Casting Specialties, W 51 N 545 Struck Lane, Cedarburg, WIS
53012, (414-377-4361): Cast semi steel hammer set; unfinished
(94.00), also set of T stakes, 8 for $130 and vertical set at $102.
Can be hard to get hold of but I have a set and so do others. The
price is right even if the service may be a little loose.
You have to finish them yourself, a sweaty day and a half
with an angle grinder. My suggestion is to trade with a high school
shop, you give them a one day workshop on jewelry, they finish
your stakes for you...
I found this info on Orchid and other sites. First, their phone
number is now (262) 375-2430
Second, does anyone have more info on there products i.e. their
stake and hammer sets? Any web page or email?
I used to deal with them occasionally about 10 years ago. The stakes
and hammers were decent, especially at the price. They were great
for having some “rough” stakes laying around to be ground into
whatever custom shape the job needed.
My impression is that the stakes are a bit softer than the standard
ones, but that could be simply because I saw how fast my 9" angle
grinder ate into them. (I never have cause to unleash Makita the
Destroyer on already finished stakes, so I have no basis for
comparison, other than an impression.) The stakes I’ve cleaned up
have held up pretty well for light-to-medium silversmithing.
They can be a bit hard to contact. I’ve been trying their phone off
and on for the past year or so, attempting to get some stakes for the
school I teach at, and I have yet to receive a return phonecall.
(Hard to give them money if they never either answer the phone, or
call back…)