[TheForge] brainstorming and other thoughts on cutting sheet metal

[Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer]

At 11:08 AM 12/30/02, you wrote:
>hello;
>
>since making the forged roses for christmas i have numerous requests for
>forged roses for feb 14th, valentine day. i enjoy making the forged
>roses but cutting the sheet metal with tin snips leaves much to be
>desired. since i am using 24 gauge black sheet metal cutting with an
>oxy-fuel torch is out ( unless someone out there would care to share the
>secret of cutting it with an oxy-fuel torch. ). plasma torch would be an
>option but still seems like overkill to me. a metal cutting scroll saw
>was more what i have in mind. i have searched using google for
>treadle/pedal powered scroll saws and the 'new rogers' treadle scroll
>saw appears to be easily duplicated. a scroll saw using jeweler saw
>blades appears to me to be a low cost but effective solution. a
>treadle/pedal powered version would give me some needed excercise ;-).
>
>my draft thoughts are to use a bicycle frame for the pedals and gearing.
>the rear wheel gearing would be used for driving the parallel arms
>holding the jeweler saw blade under tension. think parallel arm treadle
>hammer. instead of a ram and anvil a saw blade is moving in a near
>vertical path without rocking fore and aft that a c-arm arrangement
>would have. an old singer treadle sewing machine needle foot would be
>used for the material being cut hold down.
>
>i may have to render this up in povray and post a picture to theforge
>photo site.
>
>thoughts, comments, suggestions would be appreciated.
>
>--
>Terry L. Ridder ><>
      Terry; Like your treadle saw idea!
All the proposed solutions could be made to work.
Your Smith torch cutting attachment can be fitted with a " sheet ( or 
plate) cutting tip. It has a single preheat flame and is a drag type tip ( 
meaning there is a step at the end of the tip that  drags on the stock). 
When you get the settings and the travel speed dialed in just right, the 
slag is minimal and comes off easily. You can drag the tip along a pattern 
to control the line if desired; Thin kerf,any curve and pretty darn fast. 
Poor man's plasma cutter I'd say.
If you are going for a band saw solution,,,I take  "Rong Foo" ( actual 
brand name) cheapy band saw and  fit it with a blade only 1/4" wide. You 
have to push the blade tracking forward so the teeth clear the guide wheels 
I found...a couple of chunks of brass seem to work OK. I silver soldered up 
my own skinny blade for this. Push the guide slides as close together as 
possible. Because it is difficult to find super fine tooth blades, I do the 
best I can, then try to feed the stock slowly, especially on first 
contact.  You can feel if you are feeding too fast by the vibrations and sound.
There is another , more traditional approach, aside from making up a small 
die alla Don Streeter. That is cutting it out using shaped chisels against 
a soft plate. With practice this can be as fast as the other methods. A 
light treadle hammer with a quick action would make it easy.
We can come up with half a dozen other solutions I'd bet.



General musing on theforge;
Just sorta thinking with the keyboard here, but.....We  learned how to make 
roses..a sweet old traditional thing and it can be a bread and butter 
item...not saying it isn't important.....but,......We might be missing more 
than half the lesson here.
What I'm trying to say is....that the techniques we learned..the assembling 
of grouped elements of cut and shaped sheet metal with forged small bars ( 
the stem) and so on....are good for a lot of other products and should be 
used to make other things. That's what makes you free.
Guys go to a demo and learn how to make a single product just fine, and 
never take it any farther! Learning to make a rose ought to carry a smith 
way beyond flowers.
..on second thought, ignore the above. There's enough competition already 
(G)...............PF







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