foundryguy Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 My son drew this pattern up and cut the tool last week. Pretty happy with what he came up with. These are ductile iron and 50 lbs. We are thinking about pouring a few out of H13 tool steel and hardening them up like the anvils. A big block with round and square holes is in the works. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 That is a really nice clean casting, big enough to do some real work, small enough to move around for hobby smiths or guys that need to travel with it for demos. thanks again for taking on these projects and offering ‘smiths another source of quality, American made tools. I hope that your entrepreneurial endeavors not only satisfy your need to be creative but also reward you financially. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Nice casting. I'm not sure about the 90* swages, maybe for doing canister damascus welds? I use one angle of a hex swage 120* to profile slitters more often than I need a 90. I'd vote for the side of or at east one of the more acute V swages for setting anvil devils, hardies, etc. and one 120* swage to profile Brian Brazeal slitters. I don't think a H-13 swage block is worth the material $ difference, they just don't get the kind of hammering an anvil gets. Mine is ductile iron and been around a least 65 years and it was a journeyman project for a Railroad foundry man back in the Alaska Road Commission days rather coming out of a foundry that makes such things. The Railroad gave the blocks to the Road Commission highway maint. shops and mine was going to the scrapper if I didn't take it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 On 8/5/2018 at 7:32 PM, stevomiller said: That is a really nice clean casting, big enough to do some real work, small enough to move around for hobby smiths or guys that need to travel with it for demos. thanks again for taking on these projects and offering ‘smiths another source of quality, American made tools. We had several people request this design and weight. Affordability was our main goal, simple and quick you might say. Thanks for the support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Frosty I like your idea. Replace the one edge with the French curl cut out with another angle of “V” , having all three angles AND the semi-circles that are there would be useful. Agree ductile iron is plenty good. You are welcome sir! What is the thickness on this block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 actually, we may modify that side and put several half hexes. The block is 3 inches thick. My son is drawing up a big block this week. On the H13, several folks have made requests for it so it might be a luxury item we could make for a couple folks that want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Foundryguy, NVM about thickness, I just saw it on your “Holland Anvils” Facebook page, 3” thick. And the shipped price is quite good for a 50lb block. Whoops, thanks for the answer we posted at the same time. And you are right about the H13, if folks want it and will pay for it, make it! Craziest question ever: Ever considered if this anvil venture goes well, try a ductile (or mild steel) bodied anvil with a heavy H13 face? A modern Fisher so to speak? If the numbers sold aren’t there it wouldn’t warrant the investment in time to get it right, but it might allow two things: slightly lower price and quieter anvil. And like I said, crazy thought, but I am crazy so it comes easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 Most we had seen were $5 per lb so we thought $3 plus shipping in a flat rate box was a fair deal. The bigger one will need to get shipped on truck so things will be more complicated and a bit more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 12, 2018 Share Posted August 12, 2018 Gorgeous casting, and I love how you got it so clean. Everyone I've see from other suppliers has a parting line right down the middle of the block that needs grinding away. No idea how you pulled it off, but it's impressive! It's on my list. Are you going to start offering cones as well? Might as well go for the Trifecta, right? Steve's notion of trying to copy the Fisher technique of casting a steel face plate onto a cast iron body is awesome. I don't know if that's legally possible since the rights are owned by someone else, I'm sure. Still, it'd be neat to try and figure out how it's done. I know I'd certainly want one in my shop, and I already have an awesome Fisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 The big trick with getting a HC face plate to weld to the cast iron in the mold. Fisher used a 2 cavity mold to preheat the face before casting the body. Maybe NJanvilman will fill you in. We have an annual iron pour here and I've been tempted to try my hand at it but I don't want to spend all that time busting up castings to feed the cupola. I could mow lawns and buy another anvil for less work you know. I'd be tempted though IF I had an induction heater, forge, wand, whatever, that would bring the face plate to say high orange before we poured. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Didn't he mention lost foam? No parting line needed and they cast car engine blocks using it so you can get very nice casting indeed with it. I'm sure the patent for the Fisher process has been open for 100 years or so. The issue will be how much of it was really a trade secret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 Cutting our 14 inch block pattern today, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 i saw this photo today. Beautiful work but cracks and broken edges on the block. Design and material selection is important Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFC Snuffy Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 Foundryguy, any word on your larger swage block? I'm on the fence about ordering a small one with easy shipping or holding out for a "full-size" block via truck freight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted August 30, 2018 Author Share Posted August 30, 2018 I have the pattern all drawn up but still need to cut it along with the core boxes. It might be a month out? I have some new Anvil patterns being made along with the Sawyers anvil so watch for updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Do you have anything other than a Facebook page? I don’t use any social media at all and I would like to see what you have and the pricing. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ede Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 A swage with a fireplace shovel depression would be neat. After you sell a ton of these, you can repay me with one gratis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Farmall, they have a minimal website just to say they have a website about the company, like a lot of other folks. No images of products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted September 4, 2018 Author Share Posted September 4, 2018 On 8/30/2018 at 9:40 PM, Farmall said: Do you have anything other than a Facebook page? I don’t use any social media at all and I would like to see what you have and the pricing. Thanks. Sir, I understand not having a website is an issue. I run a pattern shop and foundry and anvils and blocks are a very small part of what we do everyday. Having a page on facebook is free and simple to use. We are thinking of doing a website but we are often out of anvils and freight is a huge issue, every locations is a different freight rate. If you have any questions on products please contact me PM here and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Our next block is drawn up and we just need to cut the pattern. No plans on cutting a pattern on a shovel but who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 I try to bring blacksmith items to market that are high quality and affordable or should I say priced fairly. Now we have a few people reselling my parts on Ebay, some at an 80% mark-up. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Are they selling at that price or advertising at that price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 I was just going to ask the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 selling for a $75 markup from what we can see. Asking $150 over delivered price. I probably get some advertising out of it but if I wanted a middle man I would hook up with one of the many distributors that have asked to sell my products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1forgeur Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 How about the web site you really don't have or want to do? People can look up your product that others are trying to make the big bucks on an see how fairly priced they are new and from you, then they know the price on fleabay is inflated?! I like to look up what I'm buying an do a comparison of prices for new or used. Hope that makes sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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