New found appreciation of swage blocks

[Jmercier]

So today I made my first fireplace shovel, working on a simple set of fireplace tools as a gift for a friend. I've gained a new found appreciation for those swage blocks with shovel shapes in them. Unfortunately, neither of my 2 swage bocks has one. Shaping a shovel from a flat piece of steel isnt as easy as it looks to get it symmetrical ! Needed to make my own rivets for the shovel too, and all I had was square bar, my swage block helped immensely to get a nice round pice really fast. I guess untill you've had a chance to use a swage block, you dont quite appreciate them the way you should.

http://www.tharkis.com/images/shovel.jpg

Now what's the best finish for fireplace tools? A matte black high temp rustoleum paint?

I'm just a beginner to smithing still, so ignore how ugly the shovel is =P

So share pics of your swage blocks?

I've got an old green river #1 swage block
http://www.tharkis.com/images/green_river_swage.jpg

and a Wally Yater block
http://www.tharkis.com/images/anvilandswage.jpg

And it looks like I'll be picking up soon one of the swage blocks that the new england blacksmiths had cast for them a while back, as it's got a nice shovel on one side, and I can see that would be a huge help now =D I should have bought one at the spring meet, instead I just bought a bunch of raffle tickets for one =)

[irnsrgn]

use nails for rivets Jm. nice flat head, just cut to length.

[irnsrgn]

its so easy to make a shovel mold that works very well. Just a rod bent to 180 or a taper with a piece of square on the end to keep it from sliding when hammering, a hardy shank on one end or the other. Just start the edges on the square end and then work down to the anvil with a hammer or a handled flatter or top fuller.

The second picture is of a small shovel I made for campfire cook sets to use for putting coals on top of dutchovens etc. 3 90 degree bends in a vice, then bend the ears over and drill and rivet the corners. Stick the handle attachment down in the vise and just pull till you get the angle you want and then rivet the handle on.