[TheForge] Making dies for cutting sheet metal?

[John switzer]

I would seriously think of laser or water jet  cutting.  otherwise it may be faster to cut with a chisel, as opposed to the time in making all of the tools.

here is a sample of the chisel method
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Bear-Forge/209863855743919?ref=hl#!/209863855743919/photos/a.649736581756642.1073741832.209863855743919/649752341755066/?type=1&theater

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Bruce ." <freemab222 at gmail.com>
>Sent: Mar 14, 2014 6:22 PM
>To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: [TheForge] Making dies for cutting sheet metal?
>
>I've been working on a project, and I'm trying to find the best way to make
>one part.  The part is something like comb in appearance (so that's what I
>call it) but the 2"-long "tines" are 1/4" wide and spaced at 1/4".  The
>ends of the tines are thinner and curve.  Each tine is exactly like the
>next.  The whole comb could be made from sheet steel no thicker than
>1/16".  I need at least four, and probably eight of these combs.
>
>I've considered a number of ways of manufacturing the tines, then welding
>or brazing them to the comb back, but I'm now leaning away from this
>approach.
>
>At the moment, I'm thinking of cutting these combs of sheets of 1/16" or
>thicker steel (depending what I can cut with a jeweler's saw).  This would
>be tedious and time consuming, but there are worse jobs in the world and
>I'm sure it would work.
>
>The best alternative I can thing to this idea is to use a punch and die to
>cut the tines.  I can drive the punch using my 20-ton forging press.  It's
>the die itself that is the problem.  It would basically be a 1/4" width,
>rounded somewhat on one end, but with a complication at about 1/75" from
>that rounded end, making the punch look slightly like a lower-case "b".  In
>principle, the job could be done with two or three punches of simpler form,
>used sequentially.  If so,
>
>So my question for this group is, how feasible is it to make such tools
>myself?  The only text I have on the subject is Don Streeter's book,
>"Practical Blacksmithing", in which he makes it sound easy enough, but
>doesn't give explicit instructions -- only a general description.  It seems
>to me that a lot of effort could go into making these tools -- which would
>be fine if they work, but a PITA if they don't.  Sizing of punch and die
>would be critical, and Streeter seems to address this by making the die
>after making the punch, and using the punch to help make the die.
>Alignment of punch and die would also be critical, and Streeter doesn't
>seem to say much about that -- I assume because he relies on his machine to
>hold the alignment once punch and die are installed.  I'd have a tougher
>time with that on my forging press.  Hence, while the idea is attractive, I
>expect it might prove to be one of those never-ending projects.
>
>Thoughts?
>
>Bruce
>NJ
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John Switzer
Black Bear Forge
P.O. Box 4
Beulah, CO 81023