[TheForge] Swage Blocks

[Dave Brown]

At 10:04 01/14/03 -0500, you wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>I saw a few swage blocks at Gichners last weekend but didn't make a 
>move.  Can anyone comment on the Kankakee block that Centaur Forge 
>sells?  Something I noticed about the new blocks I saw was the varying 
>degree of casting quality.  Does anyone have a nice block to sell or have 
>an idea where to get a good one?  Thanks.
>
>Regards,
>Bill Woolley

Bill,

I have one of the Kankakee blocks.  When I got mine it was rough, but so it 
seams are most unfinished sand mold castings.  It takes a bit of time and 
patience to clean them up ... grinder, flexible sanding disk, flap wheel, 
etc, etc....  I liked the block once I cleaned mine up.  The only thing I 
don't like about it is the shovel form.  Not because of it's shape 
(although it's not my favorite shape either), but because I don't use 
it.  The various spoon/ladle shapes are good and I use them all.  It has a 
typical set of half-rounds, but once you have one block with them in it, 
you don't need another.  But if it's your only block, then you'll like 
having them.  It has a set of larger half-rounds (or 1/3-rounds, or arcs) 
that come in very handy.  There are only two 90degree V's which are the 
same size.  There are times when I've wished I had a better selection of V 
depth to work with  Bottom line is that it's pretty good once it's cleaned up.

For the spoon shapes I like what Bob Schade did.  He bought the hardie hole 
spoon dies that someone over in Pennsylvania makes and sells.

Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG