling new ductile iron ones on e-bay. I am in the process of making one with three diferent sizes my self. Will be posting pics when done.

[Sam Salvati]

I wonder why I find swage blocks with v swages, but have never found an old bottom or top swage for the anvil that was a "v", only rounded ones?

I think cause it's easy to square and true up square stock freehand on the anvil, but not so easy to make triangular stock without a V swage :D

[GNJC]

Possibly they wanted to form angle-iron style posts and fittings.

2Tim215, I've sent you a PM.

[ThomasPowers]

Sam; perhaps they didn't want a sharp inside corner as it would be a stress concentrator and so they used a rounded top swage instead? Just a wild guess; but with real wrought iron they seemed to be a bit more careful with not leaving marks on it for using items---rounding of anvil edges, welding rather than punching, etc.

[Randy]

Almost all of the old forged work they did what they could to take the hammer marks out. By using swages, top and bottom and by using flatters, mostly done with a striker. Yet they didn't go out of the way to cover up forge welds.

[GNJC]

They were very keen to remove marks. I have it in my mind that there was a blacksmith in England who exhibited horse shoes 'without any hammer marks' at the 1851 Great Exhibition. But I am not sure if this is an urban myth or not, because I have just tried a web-search and found nothing. Hmm...