OT What are they called???

[lugnut]

I just got home from a garage sale down the street. I bought these three pieces. The guy said that they had belonged to his Dad many years ago and did not know what they was. I couldn't just leave them there. They look like some sort of metal forming tool and almost look like the surface is chrome or nickle. I don't have a name for them so it's kinda hard to search their use. Any help?

[portlandRon]

The generic term is "Forming Stakes". Yours may have a specific name related to what they were actually made for.

[RussZHC]

Curious, is there anyway you can tell how the "stake" part is attached to the two different tops?

I've made use of a couple homemade ones but they are just shapes welded to a 1/2" x 1" piece which is the "stake"...these look quite a bit more refined.

[rancherbill]

This guy makes them. He uses tool steel and TIG welds them.

Handmade metal forming stakes & tools for jewelers, silversmiths, coppersmiths, and blacksmiths or any kind of metal forming, including auto restoration, hot rods, motorcycle, and art metal sculpture.

In your picture it says semi steel, so maybe, they are for brass. ????

[lazlo]

This guy makes them. He uses tool steel and TIG welds them.

Kevin does fantastic work.

Blatant thread hijack, but he did a fabulous video entitled "The Last Stake Maker":

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl1...romo_lifestyle

In your picture it says semi steel, so maybe, they are for brass. ????

Probably because they're cast steel.

[Toolguy]

I'm wondering if you could mount the holder vertical on a bench or post, then use the stakes in a horizontal or vertical position. It looks like there is another square hole going through the holder.

[lazlo]

Tinsmith stakes. They use a variety of proprietary tapers: Pexto et al, but you have the mating socket for it, so you're set. We had to forge a Pexto taper socket out of heavy wall tubing for our 2nd term blacksmithing class at ACC

Blacksmiths, tinsmiths, sheetmetal workers... will pay a pretty penny for them.

[Evan]

As well as some jewellers.

[PTSideshow]

Curious, is there anyway you can tell how the "stake" part is attached to the two different tops?

I've made use of a couple homemade ones but they are just shapes welded to a 1/2" x 1" piece which is the "stake"...these look quite a bit more refined.

They are cast and then finished. Tin knockers, silver, gold, pewter smiths use them.
They have some trade or job ones that have found new uses in the shop. They are candle mold makers stakes, There are to pieces ones that were used to form the downcomer pipe/tubes for gutters.

The two you have are general T stakes or two projection stakes. The one in the holder is called a general forming stake,or general anvil stake. The other one is also a general forming anvil. some times called a modified cow's tongue from the one end.


another style of stake holder, generally inserted into the bench. They have larger rectangular ones that have more sizes.

Here is a hard wood raising block. They should be smooth and polished and only used for forming sheet metals.
Never use for chisel work. They can be used for planishing or other decorative marking with the assortment of planishing hammers. Which also must be free of defects and highly polished.

On a side note, you still can buy them new, some are being made from acetal,derlin. Most jewelry suppliers will have a couple of different brands including some over priced ones sold as silver/goldsmithing stakes.

Blatant thread hijack, but he did a fabulous video entitled "The Last Stake Maker":

Like most legends in their own minds on the web, he is by far NOT the last stake maker But they sure do like you to think that.

There are more out there than you can count.
Here is a friend that is in the medieval reenactors community halberds tools You can see the wide variety that he has.

The taper shanks are designed so the don't lock themselves in the holders. With the longer shanks built into the stakes now. you can loosen them by wacking on the underside of stake.

You also can use them in a vise with the stem bottom resting on the arm of the vise jaw. Some have the shanks made so the can only be used in vises. like in the photo above the one of the 3 on the right side has two flats cut into the shank.

By the way those two you have go form $250. to about $300. each and under a $100. for the holders new.

[lugnut]

The ones that I have are Dixon 3 and Dixon 68. and I just sold them for a $100 Which I think is more that fair.