[TheForge] brainstorming and other thoughts on cutting sheet metal

[Mike Linn]

Rick Jay down in Florida sells copper and steel flower blanks that are hand 
cut using plasma, Each are based on a pattern but being hand cut you get a 
little variation between them. He can be reached at 850-722-1811


I used to cut mine using hand snips, but I picked up an old scroll saw and 
bought round blades (similar to rotozip bits) that cut in any direction. 
This works well, but I need to put variable pulleys on the motor so I can 
change speeds.


mike



At 11:12 AM 12/31/02 -0600, you wrote:
>hello bob;
>
>thank you for the carriage bolt & plywood suggestion.
>
>jerry's rose kits are made from 18 gauge black sheet metal.
>i personally do not like the pattern design of the petal disks that
>jerry uses. i also want some 'difference' between the petal disks.
>laser cut petal disks, in my opinion, start to make the forged rose
>a 'commodity' item not an individually crafted item. again, the above
>are my opinions.
>
>24 gauge black sheet metal is 1lb per square foot.
>18 gauge black sheet metal is 2lbs per square foot.
>therefore, 18 gauge should be twice the thickness of 24 gauge black
>sheet metal.
>
>one comment i have received concerning the forged roses is how heavy
>they are. i used 24 gauge black sheet metal.
>
>there are two ways to decrease the weight of the forged roses.
>0. use higher gauge black sheet metal.
>    25 gauge sheet metal is 14 oz. per sq. ft.
>    26 gauge sheet metal is 12 oz. per sq. ft.
>    27 gauge sheet metal is 11 oz. per sq. ft.
>    28 gauge sheet metal is 10 oz. per sq. ft.
>    29 gauge sheet metal is  9 oz. per sq. ft.
>    30 gauge sheet metal is  8 oz. per sq. ft.
>1. make the forged rose smaller.
>    i have made three petal pattern sizes.
>    large, medium, and small.
>    medium is    half scale of the large.
>     small is quarter scale of the large.
>     large uses a 1/4  inch round stem.
>    medium uses a 3/16 inch round stem.
>     small uses a 1/8  inch round stem.
>
>solution 0 is doable with the provision that higher gauge black sheet
>metal is a special order in my location with in my opinion excessive
>minimum order rules. 30 gauge would probably be the highest gauge that
>would be useable.
>
>solution 1 is easier except there is a limit as to how small a forged
>rose may be. the quarter scale pattern would appear to be the limit for
>my ability to still be able to work it since the fine motor control of
>the left hand and arm is gone.
>
>combining the two solutions would be beneficial.
>
>On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, Bob Bergman wrote:
>
>bob>
>bob> Jerry Kirkpatrick sells rose kits, 20 ga. material.
>bob>  For stack sawing- Bolt the blanks to a piece of plywood with a cariage
>bob> head bolt . The head of the bolt will pull in to the plywood and you can
>bob> gang cut on a band saw. Drill holes at the bottom of the pedals so there
>bob> is a rounded area there which helps keep tears from occurring when you
>bob> bend them up. Bob
>bob>
>
>--
>Terry L. Ridder ><>
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         Michael Linn
       Artist Blacksmith
      McCalla, Alabama
       AFC Webmaster
http://afc.abana-chapter.com