Hand operated clicking press and clicking knives

[UKRay]

About thirty years ago I owned a big, ugly old fly press - the sort with a monster screw and a handle weighted with a big old cast iron ball that would swing round and clip your ear horribly if you didn't move quickly enough. I used this to cut out all kinds of small leathergoods - hair barrettes, key fobs and the like. Now I'm old and fat and don't move so fast I was thinking about one of those hand operated clicking presses - Weaver do a nice looking one - mainly because they require weight rather than agility to work well!

Has anyone any experience of these things? What sort of machine works for you?

Also: Have you got any tips for designing, using or storing strip/clicking press knives?

[Art]

Hi Ray,

Are you talking about a Bookbinder's press? The little press from Weaver, will be at the Wickenburg show in the LMC Cobra booth, I'll play with it there and let you know how it does.

Art

About thirty years ago I owned a big, ugly old fly press - the sort with a monster screw and a handle weighted with a big old cast iron ball that would swing round and clip your ear horribly if you didn't move quickly enough. I used this to cut out all kinds of small leathergoods - hair barrettes, key fobs and the like. Now I'm old and fat and don't move so fast I was thinking about one of those hand operated clicking presses - Weaver do a nice looking one - mainly because they require weight rather than agility to work well!

Has anyone any experience of these things? What sort of machine works for you?

Also: Have you got any tips for designing, using or storing strip/clicking press knives?

[Daggrim]

Ray,

That's just what I've been wishing someone would make, a hand operated clicker. I thought they didn't exist, so I never searched. I have an email in to Weaver, asking about the price, but that's the ideal size for most of the things I make.

In my type of business, doing shows, I produce lots of the same kinds of things, and I have maybe twenty separate pieces I make which comprises my inventory. A helmet can use up to 12 separate pieces, and I have some sheaths, too. I do some custom, but it's just customizing something I already make.

Looks to me like there are people on the forum who do every job as a custom piece, and so they don't build up an inventory of parts on the shelf.

Anyway, I'm excited to find out more about hand clickers. Glad you posted that.

Doug

[UKRay]

Not the bookbinder's press Art - the thing I saw in their catalog is a chunky great press with a sensible sized set of steel plates and a long operating handle. It is designed to cut out small leathergoods.

A guy I know has a similar one and reckons it is a fine thing but I'm afraid I tend to take his suggestions with a pinch of salt most times - he has been known to be horribly wrong! Have another look - I'll try to find a reference number for you if someone doesn't get there first.

Glad it was useful, Doug. Now tell me about the knives!

R.

Hi Ray,

Are you talking about a Bookbinder's press? The little press from Weaver, will be at the Wickenburg show in the LMC Cobra booth, I'll play with it there and let you know how it does.

Art

[Daggrim]

Hah, I'm not sure you want to know, Ray. I don't make them, I buy blanks and wrap leather handles on them, and make sheaths, most of which are just riveted, but a couple of which are hand stitched. I have small daggers for the bodice, boot, neck and belt, and some big honkin' seaxes which are made from lance heads. If you want pics you canl ook at "http//:leatherhelms.com". or I can post some when I get off work.

Doug

[Jordan]

Lucris Mfg. Made down under

[Daggrim]

So, could something like that cut thru that footprint if it was 12 oz leather?

[UKRay]

Sure it could.

So, could something like that cut thru that footprint if it was 12 oz leather?

[bruce johnson]

So, could something like that cut thru that footprint if it was 12 oz leather?

Doug,

One of my friends has one of the Lucris ones and uses it a fair amount. With the cam action and mechanical advantage it is something like a 5 ton press. The bed is decent sized and the head is adjustable. He uses it for small clicking, embossing, and a cool thing is he can set his lettering stamps in place and press them all at once. He has a big clicker too, but this one is pretty handy. They aren't inexpensive though. I priced one a few years ago and they were about 1200 then. One recently sold on Ebay for more than that. For what I need to do, I use a shop press and steel plates over my dies to even the ram pressure across the whole die. Even on heavy skirting 3-4 strokes of the handle will go through it. Back off enough to slide the die and piece out and slide another in. Not as fast as a hydraulic clicker, but cost effective for what I use one for.

[Daggrim]

Great stuff. I checked the Lucris website, and browsed google. Now I suppose it's a matter of shopping for the best price for one in the USA.

Doug