I use a swage block all the time. One of the few things I am good at is making a leaf...so I put it on everything. The thing is my swage block is a hunk of hard wood with a few shapes burnt into it. I have about 3 or 4 different variations of leaf swages burnt in from use.

It's a smokin' good swage block!!! LOL!!!

Peyton

Wooden swage blocks not withstanding, it's interesting that so far, almost three quaters of those that own one use it reguarly.

there is a swage block at the side of each of the hammers ,and they get used as bolsters driving out drifts and sutch ,on a daily basis there is one shared between two anvils and that gets used for upsetting and for bending using the holes ,the down side is it tends to attract tools and becomes clutterd ,so that i ocasionaly through a tantrum and heave the lot off it accross the shop ,comments like dad we have to use it as well, set me off again ,it isnt a bla--d bench,

For Items I do a bunch of I tend to make/find individual swages I can mount in the 500# anvil. The swage block is more of a "1 off" type thing for me.

My setup (Anvil, forge and vise in my backyard) is still too small to even think about a swage block. I have made a tool for the hardy, a piece of 3" pipe welded on a 16mm plate with a hardy shank for dishing plates and other stuff, if I have a job where my tool doesn't work, I'll make something else.
Primetech do you put your wooden block on the anvil or on a seperate table? Thomas, do you have any pics of your hardy swage tools?

Thanks guys, I am picking up so much from reading this stuff.

For thin tin a depression in the end grain of a wooden log work well. Look for different shapes, both inside and outside curves. It is not what it looks like but how it works that is important.

I've made several swages from a couple of different things. Like a serving spoon swage from the heel of a 3 inch pipe, and a ladle swage from an old safety cap from an oxy/accetelyne bottle. I have pix in my gallery.

The bottom of an old oxy tank makes a fine bowl swage.

Frosty

Never thought of that, Frosty. I was on the other end of "the jug"!! LOL

Find a place that scraps old tanks; an old O2, N2, He, CO2, Argon tank---NEVER ACETYLENE!!!!!!!!!---can be cut into: bottom is a dishing mold, middle is a gas forge shell, and top is a bell to be sold...