[TheForge] Making dies for cutting sheet metal?

[Jerry Frost]

Morning Mike. I have a 10:09pm time chop on your message. Makes me wonder
where you're at to call it morning. Slow traffic day on the information
superhighway?

Jer

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of CGRAF
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 10:09 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Making dies for cutting sheet metal?

Good Mornin Jerry

Mike Graf

On 3/15/2014 1:06 AM, Jerry Frost wrote:
> Only 4? Have then laser, water jet or even plasma cut. Making a punch 
> wouldn't be that hard but it will require serious precision and tie 
> unless you've made a few. A 20 ton hydraulic press won't do a straight 
> punch either, you'd need to make blanking dies. Talk to Lee Marshal if 
> you decide to go ahead on dies. Of course you'll be getting those laser
cut so . . .
>
> Jer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bruce .
> Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 4:22 PM
> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> 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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