Ted Ewert Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 I've been thinking about this one for a while and finally got started on it. It will be a steel, 4 sided box with concrete as a filler. It's going to be about 12 inches square and 3 inches wide. I have one end completed and another side mostly there. I have still to make a 60 degree V swage and I would like to make some dishing swages too, although I don't have any steel in that shape . The rest of it is just pipes and angle iron so far. The strength in this design will be mostly dependant on the rebar configuration I have planned. The concrete will provide stiffness and support. If it works, it may provide an economical alternative to all steel units. We'll see how it goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Ted, what kind of concrete mix do you plan to use? What are your thoughts on size and type of aggregate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 That's a good question. I plan on using plain high strength concrete unless things start getting crowded. Then I may pre mortar the tight spots and crevices, and fill the rest in with regular concrete. I don't think adding small steel reinforcing pins will buy me anything. I may do a custom mix if warreted. The aggregate size in the high strength is pretty small which is good. It should work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 I got both the ends finished, and assembled the unit. It was difficult to keep everything square and flat with so many different pieces having to be welded together. I did the best I could and it's functional anyway. I added a 60 degree V swage, and a block containing 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" slots. I reinforced the inside of the block with lots of rebar. The load is distributed both laterally and linearly for all the different dies. I managed to make one side of the block flat and level so it would sit in the pan during pouring with minor leakage. Since it's fairly small, I decided to use mortar instead of concrete. I didn't see where concrete would buy me anything, and the mortar fills the little voids better. I mixed the mortar pretty thin and did a lot of tapping on the outside of the block to settle and pack the sand. I found that this produces a very dense final product. You can see how much water it displaces. I also use more cement in the mix to compensate for losses. I'll let it set for a couple of weeks or so to harden sufficiently. I'm pretty confident with all the rebar that it should work just fine. Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Really interesting Ted. I'm excited to see how it holds up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 Thanks Das. It's about a foot long and fits nicely on the anvil. I may weld a bar on it to fit in the hardie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Ted, any updates on this? Best, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 I'm letting it cure a bit more before I start pounding on it, but it turned out quite well. I'll give it a workout this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 As the old saying goes "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." I would not judge how well it turned out till it's been used a bunch. Or perhaps you just meant that it looks good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 It turned out as planned. How well it works is yet to be determined. Those lines in the mortar are not cracks. They are indents left by the wax paper which crinkled a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VainEnd84 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Very interested in hearing how well it works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 I finally got around to testing this thing and it worked well. The mortar didn't crack and the dies didn't deform. Here I formed a simple arc Here is a 60 degree bend And here I just beat a 3/8" square bar round on the end dies. All in all it should suit my moderate needs. I did need to put a hardie bar on it because it likes to dance around. Should I form anything else in it, or should it fail, I'll post it. Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Hammer Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I think a lot will depend on how much you use it and how hard you pound on it. If you used a heavy 4 pound hammer or even a sledge I'm not sure how long it would last. Then again, such a small swage block isn't make for that really. I think with things like this you need to see how they perform years down the road. A solid steel swage block will last hundreds of years and probably a lot longer than that. I hope it works well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepinJoe Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Interested in the type of mortar you used. Was it a masonry type mortar? They make some high strength non-shrink grout that can get up to 10,000 psi compressive strength. We use that type of grout under equipment bases such as pumps, exhaust fans, compressors, turbines, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 MC... I don't do any heavy forging, and don't even own a hammer larger than 3 lbs. I just wanted to see if it would work more than anything else. It's fine for what I need it to do. Joe... I mixed my own mortar so I couldn't tell you exactly how strong it is. The internal steel bracing takes most of the shock while the mortar stiffens things up and helps distribute off center stresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidAz Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Neat idea for a roll yer own. If anyone else builds one ine this way I would definitely recomend following jeepinjoe's suggestion and use a non shrink mix. I have years of experience in concrete and I also would add that the less water you use the stronger the cure will be. Basically the more water you use the more you thin the portland cement. To ensure it's free of voids use a power tool to vibrate the "mold", in this case you swage. Sanders will work, a sawsall with no blade and the foot pressed against the side. Largest aggregate you can get in the mix that doesn't impede flow through the rebar will also make it stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GyMiller Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Any updates on how well it is holding up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted September 1, 2020 Author Share Posted September 1, 2020 Holding up just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike66 Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Why don’t you weld a plate on the sides? That way the concrete has more support, and if it does crack, it can’t fall out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Still holding up ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greebe Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Very cool. I too would be interested to see how it is holding up. I like the idea. A possible better option, which is used in large CNC machines, might be epoxy granite. It is very stable and robust. It might hold up better in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 It's pretty much the same as the day I built it. Mind you I'm not using a sledge hammer on it, but for regular hammer work it's fine. There's a couple of hairline cracks in the concrete on one side, but no spalling at all. The cracks might be from when it fell off the bench. I used concrete because it's cheap, strong, easy to use and withstands heat. It's certainly not the only filler It's a decent alternative to solid steel, and easy to make. I use it a lot more than I thought I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greebe Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Cool. I might try that some day. It is a great idea for making special shapes you might need. Plus I got you to come back to the forum after a two year absence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 I've been here off and on since then. These small swedge blocks are good for shaping all kinds of things. It's far easier pound metal into a swedge than around a form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greebe Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Yeah it looks like a great solution to spending the $$$ they want to swage blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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