Hand Press Die Cutter?

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hello folks,

I get tired of cutting the same old stuff over and over and would like to have some dies made that I could put onto some kind of manual die cutter that will cut out the pieces I need out of my leather. I make wallets and ipad cases etc. out of 4-5 oz leather. My workshop is home, so I cant have a huge machine in here, but its ok if it takes up a small amount of space, thats fine. I just want something quality and strong that will cut out my pieces. Anyone have any suggestions where I can find something like this? I prefer if it wasnt powered, but can look into it if it is economical and small enough to have at my home workshop. I really look forward to your ideas and suggestions.

Kind regards,

NYIS

Edited September 28, 2012 by NewYorkerInSydney

[Northmount]

Try this link. http://www.tools4leather.com/01_ma_series_III_clicker.htm I think they are expensive, but it is small and can sit on your bench.

CTG

[stelmackr]

http://www.tools4leather.com/01_ma_series_III_clicker.htm

[Tree Reaper]

I just bought a shop press for that purpose.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=42672

[cem]

If you are still in Sydney you want this place http://lucris.com.au/ it's the manufacturer and they are in Queensland. I don't have the press but I have had clicker knives made by them and they are very good quality. Weaver in America also make one but you will need an ABN number to deal with them (again if you are in Oz), but by the time you pay for postage it's going to be close to the Lucris price anyway.

The other alternative is a shop press they are cheaper but take up more room, they also need to be modified a little bit and the ones sold in Oz are hit and miss when it comes to quality. I went this way and my shop press is crap, can't stand using it I will probably get a Lucris once I have all my sizing worked out for the rest of the knives I need. If you want to have a look at them do a search for shop press some of the threads will be able to explain the modifications needed better than I can.

Hope this is of some help

Cheers,

Clair

[Horrrk]

Hi New Yorker..

Reading your post brought something to mind..not sure if it'd help, but it depends on what your other options are I guess..

I used to work for a laser company in the service department, here in the UK, repairing the systems and one of our customers was an Indian company based, I think, in Delhi..

They made their own cutters, from chunks of plywood, by cutting a thin channel in the shape required, with enough depth to slot in some steel band, as would be found on packing crates and leave a few millimetres or so proud of the surface.

The workers would flip it over and place this rough and ready cutter over the material then hammer it through.. If it ever distorted, they would simply replace the metal banding..

I always thought it was a simple, but cost effective idea myself.. Maybe with a rig up to a simple press, it could cut out shapes (ie. the outer shape of wallet or iPad parts) easily in leather and certainly be less repetitive?

Of course, this company had their own lasers for cutting the channel into the plywood, but maybe that task could be farmed out for little cost..

Food for thought, hopefully for someone..or perhaps a wildly stupid idea.. lol

Regards

Phil

[Mijo]

I inquired about the press offered by creative leatherwork, link posted by stelmackr, several months back and it was over $1000 usd. The shipping and custom fees put it out of my budget but its smaller than the one weaver offers, which is a plus b/c I don't have a space either. I'll make do w/o until I can justify / afford the cost but it really seams ideal if you don't have a lot of space.

If any one has that manual click press from creative leatherwork, I'd be interested in what they thought about it. I read some okay comments about the weaver version from members on a different thread.

[cem]

Mijo there is an American distributor for them http://www.barplate.com/machines.aspx I know one of the holster makers here bought one from there but it was awhile ago.

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hello friends,

Thank you all so much for taking the time to answer my question and providing such interesting links and information. At this point I think I may go with a 12 ton shop press. Not 100 percent sure, but that is where Im leaning. Do any of you know the maximum size dies for cutting out 5oz leather that I can use with a 12 ton shop press? Thank you so much again!

Cheers,

Nyis

[bruce johnson]

I inquired about the press offered by creative leatherwork, link posted by stelmackr, several months back and it was over $1000 usd. The shipping and custom fees put it out of my budget but its smaller than the one weaver offers, which is a plus b/c I don't have a space either. I'll make do w/o until I can justify / afford the cost but it really seams ideal if you don't have a lot of space.

If any one has that manual click press from creative leatherwork, I'd be interested in what they thought about it. I read some okay comments about the weaver version from members on a different thread.

Mijo,

I know a guy not too far from you that has the Lucris III press and likes it. PM me and I can put you in touch with him.

[LNLeather]

This might help

Plate Embossing And Die Cutting

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hi good people,

Does anyone know the largest die size I would be able to use with a 12 ton press using 4-6 oz leather? I couldnt find the answer on the previous link a poster provided. Thanks for your help all!

Nyis

Edited October 10, 2012 by NewYorkerInSydney

[Tree Reaper]

Nyis;

It won't be the force as much as it is the area.

The ten ton press I have has a single ram and even with a large steel plate I expect to be able to cut wallet size material maybe slightly larger.

As the area becomes larger the cutting force will be less towards the outside unless you modify the press.

[Hide in the Sound]

Nyis;

It won't be the force as much as it is the area.

The ten ton press I have has a single ram and even with a large steel plate I expect to be able to cut wallet size material maybe slightly larger.

As the area becomes larger the cutting force will be less towards the outside unless you modify the press.

I recently bought a 12-ton press to use with a steel rule die I had made by some local folks. It's an 11.5" circle with a center hole punch. Anyway, I set up the press and put down a 1.25" thick piece of HDPE (13"x13") on top of which I put my leather (2-3oz), then the die, which has the rubber pieces around the cutting edges. The die has a wooden backing, as well. On top of the die I put a 1/4", 12.5"x12.5" steel plate. I brought the ram down and began pressing. I didn't know how hard I would need to press to cut the leather, so I used some scrap pieces. I quickly discovered that there is an issue. The way a shop press is designed, there is the "bed" onto which you place items you want to press. This bed is only 6" or 7" wide. So when I put the cutting surface down, it hang over on each side of this bed. I thought using a steel plate would distribute the force evenly over the die, but that wasn't the case. The die cut the leather only where it was supported beneath by the bed. So, at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock (as you look at the die) it was cutting, but at 12 and 6 o'clock it wasn't.

The only explanation I can think of is that the hdpe is somehow flexing under the force, and only cutting the areas supported by the shop press bed. My idea now is to get another steel plate and place this between the shop press bed and the HDPE. Do you think this will work? I tried to make do by rotating the whole cutting "sandwich," but somehow things got out of alignment and I ruined a piece of leather. I am also surprised by the amount of force to get through 1.5 mm leather. The die is brand new, so it is quite sharp. So...I'm still in trouble-shooting mode. Any suggestions and wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Ferg]

You definitely need the steel plate on the bottom and it should be 1/2" thick both top and bottom.

Air assist over hydraulic arbor presses can be had but I have not tried one.

Gives you an idea of how much force the clickers have to cut leather as easily as they do.

ferg

[Hide in the Sound]

You definitely need the steel plate on the bottom and it should be 1/2" thick both top and bottom.

Air assist over hydraulic arbor presses can be had but I have not tried one.

Gives you an idea of how much force the clickers have to cut leather as easily as they do.

ferg

Half inch steel, eh? Why so thick?

[Ferg]

With the force you need to cut the leather just a slight deflection of the steel plate will result in incomplete cut.

ferg

[billymac814]

I use a 12 ton press with 1/2" thick plates on top and bottom. I swapped the jack out for an air powered one. It works ok but its not fast like a regular clicker press but its much faster than cutting. I use steel rule dies primarily so the blade is narrower than most of the very heavy ones so I think it might cut a little easier. I cut about 8oz leather, and most of my dies are about 5x8 or so. Lighter leathers cut very easily with it.

I have less than 300 in the press.

I attached my top plate to the press so I don't have to lay it on top of the die, that way it lifts up when I release the jack.

[Hide in the Sound]

I use a 12 ton press with 1/2" thick plates on top and bottom. I swapped the jack out for an air powered one. It works ok but its not fast like a regular clicker press but its much faster than cutting. I use steel rule dies primarily so the blade is narrower than most of the very heavy ones so I think it might cut a little easier. I cut about 8oz leather, and most of my dies are about 5x8 or so. Lighter leathers cut very easily with it.

I have less than 300 in the press.

I attached my top plate to the press so I don't have to lay it on top of the die, that way it lifts up when I release the jack.

That's good info. I, too, have a steel rule die. I am only cutting 2-3oz, so it should be a lot easier. Does your die have the rubber pieces around the cutting blades? I am thinking about removing mine, as I think it is contributing to the difficulty in pressing out the leather.

[billymac814]

Mine don't have any rubber. They are wood centers with the steel rule around that. It would very easily cut 2-3 oz

[Hide in the Sound]

With the force you need to cut the leather just a slight deflection of the steel plate will result in incomplete cut.

ferg

I put two, 1/4" pieces on the bottom and top and it cut through nicely. My only problem now is the center punch must be mounted too low as it is cutting way too far into the cutting board. Rather than just punching the hole, it is punching and driving through. I think if I could grind a couple millimeters off the top, it would work fine.

[billymac814]

Does the die sit flat on a flat surface or is the punch too long. It could be that the center of the press is more sturdy and the outsides of your plate are flexing some. I have 1/4" plates that I use in the same press for molding holsters and they are bent from the pressure.

I put two, 1/4" pieces on the bottom and top and it cut through nicely. My only problem now is the center punch must be mounted too low as it is cutting way too far into the cutting board. Rather than just punching the hole, it is punching and driving through. I think if I could grind a couple millimeters off the top, it would work fine.

[Hide in the Sound]

Does the die sit flat on a flat surface or is the punch too long. It could be that the center of the press is more sturdy and the outsides of your plate are flexing some. I have 1/4" plates that I use in the same press for molding holsters and they are bent from the pressure.

The die sits flat on the HDPE with the steel plates beneath that. The die is a steel rule die, and it has a wood backing into which the cutting blade (circular, 11.5" diameter) is mounted and a center hole punch is also mounted. On the outside and inside of the cutting blade there is a rubber-like substance that is mounted, presumably to protect the blade and allow for easy extraction of the cut leather. Now, it's true that the press' ram pushes down right above the punch, so it is probably getting more pressure than the circular blade, but that's why I'm using 1/2" of steel above and below, so get the force to spread out.

[billymac814]

I read that wrong, I thought you were using 1/4" plates, I didn't see that you doubled it up. I still would bet that you're getting flex from somewhere and that's what's causing it.

I cut the ram off of my press and mounted a 1/2" thick solid piece of steel on top and bottom and even doing all that I get some flex and sometimes one part of the die will sink pretty far in the cutting surface.

Your die is also pretty large.

It may solve your problem by shoertening the punch however its possible that if you ever use a regular clicker it may not punch right if shortened, that may not be a concern though.

[billymac814]

I read that wrong, I thought you were using 1/4" plates, I didn't see that you doubled it up. I still would bet that you're getting flex from somewhere and that's what's causing it.

I cut the ram off of my press and mounted a 1/2" thick solid piece of steel on top and bottom and even doing all that I get some flex and sometimes one part of the die will sink pretty far in the cutting surface.

Your die is also pretty large.

It may solve your problem by shoertening the punch however its possible that if you ever use a regular clicker it may not punch right if shortened, that may not be a concern though.