...not a good picture but here is mine gathering dust.

...not a good picture but here is mine gathering dust.

 

Here is mine.   I don't use it much either.   would like to see some pics of folks using theirs.    Especially if there are some unigue uses.

Lets see, welding cable in a v swage, forming a socket on a baker's peel; nope just common uses...

These belonged to a friend of mine. Both are 24 inches square. The closer example reminds me of Swiss cheese. I really liked the unusual half rounds seen on the upper right of the rear block.

Greetings Humphery,

 

I don't know if you know it or not but those are some sweet  swage blocks...  Many dollars worth...

 

Lucky

I would have loved to own them but he sold them for good money. More than I could justify.

I have found it interesting how some people don't use theirs and others do I guess it has to do with what you are making and if you have leaned to use them for what you do when you do have items that they are good for. I own three one small portable and two large ones for the shop (no pics though). Like borntoolate mine end up gathering tools between uses and when I don't think ahead they get swept on the floor to make way for the hot metal. I do that a couple times and then I get better about keeping them ready for a while and then I go through the process all over again.

My biggest problem with swage blocks is that the majority are made for industrial use.  I can think of no need in my "smithy" for a block pierced with holes over an 2" in size.  The perimeter swages are certainly nice if they are within the range of metal that you normally work, but I rarely work stock in all those ranges.  Up to 1", okay.  Over 1", it's getting scarce.  Over 2" just doesn't happen.

 

I'm still keeping my eyes open for a block at a reasonable price.  Like anvils, I'll buy them all day long if I can afford to.

Pictured are several swage blocks around my shop. The tall thin example served some task specific function in the smith shop of a paper mill. The little 8.5 x 8.5 inch block also appears task specific but for what - a smith making carver’s gouges? The large block is fairly generic and measures 18 inches square. The 12 inch square block secured to a large bearing support casting came in handy while bending a right angle in several ¾ x 2 ½ inch pieces. I don’t have a vice securely enough mounted for that task and bending in the block seemed easier anyway.

I like that stand is it one you mad eyour self or is it ment to be used for something else?

My biggest problem with swage blocks is that the majority are made for industrial use.  I can think of no need in my "smithy" for a block pierced with holes over an 2" in size.  The perimeter swages are certainly nice if they are within the range of metal that you normally work, but I rarely work stock in all those ranges.

I've got one like Frank's and others with the large holes, and don't use the holes much.  I use the edges a lot, split between forging with the varoius shapes and a holder for working not square stock on the anvil when I need a top tool and about 2 more hands...(sometimes I regret my committment to the bachelor life while living on a farm.  Maybe ONE kid would have been a good idea...But then you'd want that kid to have a sibling, so that makes TWO kids...but, 4 extra hands would sure be nice at times....)

This is mine, it is 14" x 14" x 4.5" and weighs a little over 154 lbs. {70kg}. It was given to me by a mate ,who, for over 20 years, had used it as a counter weight on the back of his bobcat and before that it was keep in his shed as  something to trip over , he had no idea what it was and can not remember when or where he got it from.

So sadly I don't know the manufacturers name or the full history of it , but it does show the signs of heavy use by a blacksmith.

 

At the last swap meet there was a chap trying to sell an Alldays and Onions swage block for $600 { the same size as mine and almost the same patterns } , I offered $300, and  well , he still owns it.

I wish I had one to show

These are a couple that my Dad made out at the community college. The big one is torched out of 2" thick plate, the smaller one is around 3/4" if I remember right. The plan was to drill the smaller holes, but I may use the blank space for other shapes IE; spoons, etc

The CNC torch made it nice since once the pattern was in it could be easily scaled up or down. The small one is sized 50% of the big one.

Here's one I picked up from an elderly uncle the other day. He called me because he wanted to give me an old Buffalo forge he had got from his father in law when he passed away. It had been in his car port for years. I never turn down a tool lead. The forge was better than I expected but to get it out there was quite a pile of other things to move first including this swage block. He wanted it gone as well and offered to give it to me but I gave him a couple hundred for the pair, all I had on me, and stuck around and fixed his air compressor too. Not many holes in the center of this one but good size and weight. This is a pic "as found". I still need to build a stand for it.  I have a couple of home made ones too which work great but this is the first "real one" I've had.  Ed;

 

Rockcrusher, any weight or dimensions on that?

John the picture probably makes it look bigger than it is. It's 12-1/2" square x 3-1/2" thick. Weight is #110. No identifying marks found and I looked it over pretty good.  Ed.

figured id make a post to show my swageblock that a friend of mine at the nearby foundry cast for me in trade for a big forged spatula.

i made the pattern from pine, shaped with gouges, drills, and saws then sanded and varnished before i gave it to him to pour.

you can see it has no through holes, that's because that would have required making special cores and he said to just keep it solid so i filled the sides with various depressions.

 

it has deep and shallow bowls, a spoon bowl, rounds from 3/4 - 2", V's from 1/2'' - 1 1/2", a shallow swail on one end (which i find i use rather often), a shovel form on the face that has a cut in the end opposite the swail with a bevel the same as the shovel sides, the face has a 3/4 hole 3/4" deep and 1" hole 1" deep (for upsetting bars into), and finally, some rivet head divets so i can use the block as a backer for heading rivets.

 

if i were to do it again, id have switched the order of the half rounds so that the small ones ended on the opposite side, and didn't leave that narrow ear, I'm afraid it may break off in the future

 

i would have simply had another cast with a whole different set of things on it, but unfortunately the foundry was shut down about two months after this was made

 

the weight is about 80# and if I remember correctly, its dimensions are 20"x4"x8"

Here is an interesting small old bench top swage block, 10" X 4" X 1-1/2". I'm sure it was produced for some trade perhaps gunsmithing, feel free to chime in if you know. Has some interesting shapes. I found it while picking a huge barn loaded with years accumulation of interesting stuff. I've never used it as I have large ones for the times I need one, never the less an interesting old piece. The fellow I got it from didn't remember where  or when he got it as he had it for 50 years or so and it was buried deep in the barn.