Making your own dies

[toxo]

I can't see your vision dikman. What is it that you want to make with your dies?

I used to buy a pattern, precisely cut out the wooden core and using the pattern and the core Id bend it around the nails until it fitted.

[dikman]

What do I want to make? No idea yet. I've watched many videos on how the die steel is shaped using bending tools/machines so figured I needed one. Me being me means I have to make one. The concept is simple enough it just needs three things - a means of applying sufficient force to bend it, (force applied to the end of the sliding tube by a lever/handle), a means of keeping everything square/vertical while bending it (hence the square tube to prevent any twisting of the die) and the right shaped dies to get the bends (right angles, curves etc). The shapes needed can be determined by watching the videos.

Bear with me, hopefully at the end you will be able to appreciate the full extent of my genius - or realise that I just confirmed I'm an idjit with no idea!

[toxo]

Just seen that ringbender on Temu. Looks exactly the same one I paid a lot more money for. I'd jump on it if I were you.

[ThisIsMyFirstRodeo]

On 8/19/2025 at 1:51 AM, dikman said:

Haven't used it yet. I've been trying to find where to buy the steel rule to make my own dies, no success yet. All the searches point me to either the US or China (alibaba), neither of which is feasible. I've found someone selling hoop (banding) steel pretty cheap so might give that a try. It's the same size as 2pt steel rule so it's worth a try. I also have to make a device for bending/shaping the stuff.

But the Vevor is a nicely made tool, built like a tank!

As far as your steel rule and hoop go, if I’m translating Aussie to American correctly, that rule is what I would call flat bar stock, and hoop would be steel strap at our “big box hardware stores” (aka Home Depot). 
If so, the hoop would probably be way too soft to hold form under a press. 

If you happen to have a forge, I suppose it *may* be possible to heat it and use some Cherry Red to case harden it once you shape it. (As a gun guy, I assume you might be familiar with it, but it’s basically gun bluing but for the brownish color instead of blue-black). If you don’t have one, you might be able to slip one under the missus’s nose if you build it yourself (I built my coal forge for about $50, well less than the cost of my anvil, and my 1st propane forge is made from an old propane cylinder and the guts of an old gas grill. But you didn’t hear that from me… 😉). And metalwork and leather have always gone together hand in hand.
Wow I went way off topic really fast. I’m assuming that you have checked with metal supply houses (the commercial variety that supply pipes/rebar/i-beams/etc), welding supply shops, blacksmiths, co-op forges, farriers, farm/tack supply shops, and web forums. (Just the sources I can think of to at least get a lead to work from.)

But I have been told that common things here are not-so-common there. Oh! BBQ/smoker fabricators! Might even be able to get some of there scrap (though there’s no such thing as scrap steel. Just ask a blacksmith 😁. No I’m not a blacksmith, just a bumblesmith…) 

Ooh squirrel! My daughter got me a little Vevor 1-burner forge, and it’s actually my primary forge now. I think she found it while it was on sale for ~$100. 10/10 recommend. Might even get hotter than my 2-burner. 

On 8/20/2025 at 6:16 AM, Northmount said:

Split off posts about Making Your Own Dies to https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/131702-making-your-own-dies/

 

 

Thank you, I have a difficult time finding what I’m looking for through the 100’s/1000’s of search results!