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disc cutter die - other shapes?



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 10th 06, 03:23 PM posted to rec.crafts.jewelry
La Stella Celeste
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Posts: 2
Default disc cutter die - other shapes?

Hi. I have a disc cutter that cuts various sizes of round discs. It's the
kind that you slide the sheet of metal in and then hit it with a hammer to
punch the disc. I would like to find (or have made) some that would produce
different shapes. My problem is that I don't quite know what to call them.
I have done internet searches on disc cutters, dies, tool and die, punch
dies, punch cutters, and chatted with someone at a tool and die shop who
said they could do it for around $10,000, so I obviously wasn't
communicating what I wanted. Can anyone point me in the right direction for
my search? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!



Ads
  #2  
Old July 10th 06, 03:42 PM posted to rec.crafts.jewelry
Peter W.. Rowe,
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Posts: 355
Default disc cutter die - other shapes?

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:23:50 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "La Stella Celeste"
wrote:

Hi. I have a disc cutter that cuts various sizes of round discs. It's the
kind that you slide the sheet of metal in and then hit it with a hammer to
punch the disc. I would like to find (or have made) some that would produce
different shapes. My problem is that I don't quite know what to call them.
I have done internet searches on disc cutters, dies, tool and die, punch
dies, punch cutters, and chatted with someone at a tool and die shop who
said they could do it for around $10,000, so I obviously wasn't
communicating what I wanted. Can anyone point me in the right direction for
my search? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!



Well, I'm a bit of a tool-a-holic, and I've not seen alternate shape versions of
those nifty cutters, at least not the simple hammer driven type at similar price
structures. This is likely due to the fact that a non-round cutter would be
MUCH more difficult to manufacture. You can't just drill and bore out a precise
non-round hole (especially if you want precise corners), and you can't just use
existing ground drill rod for your punches. And because the cutting die would
have to hold a non round punch in much closer rotational alignment than a disc
cutter needs, the fit between punch and die would also be more critical. Making
a non-round cutter like this, while possible, is not likely to be in the same
price range at all.

However, three options reasonably exist that i can think of, if you really
require such a tool.

The first is to make your own. This would not be the same type of cutter, but
rather, RT cutting dies. it is possible to make an RT type die to cut virtually
any simple shape you wish. Each tool is a single, one piece tool that
incorporates both punch and die in a single connected piece of metal. Requires
some experience to make a die where the cut piece has a fully connected outline
rather than some edge section not cut by the die, but it's possible. Go to the
Bonny Doon web site to find Lee Marshall's instructions for making such dies.
You can make these with just a hand driven saw if you're good enough, but a
sawing guide of some sort makes it easier (the sawing is done at a precise angle
through heavy sheet steel), or one of the guided saw frames, which cost a bit
more, make it even more predictable. Or you can have the dies made.

Commercial non-round dies exist. One company is Profiform. These cutting dies
are optional accessories for the Profiform shear/bending brake tool, a neat
little bench shear and multi purpose forming tool. Swiss made, it's not cheap,
and the optional cutting dies aren't either. Frei and Borel is one firm that
carries these nice tools. Pricey, but worth the money if you need such a tool.

You've all seen these hand held heavy duty plier type hole punches made in
China. They sell for about fifteen bucks from Harbor Freight.. They're
somewhat poorly made copies (though still nicely functional) of the original
design made by the Roper Whitney company. If you look up Roper Whitney, you'll
find that in addition to that neat little hand punch, they also make a lot of
other punching tools, including punches that will do lots of other non-round
shapes, and you can have punches made for virtually any shape you wish. Again,
this is in a different price level than those simple disc cutters. But not at
all in that funky ten thousand buck range you've found. More like a hundred or
two, i think, for each punch (each individual punch size). This is pretty close
to what the Profiform cutting dies go for too.

All in all, if you're willing to learn how to make them, and take the time to
make them, making your own RT blanking dies in the sizes and shapes you need, is
likely your most economical route. It requires some precise and careful metal
working skills, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary, and not a large
investment in equipment or something (though a guided saw frame for the sawing
is a good idea if you've got more than one or two of these to do, and don't want
to be doing them over the first few times. The Bonney Doon saw is better than
the RT one. Or have Dar Shelton (I think that's his name, from Shelltec) make
them for you. That's what he does. Google it.

Hope this helps.

Peter Rowe
  #3  
Old July 11th 06, 04:25 AM posted to rec.crafts.jewelry
Carl 1 Lucky Texan
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Posts: 57
Default disc cutter die - other shapes?

La Stella Celeste wrote:
Hi. I have a disc cutter that cuts various sizes of round discs. It's the
kind that you slide the sheet of metal in and then hit it with a hammer to
punch the disc. I would like to find (or have made) some that would produce
different shapes. My problem is that I don't quite know what to call them.
I have done internet searches on disc cutters, dies, tool and die, punch
dies, punch cutters, and chatted with someone at a tool and die shop who
said they could do it for around $10,000, so I obviously wasn't
communicating what I wanted. Can anyone point me in the right direction for
my search? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!





Dar Shelton (www.sheltech.com I THINK) made a custome pancake die for
me - very reasonable.

Carl


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to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

  #4  
Old July 11th 06, 06:24 PM posted to rec.crafts.jewelry
Charlie Leo
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Posts: 7
Default disc cutter die - other shapes?

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:23:51 GMT, "La Stella Celeste"
wrote:

Hi. I have a disc cutter that cuts various sizes of round discs. It's the
kind that you slide the sheet of metal in and then hit it with a hammer to
punch the disc. I would like to find (or have made) some that would produce
different shapes. My problem is that I don't quite know what to call them.
I have done internet searches on disc cutters, dies, tool and die, punch
dies, punch cutters, and chatted with someone at a tool and die shop who
said they could do it for around $10,000, so I obviously wasn't
communicating what I wanted. Can anyone point me in the right direction for
my search? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!


If you will send me your email address, I can help you. I realize that
there are very good reasons for using a 'smudged' address, but it
would be nice if your smudging could be interpreted.

Charlie

  #5  
Old July 13th 06, 04:23 PM posted to rec.crafts.jewelry
La Stella Celeste
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default disc cutter die - other shapes?

Thanks - I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply and provide
information. Will look into the suggestions!

"La Stella Celeste" wrote in message
...
Hi. I have a disc cutter that cuts various sizes of round discs. It's the
kind that you slide the sheet of metal in and then hit it with a hammer to
punch the disc. I would like to find (or have made) some that would
produce
different shapes. My problem is that I don't quite know what to call
them.
I have done internet searches on disc cutters, dies, tool and die, punch
dies, punch cutters, and chatted with someone at a tool and die shop who
said they could do it for around $10,000, so I obviously wasn't
communicating what I wanted. Can anyone point me in the right direction
for
my search? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!






 




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