who uses swedge blocks?

[Dave M]

I am thinking about getting a swedge block but I am not sure if it is a must have ( ok I know nothing is a must have). So I thought I would ask smiths who have them, how often do you use them and are they worth the cost. For smiths that don't have 1 if you found 1 would you buy it. It is not cheap but the price maybe right. But money spent on it is money that could be spent elsewhere in the shop. I am on the fence:confused: thankful for all input

[NeatGuy]

Swage blocks are very enticing; they have the promise of a useful univeral tool. I bought a swage block many years ago and rarely used it. I found it cumbersome to move into the possition I wanted. It is much easier to put a swage into the hardy hole of my anvil. This way I also had the mass of my large anvil behind it. Over time I have accumulated the swages that I use most offten since they are relatively easy to forge or fabricate I just make a new one when every I find the need.

If you can afford a swage block buy one; they are very easy to resell if you find that you don't like.

[Dale Russell]

NeatGuy , this is Ian Lowe " pretendin' " ta be a power hammer on my swedge block . It don't get used every day , but when it is used it sure is handy ta ave around

Mungo playing at powerhammer - Blacksmith Photo Gallery

We where drawning the reins on a pair of tongs that i'd just made .


Dale Russell

[Ice Czar]

its use greatly depends on what it is your making, at the shop we do primarily architectural work
the swage block gets used for most every leaf we would forge, any time we need to make a "cup" for a chandelier, I used it to make a 6 inch wide "bowl" the other day that is actually a sloped ring once the center is plasma cut out and ground.

Our lead smith employs it for most anything that there are too few of to justify making a custom swagefullerjig
but Id personally look for a swage block with a selection of different radius cups (dapping depressions) similiar to this

dapping block example in miniture jeweler's dapping block

Wally Yater Swage Blocks
Swage Block Gallery

[primtechsmith]

Bill Epps using the one at the shop for dishing out his swan...also a photo of him using Mike's "adjustable wooden swage tool" for the anvil...

Hope this helps...

Peyton

[steveh]

i have a 240lb old industrial type swage block that i would miss if it wasnt around,as i use it fairly regularily.i doubt i will ever figure out what all the different holes and squares were used for but it looks good resting on its stump in my shop.this one is pretty stable when used,she dont move.

[Dave M]

Thanks to all responses, they gave me both the pros & cons of having a swedge block and that was what I was looking for. If the price the price is right I think I might buy it. The person who owns it was using it as a counter weight for a hoist and I just happened to see it in a picture. It looks like I will have until spring to make up my mind because it is lost some place in his yard under 2 feet of snow. I could use a metal detector but then he would know I really want it and I am sure the price would go up:o

[Glenn]

BP0184 Look - See
BP0446 Using Your Anvil
BP0444 Cold Forming Armor or a Bowl
BP0445 Cold Forming Armor or a Bowl 2

[Jmercier]

When you need a swage block, it's invaluable, when you dont need it, it's always in the way of things =) I've got one of the 2 wally yater swage blocks (still keeping an eye out for the mate to it) and I use it occasionally, though not all that frequently overall. I figure if I get the matching other side, then I'll never need to get another swage block again because i'll have more forms than i know what to do with.

EDIT: Apperantly centaur forge sells the Yater pattern blocks now having bought the rights, I need to make sure the size is still the same and then consider buying the one i'm missing. The one i have is signed WM Yater and was hand finished by him, so it's in excelent condition. I'm not sure what effort goes into finishing one of the centaur blocks to the same quality.

[mike-hr]

I'm using my block less and less since I got into making bottom tools (see BP0369). Two guys can whack out a good bottom tool in about 20-30 minutes. You can throw the tool in the fire to pre-heat it and get more mileage out of whatever you do. As far as holes in swedgeblocks, consider your local waterjet company. Our local guy can cut up to 5 inch thick steel, with very little blowout curf, and quite reasonable priced. I've measured a few old swedgeblocks, the cast square holes vary wildly, plus or minus 1/8" easy. As already mentioned, ain't nothing wrong with a wooden stump, either.

[patrick]

One use I haven't seen mentioned for a swage block is as a backup when punching and drifting large holes. I picked up a large rectagular shaped industrial block last fall becuase I was making bolster block for use under the power hammer and needed to drift some holes as large or larger than the hardie in my anvil. The largest hole in the block I have is around 2". The block itself is about 5" thick and wieghs around 300 or so pounds. I would much rather beat on it with a large sledge than on the tail of my anvil. I have seen to many anvils with tails broken off to want to risk that.

Patrick

[Ted T]

To buy or not to buy a Swage block? That is the question!
Your question caused me to reflect back over the years at my patterns of when I would either make a new tool or be willing to buy a new tool.
When I first started out in blacksmithing as a hobby, I was very conservative about buying tools or equipment. My decisions to buy a tool or piece of equipment of any significance were wife and financial driven.
Beyond the bare basics, I had to learn to work with what I had to work with. A Swage block was not listed in my quiver of equipment.
Then, over the years I Trained and worked as an Industrial Blacksmith. As my skills increased, I learned the value of owing and using a swage block which caused my paradigm of thought to change about the need of owning a swage block.
Because I had learned how to use a swage block, it changed my thoughts about it from just wanting one, to feeling like I needed a swage block. But, in order to get full utilization out of the block I realized that I would have to build or buy the top Swages also.
As long as I was practicing the blacksmith craft at home as a hobby, I could not justify the cost of buying one. I learned to avoid making projects that would require thick material punching, splitting and drifting, or forging fairly large tendons.
I made an

[dablacksmith]

well ile put my 2 cents worth Ive got 3 of them one for my portable shop one for my shop at home and one for my shop at the museum .. They are all the newer type (100 lbs ore less) and have spoon and ladle depressions i use um fairly often because i make ladles and spoons ... also 2 of them have shovel depressions . As far as being worth it it kinda depends on what your makeing ... if you do one off one of a kind stuff they are handy if you are makeing a product that uses the depressions then theyre nice ! but you can make tools to do everything a swage block does .. If you can afford it and the deal is good buy it ! you can always sell it later to someone else if you find you dont use it much ! have fun

[jj2k]

I purchased a Saltfork Craftsmen Swage Block. I use it at least once a week but often more. I use it on every leaf and candlecup I produce. I have built it it's own stand and can move it out of the way when needed. But I can't imagine my shop without it now.

[Jmercier]

In hindsight my swage block stand should have been built mobile, instead it's almost a solid block of wood >_< I made it big enough to hold a complete pair of the WM Yater swage blocks, even though I've only got half of the pair, and it's a "brick" of 2x4s laminated together, with a slot in the center to hold the blocks vertically as well.

[Dale Peters]

I also have a Salt Fork swage block and so far haven't used it much due to the type of stuff I make. But, I do plan to make spoons and ladles eventually and it should be handy for that. I built a combination swage block/tool stand and I get a lot of use out of the tool stand part... so even though I don't use the block much, it's not really in the way.

[rthibeau]

I have a Salt Fork swage block and a matched pair of Yater blocks, but I use the Salt Fork one most since I got it. Easier to move and I'm kinda saving the Yaters...:)

[Jmercier]

I love the Yater blocks, i hope to get the one i'm missing (3 cones on back) sometime this year, but I'm also probably going to get one of the small New England blacksmith's swage blocks precisely because the Yater ones are so darned big that it's half impossible to move them

[gpworks]

i have a 4"thick x 16"square hunk of steel , some depressions are milled and some ground with a grinder.but for the cost my deal works better for me because it has what i want on it.the storebought ones are fine if you need those holes and dips.

[Ten Hammers]

A friend that is a SOFA member brought me this swage block I guess 10 years ago or better. I used it on the anvil face until I got the stand built ( first pic ). This was Y2k according to my file. Stand is just some scrapped guard railing from a plant I worked at. Top frame that the swage sets in is 4" tubing that is ripped into angle. Nice inside radius on the tubing. You will notice that I put a piece of plate ( probobly 10 ga ) in the frame to catch the swage when it is set up vertically. Fast foreward a few years and I added the vise to the end of the stand and made a tray on the other end for the swage. The vise is attached on top with wheel bolts and nuts ( nuts have nice match to fit inside the mount on the vise ). Bottom of vise is setting in a piece welded to the bottom of the stand. If I recall correctly the swage weighs 148 lbs but been long time since I weighed it. Swages are yes handy but the step of the anvil is also handy. So are some of the blueprints ( Junior's tooling for hardy hole comes to mind ). Sometimes you need something to DRIVE into and sometimes you need something to use the pien to shape ( or roll )with ( like the step or other places ). Cone mandrils are a good example too. In first pic you see a ( now seldom used ) cone that is about 18" tall. The cone was ( at that time ) tacked to a piece of pipe that set on the floor. I was using it to true rings that I was making at the time ( and it worked excellent for that ). The tong slot is very handy. I also have a floor cone. Business and needs change but still glad I have the tools. I wish to get a Saltfork swage someday. Pictured swage gets heavy over the years totin it in the trailer shop but such is life. I have a lot of tools but will probobly never have everything. The swage/vise stand in the pics is attached ( piece of 3/4 pipe ) to the welding table and this puts it in the loop for the welder and also sturdies it up a bit. The whole stand will move if I get rough in the vise but not a whole lot. The stand legs are left hollow. Looking back I might today cap the bottom of the legs with some 14 ga and weld them shut and grind smooth. Then fill the legs with sand ( for ballast and also to keep stuff from falling INTO the legs requiring the stand to be moved to retrive the lost item ). Having a plan of procedure ( which Chet Roed my High School woodshop teacher and Wally Cobb my High School Metal shop teacher always talked about ) is really the key. Wally taught me to weld ( gas and stick ) and also taught me foundry work. He has been gone for many years. Wish I could talk to him today. Chet is still alive and I have had fun talking with him once or twice in the past 10 years. He will agree that he is glad he survived having me in his classes. BTW I also have various other blocks of steel ( monkey tools or just a block ) to either shape in ( on ) or other chunks of tubing or angle or whatever to forge with. We have ice this morning (where the buffalo used to roam).

[Tom Lumpkins]

I need to get me a swedge block.. These things are expensive,

[petere76]

Dave,

The blocks are handy, weigh about 75 lbs and they are not that expensive, ($140). We have two blocks in the shop. You get used to using the different features. Like anything else if you have it you tend to use it. Bob Manard VP of NEBA runs Ball and Chain Forge in Portland, he is a good POC if you want to order one of the blocks the NEBA has cast. The castings are good and they feature a decent shovel form. The old big swage blocks with square through holes are quite heavy and they get fairly procey if you can find them.
Peter

[781]

I have a large one made of 18 gauge I use to harrass passer bys in the tail gate areas of conferences. Ussually try to get the ladies to pick it or my tin anvils up to impress the crowd.

[ThomasPowers]

I've had an old one in good shape for over 25 years and have not used it much; however when it's needed it's needed.

Generally if I will be doing something a lot I will get an individual swage that I can mount on my anvil---lot more portable than needing both the anvil and a swage block!

It's the one-off that the block come in handy for---like when my student opened up a weld when twisting a billet too cold we welded it back in the circular shape using a top swage and the swageblock swage that it fit and so saved the day (and now he knows why I kept telling him he was letting it get too cold...)

[KYBOY]

Swage blocks are like gear pullers or other odd tools..When you need one nothing else will do..I bought a salt fork craftsman block and consider it to be one of the best shop investments Ive made in a long time :cool: Not to mention making ladels and spoons in the depressions but I also weld cable in the swages too...