Show me your Swage Block.

There are many different patterns of swage blocks out there, some in use, some holding the door to the shop open during the summer. Please provide the manufacture, the dimensions, weight, and any history of the swage block.

Swages seem to have stories about where they were found and how they are used that are always interesting. Let us hear those also.

This is an interesting combination of anvil and swage. It was recently offered on ebay.



I contacted the seller and the photos are used with permission.

I used to have 2 swage blocks, but I found that I was only using one of them and the other was getting zero use, so I sold the unused one to a bladesmith I know up in vermont.

Here's my current swage block, it's an original wally yater.

http://www.tharkis.com/images/shop/swageandtongs.jpg

and this is the one that I sold a few months ago, a green river #1 produced in Mass between ~1890s and 1910 ish

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

its small but it gets the job done

my swage block

This swage block was in the State's heavy duty shop till the new foreman said clear all the junk out. The weldor gave me a call and asked if I wanted the really heavy, weird shaped, probably a blacksmith's tool, hunk of iron before it went into the scrap bin.

I hot footed it right over and loaded it into my pickup. The 3 1 2 is the only marking on it. It's the same pattern as every swage block in state equipment shops across AK. Every equipment shop also has a 250# Fisher anvil.

All the swage blocks disappeared around the same time, I hope they all went to smiths. One did anyway. Most shops still have the anvil, everyone knows what an anvil is though very few use them.

Frosty

Frosty
Looks like a Vulcan 3 1/2.
See Illinois Iron and Bolt Co. Vulcan Brand Swage Blocks Catalog Swage Block Listing : SwageBlocks.com

Sure enough. I think the 3 1 2 pretty well nails it.

It's good being able to put a name to things.

Thanks,

Frosty

Frosty, That one of yours looks like the one owned at one time. It was one of the reason my back got to me. I traded it for a smaller one and cash but the small one grew feet and walked off. One nice thing about the big ones is that their feet usually aren't strong enough for walking.

Sometimes they grow short legs with smashed toes;)

Keeping on my back's good side and liking not-flat toes keeps me from moving it around a lot. Once I get my stand made I'll post more pics.

Frosty

I never got to it but I wanted to build a rolling lift frame with a chain hoist to lift the 300# anvil and to rotate the blessed swage block when I wanted to use one of the other surfaces. That was one of the times I injuried my back was when trying to rotated the thing to get to the large half rounds.

Here are some pics of my one of my swage blocks. I bought it in Scotland about 4 years ago. The Smith who sold it to me suggested it was a wheelright's block, I don't know if that was it's intended purpose, but I have since found out it was made by the Carron Company in Stirlingshire, Scotland. I bought it for the bargain sum of £50, also bought a standard swage block for the same price, plus a bunch of other treasures (4.5cwt anvil, lots of tooling, tongs, welder, powered hacksaw etc) but this swage block is immensely useful to me with it's curves and dishing depressions. It even has a former for a ladel or spoon. On it's longest side it's about 60cm long (2 feet) not sure how much it weighs but it's heavy and to lift it or turn it I need to put a long bar in one of the holes for leverage!!

 

Really does look like an excellent tool Colleen! The big curves look especially useful.

Andy

Here's my swage block that I recently made a stand for. I think it's about 150 lbs.

 

 

The second picture of it in use punching the handle hole for a warhammer.

 

WOW Colleen, I had to change my shirt after I saw that first block, I drooled all over myself. And the price is downright criminal. Around here an old worn out piece of junk will go for 150 and up, A nice one like the second would be pushing 500 real hard. I have a Yater that has the nice tapered curve shape and I use the heck out of it.

Interesting block Colleen.  Rare to see ones that are other than square/rectangular.  

 

Here's mine, the iron block is to the rear is a Yater, around 130#, wish I had the matching half of the set, the front block is a Chessie named Wayland.  

 

Ohhhh, that is a deliscious swage block colleen, woonderful score.

 

I move mine with an engine hoist I got at a yard sale. No flat toes or over stressed back for me.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

This is a stump swage block ive been working on the last couple evenings. Im still not quite finished with it yet and i intend to band it when done. I got the ideas used on it from different posts on this site. I used a post from frosty for the router skid i know for sure. But the rest was gleaned from here and there. I've read so much i cant keep it all straight anymore lol. Tools i used was a straight bit and a chamfer bit on the router, and a few different ball peens dress a little. I drew the leafs on with a pencil then i used a blunted flat cold chisel to vein and a small ball peen to work it all out. I'm not sure if it will work out in the end but it was fun to do

It's really nice work but I don't think the leaf swages will last past a leaf or two.

It's really nice work but I don't think the leaf swages will last past a leaf or two.[/quote Thank you :)...i agree with you.there. I was thinking at the time that i would use the leafs for final shaping/veining using the grooves as a place for metal to go rather than trying to use it to try to stamp the the leaf into the metal on its own strength. But yep i think two times of hot metal set on it will burn those grooves right out of there.

This one looks the same as jmercier's and sask mark's. It is 12 inches square and 4 inches thick. It came with its original stand. The stand is a heavy casting with a 5/8 inch thick wall. It was cast with internal lugs to support the block. When installed flat as shown, it is 19 inches tall overall. I got it for a reasonable price from a retiring smith. I don't use it often, but it is wonderful for heavy through- punching and drifting.

  90 lb. block picked up in eastern Washington.  Hadn't seen a rounded corner on one before.  I also have a saltfork craftsmen block.

Here's mine, from a smith who was moving. She did all the work of welding it up. The base is a large section of RR track.light enough to flip around easily. Mounted on my first anvil stand. Sort of useful