jlpservicesinc Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Interesting little tidbit.. I always wanted a Starrett 8" chipping vise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 “swage block” for drifting tools made from a 66lb tractor weight 9” diameter 4” thick with a 2.5” hole in the center. Rough Stand made of scrap wood. Very stable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 There were disk shaped swage blocks made with the patterns on the edge and an axle to spin it on. I've seen them in old industrial catalogs and then one year two of them showed up at Quad-State! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Are those steel or cast iron? I may have missed it somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 I would have guessed cast iron; but he said they were steel. I assume he did a simple spark test on them. However both would probably work for low use swage blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Cast steel! They rebound 65% ish with rust and they don’t drill like cast iron. But Cast iron would be fine I’d imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Probably just steel then and not cast steel which is a specific type of steel and much more expensive...Which catalog is that from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 No idea. It was sent to me after talking about using the weight as a swage block. It sure looks like cast steel to me. Definitely not cast iron but it has raised letters like you’d find on cast weights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Ok; so maybe cast from steel rather than cast steel. It's a weird bit of historical blacksmithing trivia: Cast steel refers to steel first made by Huntsman in the 1700's where he figured a way to take blister steel---made from wrought iron---and melt it; equalizing the carbon content and removing the ferrous silicate slag in it. Sheffield England was famous for it and was still teeming cast steel after 1900! As it was more expensive it was used as an advertising gimmick and so I have a number of late 19th century tools marked "Cast Steel" even though they were forged from the ingots that were cast and NOT cast into form!) I guess nowadays cast steel would be like cast iron as items get cast into their final forms. So just ignore me as I digress into cutting edge technologies of 1800's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Ya this is just cast steel mid carbon not that fancy blister steel haha. But I did not know that thanks for the info! I always learn something new on this site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Just thought of something. I was hoping to get some input. So I was wondering if you could use lead as a base to an anvil. To add weight without getting much bigger. Similarly to a farriers anvil that the top half is steel and the bottom half is aluminum. I was wondering if lead would work to do the opposite and make it heavier? Or would it be too soft and deform despite the steel upper half. This is ignoring the fact of lead poisoning. Pictured below is the half aluminum anvil for reference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Not a good idea if you plan on laying the steel over the lead.. If you figure wrought iron anvils end up with sway or camel back and are wrought iron with a steel face just imagine what lead would do.. Now if you made a hollow base and and poured the lead in to add weight it might work.. As is filling a hollow base with mercury. Weight in an anvil is a good thing.. The idea that it is the initial impact of the hammer that does all the work so having a loosely mounted anvil is ok sure works great for science but in practice I find it less then ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Thanks. Yea I figured it wouldn’t be too good. Or it would probably be done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 by the way I've used the Future 1 and future 2 anvils by Delta.. For shoes they work ok, but for any real forge work a real anvil is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 I bought this 10kg/ 22 lb cast steel anvil for 60$ on amazon to mess around with and I am pleasantly surprised. It’s harder than my file is and rebound is pretty good too. No ball Bering but I’d estimate a good 75% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 4, 2020 Author Share Posted July 4, 2020 I’ve cleaned it up and the rebound when tested with a ball bearing is 90- 95% fantastic for this cheap of an anvil if you ask me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 4, 2020 Share Posted July 4, 2020 There is a good review about the 66 pounder here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 6, 2020 Author Share Posted July 6, 2020 I’ll take a look at that. Thanks. I started some box jaw tongs and I must say. I’m rather pleased with how this forge weld came out. It’s completely invisible. Top and side view shown. also with the little anvil before stripping the paint it started leaking a bit and the liquid smelled like vinegar. Also no bondo was to be found. It was welded to fill voids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 6, 2020 Author Share Posted July 6, 2020 Messed the point up while sharpening but I’ll fix it later. Little knife from a bit of leaf spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 Got a new vise today. The vise is a warren tool and forge company quikwerk 70 lb leg vise. Has 5” jaws. Worth the 30$ I’d say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Well, I'd say you are right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 Just needs a cleaning and a stand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 So this is for sale near me. Looks like a really tall skinny cone mandril. Anyone seen anything like it ? Would it be worth the drive ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Williams Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Do you need a really tall skinny cone mandrel? Take the drive if so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 Not really but it’s kinda interesting. Didn’t know if it was something rare I shouldn’t miss or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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