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I Forge Iron

Simple Machined Swage Blocks


neilyeag

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Ha, WWII vintage Bridgeport Mill.  Don't cost much, but you need a heck of a lot of floor space for them!  I would like to start to market these blocks if I can figure out the shipping logistics.

The anvil is also fabricated.  90 Kilos, from S50C.

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You know I finished these up just before the Christmas break and then grabbed everything and went to my upcountry house where my forge is and I did not even check the weight.  They are machined from 304 stainless (no heat treat).  Started with 89mm wide x 194mm long and 38mm thick piece.  The hardy pin is for my 1 1/4" (32mm) hardy hole. (51mm is above the anvil and 38mm hardy pin length)  So this is one solid piece no welding whatsoever.  I think they have to weigh around 2 1/2 kilo finished.  Took me over 3 hours, but I don't have all of the right tools and my mill is all manual. Plus I am not that proficient!  I will likely do some other prototypes and other configurations I have in mind and then perhaps offer them for sale.  

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Thanks, I will.  What do you think of 304 for these?  Should be OK, but I have not banged on them yet.  I want to have at least 4- 5 designs finished and then I will offer them up.  I think with this weight sending via Thai Post- then through Royal Mail will work OK.  Now how to send my 90 Kilo anvils is another story!!!

Neil 

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I'm not a machinist, and you probably thought of this already...

For the round swages, you could use a piece of steel (twice the width needed for one swage) and drill holes in the middle. Then split the piece in half through the center of each hole. Now you have two swages in the same amount of work. 

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Why stainless? Mild steel is fine and a LOT less expensive..  This block was burned out of 2" thick scrap plate and is around 18" or so square. The smaller round holes(not done yet) were to be drilled instead of burned out on the CNC oxy acet torch. With a clean tip the right size the plugs just drop out and there is little to no dross to deal with. Plus the remnants can be used as tools too. Want a 4" thick one? Burn two and either weld or bolt together. 

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58 minutes ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

Why stainless? Mild steel is fine and a LOT less expensive..  This block was burned out of 2" thick scrap plate and is around 18" or so square. The smaller round holes(not done yet) were to be drilled instead of burned out on the CNC oxy acet torch. With a clean tip the right size the plugs just drop out and there is little to no dross to deal with. Plus the remnants can be used as tools too. Want a 4" thick one? Burn two and either weld or bolt together. 

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Thanks for the feedback.  The weird part is in terms of steel cost.  Here for this small size, I can buy SS for about the same price as S50C.  Machining becomes the cost factor.  Your block looks very versatile BTW.

 

 

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Just looked up the specs for S50C and with 50 points of carbon that is not mild steel like i used, This probably has less than half of that.  S50C should be able to be heat treated, mine won't. 

Here stainless is about 10 times more expensive. 

 

http://www.astmsteel.com/product/s50c-carbon-steel-jis-g4051/ for those who want to check it out too. 

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