I am always poking around second hand stores antique shops junkyards etc. And have been doing it for years.
I have NEVER seen a swage block sale.
A mate of mine gave me some smaller spanners Half inch and such. I was going to turn them into some mini garden tools for the herb garden he has on his patio at his high rise apartment. I was thinking of using the hardie hole to gently bowl out the shovel.
I have used a leather sand bag to bowl Brass and copper ( that was a long time ago)
Any body got any suggestions?
Because it is a small job I was gunna carve a bowl out of wood lock in my vice and use that instead. as I said it is a one off.
Carl

Get a chunk of hard wood like oak or osage orange, maybe locust and burn a shape out with a hot piece of metal. It's surprising how it holds up.

Thanks Gerry I was thinking something like that would hold up for a single use.
Carl

Carl, seeing as you have a spoon knife iirc, if I were you I'd carve the shape out of the log if possible, then maybe let the spoon burn in as you shape it so that you end up with the right shape for future use?

WARNING FOR THOSE OF YOU ABOUT TO TAKE THE LINK BELOW. US AUSTRALIANS HAVE A UNIQUE ATTITUDE TO SWEARING.
Geez Matt your a funny bugger!!!
For those of you outside the loop.
I know I had better things to do - Laventrix knife forum
Carl

Edited November 2, 200817 yr by Warrigal
Post warning

Carl I have a "crook knife". I bought one in May after I saw your attempts.


I am a bit confused, are you trying to make a metal spoon out of the spanners. So you carve with your "crook knife" a depression and then beat the steel into a spoon type shape?

Stewart


Matt and Carl, I fired up "Puff the Gas Wyvern" (it is only a small forge)the other day, TOO COOL. I have to finish off my "knifemakers anvil". The hardie hole and hardie tools are thought out, just have to make them and then I will post a photo of them, unless I get to excited and start making knives and forget the photos (likely).

Sounds like fun Stewart. :)

Young Mr Townsend, how the bl**dy H*ll is yer?
How was the show today?
When I was a kid in the Grandparents "sunroom" they had a heap of potplants ( small ferns and such in pots on stands not a room full of narcotics) In this room was a small wooden stand with a small shovel, rake and hoe about six inches long overall. To tend said plants. well O.K. more for decoration.
A mate of mine Mitch has started growing herbs on his deck ( again basil chillies coriander mint etc not narcotics)
I asked him to keep an eye out for files, springs coil and leaf or spanners broken or generaly unloved. He has given me some files and small broken ring spanners of his.
I am hoping to turn them a set of these tools for his deck garden.
I saw a open ended spanner forged into a letter opener which was cool but I thought why not go a bit further and try to make the mini garden tools.
So yeah I want to trim and flatten the broken end of the spanner and then "bowl" ( is that the right term?) it into a shallow shovel/trowel and maybe a little hoe.
I'll get some good local "ironbark" drill some shallow holes join them scrape burn I think when I get it close to size I'll up-end my big ball-pein and compress the last bit into the hole tapping the ball-pein into the depression with another hammer.
Don't when I'll get that done though.
Carl

Mate, didn't your metalwork teacher ever tell you; "NEVER hit one hammer with another!"? If you're going to do that, make sure you're wearing a full face mask, eh? ;)

Mate I never had a metal work teacher.
But I will chase up my wooden mallet, your dead right I hadn't thought that through.
Ta
Carl

Mate I never had a metal work teacher.

I had one for a while in Grade 8, we made a 6" x 3" x 2" tray and made "ninja stars" with scrap.

A "tradie" would probably have a fit how I make knives ........ but they seem to work.

Sold a couple Carl.

Forget the mini gardening tools Carl, knives are what you want to make, unless it is a "mini machette" for when the "herbs" get unruley. :rolleyes:

Stewart, do you not think you have had enough "bad" influence on me?
But you have a point a 12mm ring spanner on one end and golok on the other.
or maybe a mini Excaliber "Back you dastardly snail/aphid"
I must be tired.
Carl

One of the chaps on BB once turned a Bahco adjustable into a knife. I'll have to try & find the link for you.

Another inexpensive (cheap) source for swedge blocks, cylinder/oxygen bottle bottoms. Trick is cutting them off, find someone that has a good band saw and willing to do this to decommissioned tanks.

You can also tack-weld a short length of pipe or a custom-sized ring to a mounting and then sink the bowl into the opening.