How to make Cheap, Simple Flexible Planishing stakes foe SCA Armor making or Metal shaping...

 Ok,

You need to be able to weld to make these, but if you can or have access to someone who can... eazy peezy...


So here is the plan... Go here, an ornimental iorn fence supply company...

customironworks.com

Buy one each of the following solid steel balls; 1 3/8", 1 1/2", 2",2 3/8", 3 1/4", and 4".

Total cost less tan $40

Goto the hardware store buy

6 1" black IronPipe Unions, about a buck or two each.

Weld the unions on the balls so it looks like this (the one in the pic is 1-1/4" the smallest you can weld in a 1" union...)

 Also pick up 1, 1" dia, 12" long black Iron Pipe nipple...

Like this, but 12" long...

Lowes

If you can get it there, get a 1" diameter Black Iron Floor Flange... If you are only doing cold your you can get galvanized anywhere.... but if you want to do hot work get the black iron... the gas put off of galvanized if you heat it can kill you.

one example:
zorotools.com

Screw the Floor flange someplace solid.. .here it's on my anvil stand (yes it galvanized, i need to swap it out)



Screw it all together, and you've gota  great planishing stake , that you can swap the size balls on it at will.

The REALLY cool thing is you can also get some short pipe nipples, and some 90 bend joints and make one of these too... a Dog Leg stake,

If you want to use high polish chrome steel bearing balls, try here
Chrome Steel Balls - Craig Ball Sales
 up to 3.75" for about $100, above that it's expensive quickly as the balls get bigger.

Here are some I made by welding directly to pipe nipples... more expensive and less versatile...

You can also make t stakes and other stakes by connecting together various pipe nipples and couples.
The galvanized stakes in back are 2" galvanized that i use fr cold forming armor.

You can also get a 90 weldable black iron pipe fitting  like this one (3" dia)

customironworks.com again

Like these, or the u fitting (180 degrees) and weld them small side up to make stakes
for anticlastic forming.. (There are lots of sizes you can make one for each project you need it..)
 You can get these at Ornamental iron places too. (don't have a pic yet still haven't welded mine up)