WTB/T armor/metal smithing stakes

[Michael Spaulding]

Hey guys!

So instead of waiting patiently for a deal, I decided to put my desires out there and see if anyone has anything that will fit the bill!

So I am a beginning blacksmith with the majority of basic blacksmithing tools (two anvils, a post vise and a charcoal forge) but I need some armor smithing tools, as my interests continued to evolve. I am looking to make a couple dishing stumps with an angle grinder, but I'd like a stake holder, and various stakes. I plan to start on bigger items. Breastplates and the like, so I'd be interested in a good 4in mushroom stake, a nice planishing stake, maybe something to raising.

My budget isn't super high (second kid on the way) but I am looking to sell/trade some of my other hobby stuff. So as that stuff sells my budget will rise. Additionally if anything strikes you as a good trade, give me a shout.

Items I have to trade:
Very high end traditional archery gear. 2014 Bubinga bear takedown bow with a selection of limbs (including two sets of Schafer Limbs)
Windlass Migration period Viking sword. Decent piece, butterknife "sharp"
Chainmaille shirt, buckles in front, short sleeve. Dome riveted alternating solid ring
Kevlar armored, anti-theft low profile duffel bag. Great for events and crowded areas.
Aaron Cergol 3.5lb crosspein blacksmithing hammer. This is a work of art, and go look up cergol hammers if you don't believe me. It's the sweetest sweet hammer I've ever held, but it's too heavy for me.

Plus a lot more I'm not thinking of at the moment. If you're looking for something, let me know!

[Michael Spaulding]

Take it to the top!

[schreiber]

Most people here aren't selling stakes. And you have a lot of competition for buying them.

What are you going to hold your stakes in? That makes a big difference in how to proceed, and I recommend figuring out out up front.

Commercial stakes started to come out back in steampunk days, and there are a lot of them out there, but they're like anvils: you used to be able to get them for reasonable prices but they now reflect the fact that everyone wants them. They have a variety of different tapers, but the Pexto taper is most universal. I'd recommend deciding to get a Pexto taper rig, whether you buy a plate or make something to fit Pexto taper, because the Pexto taper is around, and it works.

Halberds has figured out a couple different things IIRC - some of his stakes are welded to black pipe and you can put a giant flange fitting somewhere and have them screw in. Others IIRC are 1" square held in a 1" square socket. I don't own any Halberds tools but people here rave about them, and if I hadn't just casually bought most of what he sells from other people, I'd definitely patronize him.

Hal also has a "dishing donut" which is a metal torus welded to tabs that you bolt to a stump. Whether you do the donut or the bottomed-out dish like http://ironmongerarmory.com/ sells, I'd suggest a steel form, because they never wear out, and they're not flammable.

If you've clicked that link you've also noticed ironmonger sells stakes. His stakes are Pexto-ISH taper. They require hand-fitting to fit in a Pexto plate, and you're looking at several hours to get them to work as well as a genuine Pexto stake.

Then there's the collect-bits-of-metal-and-weld-them-up method. My favorite ball stake is a half of an old-timey round dumbell I got from a scrapyard for free. I traded half of it to a friend for the bottom half of my stake, which he welded up with his truck-size mig, and we both got huge stakes. If you have a welder, be on the lookout for stuff like that, and recognize your search is never going to end.

BTW a really serviceable Pexto stake bottom can be made by carefully cutting 2 angle iron pieces so that they fit down in the socket, and welding them up, and then welding a square shank to the inside.

[Sevastian]

Another plus for Halberds here. I own several tools bought from him and love them. I will buy from him again when I need other speciality tools.

[Michael Spaulding]

I have two different hardy holes at my disposal (1 inch and 7/8ths inch) and with a forge, I have the ability to alter stakes to size without hours of work. Additionally, I have two post vises, and it wouldn't be hard to put a jig together to hold a stake.

That being said, I am interested in a pexto stake holder, so I can bolt it to a stump and bring it inside during the winter months and still get some work done.

Ultimately, I do not have the tools and skills on hand to create stakes from scratch, or from parts, but I do have the skills and tools to modify a stake so that I can use it, in what ever tool I decide it needs to fit in the end.

I understand they my competition was high, but my competition was high when I picked up my two anvils as well, and they were both great deals. One of which I got by approaching the community and expressing my needs. Someone reached out with what they had, and a deal was struck. This may be a long shot, but I am trying to avoid overpaying for new products before I know what products will fit in my rotation of tools. If I don't have to spend $250 on stakes when I learn that 95% of the time I'm not using half of them, I would like to try.

I'm watching eBay, I'm watching the forums here, and I'm trying to sell my other gear so I can buy some items new. In the mean time, if you have something that doesn't work for you, or just something you'd like to help a newbie out by giving a fair deal on, give me a shout.

[losthelm]

A lot depends on what your making and what your trying to do.

Currently my stakes fit the in bench vice and bottom out on the bench.
A square socket made from scrap wood reduces leaning a bit and saves wear on the bench top.
cheap and fairly easy but not nearly as secure as a proper stake plate.

I have two of Hals early stakes that use pipe for the verticle portion and pipe flange for the base.
The top portion are cut steel welded to pipe unions or reductions so most of it breaks down and the height can be adjusted with standard pipe fittings.

Stakes really don't work well in hardies, being wedge shaped they can damage the anvil with heavy use.
Clang makes a few rivet sets designed for hardy use http://www.clangarmory.com/tool%20pics/tool%2001.html
and stokewood armoury has stakes as well http://www.robertofstokewood.com/tools.html

[Michael Spaulding]

Thanks for the tips. One of my hardys (the 1 inch) is already pretty well blown out, possibly from heavy use with similarly shaped tools, so it might actually be a good fit, and I don't mind doing a bit of damage to my anvil. I hope to have, or make, a pexto/Dixon stake by winter so I can do some indoor work during winter.

I am confident I can work around which ever stakes I end up with. I would rather not pigeon hole myself into one stake type and find out that I'll be paying through the nose for them. if I can pick up a significant amount of inexpensive stakes of a single type, then I'll invest in a plate and pick up some more stakes

[Halberds]

Welcome to armouring Michael,

This is my favorite and best starter tool kit so far.

It facilitates the construction of helms, spaulders, knees and elbows.

Best of luck on your quest.

Hal

[Johann Lederer]

I would caution about using tapered stakes in hardie holes in anvils. I have a friend who HAD a pristine 100# Fisher anvil and decided he would hammer hard on a stake placed in the hardie hole. He now has a two piece anvil, his heel cracked and it broke off. I stake holder is the safest bet. That being said, I have an old no name anvil that is 100# missing the horn (broken off). I love it, because I rarely used the horn anyway and the price was VERY good because collectors did not want it.
Another plug for Hal...I don't own any of his tools (yet) but he is a wealth of information and great guy. Remember that railroad spikes are your friend! I also have a few of ironmongers tools I bought over the years at Pennsic. I have his bottomed dishing form and a few hammers. He is also a decent guy to deal with and has good products.

[Halberds]

Here are some tools on sale.
Got a nice raising stake in there also.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=178828

Hal

[The Iron Dwarf]

I also make stake tools but am on the other side of the pond so shipping would cost more than the tools, I recommend Hal