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Miscellaneous Shop Tools

© 2000 Alabama Forge Council

Exerpts from the Bituminous Bits

Clay Spencer - Editor

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Ryan Johnson wrote in Joe Humble's Appalacian Area Chapter newsletter about swage
handles used by Ward Brinnegar. Most of us bend the handle in a loop and adjust so that the
two halves meet.

Ward's handles were bolted together. When the swage needs dressing or more relief, its
easier to unbolt and work on them than to bend open, bend closed and align.

Brad Silverberg, who demonstrated at Madison in 1991, prefers hinged swage/fuller
handles. They can be readily opened for dressing and what is more important is that they do
not spring together so that you do not have to spring them apart to forcibly get your work in
or out.

While we are on swages and such, you can make fullers from something other than
round stock. Big John Kierbow had a square fuller in a class he taught at John C.
Campbell Folk School.

Depending on the shape of the races and grease seal areas you can get some nice
designs. Since the swaged area will forge down to a longer length, you may have to use
a starting section with some stock ground away and a full sized finishing section.

For you knife makers Ryan Johnson showed how to clamp
the guard and handle using a modified Jorgensen wood-
working clamp. Saw a notch in one jaw for the blade to fit
in. A small depression in the opposite jaw might help. Also,
from the ACC newsletter.

In 1991 at the June Event, Roger Lorrance of the Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association
had a candlestand with swaged decoration. He had cut two 2" pieces from a large ball
bearing race and carefully straightend them. Then he welded them to spring handles to
make a swage.