Bonny Doon Small Combination Forming Stake for Swanstrom Anvil

Add versatile dimensional forming capabilities to your bench with the Bonny Doon Small Combination Forming Stake for Swanstrom Anvil. This precision forming stake combines small and medium anticlastic and synclastic forms, giving jewelers and metalsmiths multiple options for creating both flowing compound curves and rounded dimensional shapes in sheet metal.

The combination design makes this an especially useful stake for jewelry-scale work where a project may call for different types or degrees of curvature. CNC-milled construction provides excellent stability with reduced flex, while secure bolt-in mounting to the Swanstrom Anvil creates a solid working platform for controlled hammer forming.

Use it with the Bonny Doon Urethane Hammer or an appropriate nylon or rawhide hammer for controlled forming while helping protect the stake's precision working surfaces.

Features & Benefits

• Combines small and medium anticlastic and synclastic forms
• Create both opposing compound curves and rounded dimensional forms
• Multiple forming shapes provide versatility for jewelry-scale projects
• Small and medium forms accommodate different degrees and scales of curvature
• Convenient combination design reduces the need to change stakes as frequently
• CNC-milled construction provides excellent stability and reduced flex
• Bolts securely into the Swanstrom Anvil for a stable working surface
• Designed for use with the Bonny Doon Urethane Hammer
• Also suitable for use with nylon or rawhide forming hammers
• Ideal for jewelry making, metalsmithing, silversmithing, and dimensional metalwork
• Made in the USA

Specifications

These are the specifications confirmed by the current Micro-Tools listing; I'm deliberately not assigning a number of profiles, radii, or depressions that the source doesn't specify.

Small & Medium Forming Surfaces

What sets this stake apart is its combination of small and medium forming surfaces.

Rather than limiting you to a single scale of curvature, the stake provides different working areas for projects that require finer or somewhat broader forms.

This makes it particularly useful for jewelry and small-scale metalwork, where the appropriate forming surface can change considerably from one design to another.

Anticlastic Forming

The anticlastic surfaces are used to create compound curves that move in opposing directions.

This produces the characteristic flowing or saddle-like forms associated with anticlastic metalwork and can transform a simple piece of sheet metal into a sophisticated three-dimensional component.

Anticlastic forming is particularly useful for:

• Earrings
• Pendants
• Bracelet components
• Small cuffs
• Sculptural jewelry
• Dimensional sheet-metal elements
• Decorative metalwork

The small and medium forms give you options for developing different degrees of curvature depending on the scale and proportions of your project.

Synclastic Forming

The synclastic surfaces provide a different type of dimensional curvature.

With synclastic forming, the surface curves in the same general direction along two axes, creating smooth rounded forms rather than opposing curves.

These working surfaces can be useful for:

• Rounded jewelry components
• Dimensional pendants
• Earrings
• Curved sheet-metal elements
• Sculptural jewelry
• Decorative forms

Having both synclastic and anticlastic surfaces on the same stake gives you considerably more creative flexibility at the bench.

Two Forming Techniques in One Stake

The biggest advantage of a combination stake is convenience.

A jewelry design may require one type of curvature in one area and a different form elsewhere. With both anticlastic and synclastic working surfaces available, you can move between forming techniques without installing an entirely different stake every time.

The addition of both small and medium forms further expands the range of work that can be accomplished with this single tool.

Designed for Jewelry-Scale Metal Forming

The Small Combination Stake is particularly well suited to projects where precision and access to smaller forming surfaces are important.

Use it for:

• Earrings
• Pendants
• Bracelet components
• Small cuffs
• Dimensional jewelry
• Sculptural jewelry
• Decorative metal components
• Curved sheet-metal designs
• Experimental metal forms

Its variety of forming surfaces makes it a useful general-purpose stake for jewelers who regularly explore dimensional sheet-metal techniques.

Anticlastic vs. Synclastic Forming

Understanding the difference between these techniques makes it easier to choose the appropriate part of the stake.

Anticlastic forming creates opposing compound curves. The resulting shape typically has a flowing or saddle-like appearance.

Synclastic forming creates curves moving in the same general direction along two axes, producing rounded dimensional shapes.

Because 11541602 provides both types of forms, you can explore either technique using the same Swanstrom-mounted stake.

Secure Swanstrom Anvil Mounting

The stake is designed to bolt securely into the Swanstrom Anvil, creating a rigid and stable forming station.

Secure mounting allows you to concentrate on the workpiece instead of movement of the stake.

A stable setup is especially useful when you're:

• Controlling hammer placement
• Progressively developing a curve
• Rotating or repositioning the workpiece
• Maintaining symmetry
• Refining a dimensional form

CNC-Milled for Stability

The Small Combination Stake is CNC-milled for superior stability and less flex than traditional stakes.

Reduced movement provides a more predictable working surface during hammer forming, helping you maintain control as the metal gradually takes shape.

For jewelry-scale work, where relatively small changes can noticeably affect the finished form, that stability is especially valuable.

Choose the Right Forming Hammer

Bonny Doon designed this stake for use with the Bonny Doon Urethane Hammer. The manufacturer also identifies nylon and rawhide hammers as suitable options.

These softer striking surfaces are appropriate for forming metal over the precision stake while helping protect its working surfaces.

Part of the Swanstrom Anvil Forming System

The Small Combination Stake is part of Bonny Doon's interchangeable forming stake system for the Swanstrom Anvil.

That modular approach allows you to use the same stable anvil platform with specialized forming stakes for different techniques and project sizes.

The 11541602 is especially versatile within that system because it combines small and medium forms with both anticlastic and synclastic forming capabilities.

Ideal for Jewelers & Metalsmiths

This forming stake is an excellent addition to:

• Professional jewelry studios
• Metalsmithing workshops
• Silversmithing benches
• Jewelry schools
• Teaching studios
• Advanced home jewelry benches
• Dimensional jewelry workstations

Its combination of multiple forming styles and sizes makes it particularly useful for makers who don't want to be limited to a single type of curve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What forming surfaces does the Small Combination Stake have?
It combines small and medium anticlastic and synclastic forms, providing several options for dimensional metal forming.

What can I make with this stake?
It is well suited to earrings, pendants, bracelet components, small cuffs, sculptural jewelry, and other dimensional sheet-metal designs.

What is anticlastic forming?
Anticlastic forming creates compound surfaces that curve in opposing directions, producing flowing or saddle-like dimensional shapes.

What is synclastic forming?
Synclastic forming creates rounded dimensional surfaces where the curves travel in the same general direction along two axes.

Why choose a combination stake?
A combination stake gives you access to both anticlastic and synclastic forming surfaces without having to change tools for every type of curve.

Does this stake have different sizes of forming surfaces?
Yes. Bonny Doon describes it as combining small and medium anticlastic and synclastic forms.

Does it fit the Swanstrom Anvil?
Yes. It is designed to bolt securely into the Swanstrom Anvil.

Is the Swanstrom Anvil included?
No. This product is the Small Combination Forming Stake. The Swanstrom Anvil is a separate component.

What type of hammer should I use?
Bonny Doon recommends its Urethane Hammer and also identifies nylon and rawhide hammers as suitable choices.

Where is the stake made?
The Bonny Doon Small Combination Forming Stake is made in the USA.

Micro-Tools makes every attempt to provide accurate information for each item. Actual packaging and/or specifications may be slightly different from the information and picture provided.