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JamesR

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Posts posted by JamesR


  1. Completed a homemade strap and belt punching jig. It is made of polyethylene  (UHMW). It has slot for 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" straps. The sliding holders for the punch tools fit snug into their slots but can move freely. I drilled spaced holes exactly centered in the slot. They hold my various punches perpendicular to the leather with no play. 

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  2. Made two jigs along the way. The first one used a mat cutter and a related  straight edge ruler. The mat cutter head travels on the ruler like a track. Two bolts keep the ruler from sliding around. The cutting blade travels through a groove cut into the board.

    I used the cutter handle that came with the ruler at first, then I modified the cutter and made a sliding block that fit the ruler.

    My second jig has a 90 degree fence at the top to allow for square cuts.

    There are different mat cutters on the market. I believe the cutter traveling on a track is the best way to go. 

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  3. Thanks for the comments,

    I realize a framing square or straight edge can give you the same result. I did it that ways for years. 

    Every once in a while the edge slipped and the cut angled off. I am mainly a furniture builder and wanted to  jig up my work to give me accuracy and repeatability.

    The fixed top piece makes it easy to line up the leather edge for square cuts, the guide rail clamps down on the leather preventing it from slipping. The cutter block travels in a straight line with the blade perpendicular to the leather at all times. Woodworkers build jigs like this all the time. Here are a couple others.

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  4. This is my new jig for cutting and squaring off pieces. It was made of plywood and aluminum extrusions. The cutting end was part of a mat cutting device. I removed the grey blade holder 752438514_2019-11-1209_46_46.thumb.jpg.94ec038172ba63f482c93db7e3560177.jpgand mounted it on block of polyethylene material. The block was routed to fit tightly in the aluminum extrusion so it slides smoothly with no side play. The extrusion can be tightened down to hold the piece in place while cutting. The fixed top piece is at 90 degrees to the piece that holds down the leather which gives me square corners. The mat cutting blades are quite sharp and give clean cuts. There is a groove beneath the blade so it clears the plywood surface with no drag.

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