This bench block is made of polished, hardened steel with a hardwood backing. Ideal for flattening wire or chasing, but it also works well for hardening soft wire or metal. Simply place the wire or metal onto the correct surface (softer wire onto the wooden side and harder wire onto the metal side of the block) and whack it with an appropriate hammer (to correlate with the metal malleability).

Size: 3"x 3"x 1"
Metal: 1/4" Thick
Wood: 3/4" Thick
Weight: 12 oz

Why do I need this item? This product gives you the hard metal surface for shaping wire and sheet, but also provides a softer wood surface for metals such as copper. It also doubles as a "wire wacker" used to harden wire and sheet. Hammering wire or sheet against a smooth, solid, surface is necessary in order to "harden" the material so that it will retain its' finished shape.