Swage Block Stand

[Big Barn]

Of interest (or maybe not) to those with an interest in blacksmithing; I made this stand to hold my two swageblocks.

I used 3”x.25 square tube for the legs and 2x3x.25 angle for the horizontals. I wanted the design to allow the blocks to be positioned either flat or on edge depending on which pattern I needed.

Even though they are 200 pounds each they are easy to reposition with the use of a pry bar. I only had to use the forklift to initially place them on the stand.





I also fabricated two square receivers with internal tapers to accommodate my stake tools.







Detail of hammer holder

 

[yomax4]

Crazy Cool !! What an Awesome Shop !!!

 

[dragoneggs]

Yeah, no kidding! On my bucket list is a visit to Terry's shop. Sad thing is I have good reason to be in his neighborhood and haven't made it happen. This summer it is going to happen!

 

[RNeumann]

The things I didn’t know I don’t know seems to grow everyday. Thx for posting! Looks like a fun project! Skip the steel toe boots.....I don’t think they would help with those chunks!

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Very nicely done!

 

[searcyfarms]

ok so im stupid so bear with me and my many questions - what is with the square things and all the holes ( round/square ) for that is on top of that cart?

What would you use that for and what does swage mean?

No i dont want to look it up on google i want to hear it from you seasoned veterans, and then there is that cool looking round aparatus over there in the background with all the hammers hanging on it with all the holes again drilled around on it also, is this blacksmith stuff or ?

Sorry to sound so illiterate but i grew up around a blacksmith with a forge and bellows and some behemoth looking old school welders and anvils and such that my dad took me to when i was a kid. I learned on an AC buzz box to fix farm junk and thats it.

this guy had all of these big pulleys and belts that ran his shop and it ran from an old john deere tractor with a belt pulley on it for power, it ran his hammer that pounded out metal when he got it out of the forge, it ran his exhaust fans, all of the big wooden pulleys and belts and gears all over teh place it was fascinating fora kid to look/watch.

So it reminded me of what you have there in your shop but i dont remember seeing those big blocks or the round type hammer table.

School Me!!!

 

[searcyfarms]

oh yea two of the old welders he had used these big wheels to adjust them that reminded me of the wheels you turn on the door of a submarine not sure what those were either

i never saw him use anything but a stick welder or heat and a hammer , he machined stuff too wtih that belt driven stuff, i presume some kind of lathe ran by those belts and that tractor was always running when i went there just idling along - an old johnny popper it never moved just sat there

 

[Big Barn]

Yeah, no kidding! On my bucket list is a visit to Terry's shop. Sad thing is I have good reason to be in his neighborhood and haven't made it happen. This summer it is going to happen!

Lunch is on me, Mark!

......but if you’re on an expense account, I won’t argue. Lol

 

[Big Barn]

ok so im stupid so bear with me and my many questions - what is with the square things and all the holes ( round/square ) for that is on top of that cart?

What would you use that for and what does swage mean?

No i dont want to look it up on google i want to hear it from you seasoned veterans, and then there is that cool looking round aparatus over there in the background with all the hammers hanging on it with all the holes again drilled around on it also, is this blacksmith stuff or ?

Sorry to sound so illiterate but i grew up around a blacksmith with a forge and bellows and some behemoth looking old school welders and anvils and such that my dad took me to when i was a kid. I learned on an AC buzz box to fix farm junk and thats it.

this guy had all of these big pulleys and belts that ran his shop and it ran from an old john deere tractor with a belt pulley on it for power, it ran his hammer that pounded out metal when he got it out of the forge, it ran his exhaust fans, all of the big wooden pulleys and belts and gears all over teh place it was fascinating fora kid to look/watch.

So it reminded me of what you have there in your shop but i dont remember seeing those big blocks or the round type hammer table.

School Me!!!

The depressions in the steel block are used to form metal into. The square holes can be used to hold square pegged hardy tools or for bending metal. The larger round depressions are used for forming spoons, ladles and bowls.

The round type “hammer table” in the background is just a personal design of mine I incorporated into a stand for a blacksmith post vise.

 

[searcyfarms]

so someone makes those square things with all the round/square holes in them, they took REALLY HEAVY!!!!

 

[Rustyiron]

Yeah, no kidding! On my bucket list is a visit to Terry's shop. Sad thing is I have good reason to be in his neighborhood and haven't made it happen. This summer it is going to happen!

He!! I'm looking for a neighboring property to buy.:laughing:
Outstanding as usual. :thumbsup:

 

[searcyfarms]

i wish he was my neighbor id help him do everything so i could learn stuff

 

[TMGT]

Man I'd love to have those swage blocks, around here prices for anvils etc. have shot up the past few years. Seems that ridiculous cable show about making knives might have been a part of it.

 

[Big Barn]

Even with my distaste for reality tv shows I gave one of those knife making programs a try. I even tried TWICE. I couldn’t do it.

I just couldn’t get past the dramatic music and moderating style of the host and panel.

As for the swage (also pronounced “swedge”) blocks, the first one I bought about a year ago from a local iron worker who was a fourth generation blacksmith of Norwegian heritage. He had a wealth of knowledge and was an all round personable guy.

Just recently he decided to part with his second one and let me know so I grabbed it. I consider myself lucky as I have not ever SEEN swage blocks except in photos.

This is probably the first time in my life I’m GLAD I procrastinated building a stand for the first one! ( maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I thought I would acquire the second one?).

 

[mwayne]

Like others have already said, cool! My youthful memories of our local blacksmith shop was that everything was covered in coal soot, including the blacksmith, and then he would reach in his overall's pocket and pull out a bag of chewing tobacco and with his almost completely coal black hand fill one side of his mouth with tobacco. Ah memories! So your shop is much different, in a super way, than what I was expecting.

 

[searcyfarms]

Like others have already said, cool! My youthful memories of our local blacksmith shop was that everything was covered in coal soot, including the blacksmith, and then he would reach in his overall's pocket and pull out a bag of chewing tobacco and with his almost completely coal black hand fill one side of his mouth with tobacco. Ah memories! So your shop is much different, in a super way, than what I was expecting.

you forgot the polka dot welding caps, harold our local blacksmith always had a polka dot hat on of various colors and oh my yes coal slag/soot crispy underfoot as you walked around the shop, all galvanized rusty tin

 

[rankrank1]

And here I always thought how lucky I must be to have 2 or 3 old antique pull type moldboard plows (or ploughs for the spelling purists) sitting out back behind the barn in the weeds and how handy those plows have been to me over the years for their occasional use of non-plowing duties where I used the plows to beat on as an improvised workbench and strategically utilizing all the handy built in crevices and shapes found on the plows accordingly. Alternatively to find the helpful oddball shapes on the plow to straighten bent metal via pry points has been quite handy too.

I simply never knew there was a purpose built tool for this job. That is one nice shop!

 

[Big Barn]

And here I always thought how lucky I must be to have 2 or 3 old antique pull type moldboard plows (or ploughs for the spelling purists) sitting out back behind the barn in the weeds and how handy those plows have been to me over the years for their occasional use of non-plowing duties where I used the plows to beat on as an improvised workbench and strategically utilizing all the handy built in crevices and shapes found on the plows accordingly. Alternatively to find the helpful oddball shapes on the plow to straighten bent metal via pry points has been quite handy too.

I simply never knew there was a purpose built tool for this job. That is one nice shop!

All our mouldboard plows were mounted but I’ve used the frames for exactly the same purposes. Mostly heating bent pieces with the oxy-acetylene torch and using the frames as an anvil or sticking in the holes to straighten. Thanks for the memories!

 

[Hiptfarms]

Very nice shop. Your swage blocks look very nice. I like the way you set them up. I feel lucky to have come across one last year but the one I have is nowhere near the size of yours. Mine is about 1 foot square and weighs probably 60 lbs or so. I've never actually weighed it or measured it. Nice job on the build.

 

[rankrank1]

Oh yeah mounted plows work too. One simply has to have them blocked up well if not hitched to the tractor or they will easily roll on you which can be dangerous. I have a couple mounted plows here as well but usually prefer to use the tow type plows for improvised metal smithing duties as no need to worry about blocking on them at all - especially since I was not exaggerating when I said the weeds behind the barn. Gotta love working in mud, chiggers, ticks, and garden snakes that go along with such a fine work environment like mine.

That all said, I usually pick the plow that happens to have the shape I need somewhere on it. Between them all being different brands and different sizes 12", 14", and 16" as well as different bottom #'s then my crevice shapes are surprisingly rather varied amongst the 4 total plows in my weed pile (JD 2-12 tow trip on steel wheels, IH 2-14 little genius tow trip on rubber wheels, Ferguson 3-14 mounted 3 pt type plow, and even a Farm & Fleet brand 1-16 mounted 3 point type plow)...have all been handy for non-plowing duties on many occasions.