[TheForge] brainstorming and other thoughts on cutting sheet metal

Tue Dec 31 09:08:00 2002

Jerry Kirkpatrick sells rose kits, 20 ga. material.
 For stack sawing- Bolt the blanks to a piece of plywood with a cariage
head bolt . The head of the bolt will pull in to the plywood and you can
gang cut on a band saw. Drill holes at the bottom of the pedals so there
is a rounded area there which helps keep tears from occurring when you
bend them up. Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 10:38 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] brainstorming and other thoughts on cutting
sheet metal


> 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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