Considering A Shop Press Clicker Setup, Hoping For Some Advice

[Glendon]

That was my reaction to the Lucris site as well. After some hunting I found a price of something around $1,200. I don't remember exactly now, but it was not that much lower then a Tippman press.

Tex, where did you get your manual clickers?

[Tex Shooter]

I got mine at Bar-Plate, but they lost there dealership. Ace is the only company selling the MA series clicker now in the USA that I know of. Personally I don't think that there is another manual press out there comes close to comparing with the Lucris Press. Lew Asherton did a great job designing this press. It is so much faster than any other manual press that I have seen. Think about this! With two of my small dies I can easily click 250 patterns a hour. I don't know of any other press that can do that. I don't know why that I have two as one will do all that I want. The press weighs 125 pounds and can be used anywhere with out any power. I knw I sound like a sales person, but I really feel that strongly about the Lucris press. -- Tex -- PS -- Here is a link where you can get the Lucris press in the USA and it is more than $1200

http://www.acesteelruledies.com/diepress.html

[Glendon]

Now I remember running across Ace dies a few months ago. The price is about on par with the Tippman hydrolic clicker, a few hundred cheaper. I would love to have one of these presses, but they're just too pricey for a hobby. Don't get me wrong, I think they are a great second purchese, but I wouldn't put that much money out until I I had some regular income from my leatherwork, or at least had a die collection I was using.

[Tex Shooter]

Glendon, this post is not in responce to yours, but to anybody that is interested and has not seen a clicker work or has not priced clicker dies. Custom clicker dies run from about $40 and up depending on the complexity, holes and slots if any and the size. To me the difference between a steel rule die and a all steel clicker die is how many clicks do you plan on making with it. I have one all clicker die that has made well over 10,000 clicks and is still sharp. The size of the die that the MA Lucris press depends on several factors like how much cutting edge, how many holes, how sharp, how slick the clicking surface is and how complicated the outline. A five ton press like the Lucris will not click 30 inches of cutting edge with fifteen 3/6 holes for instance. For that you would better off with a larger press. Here are a couple of my dies without holes that have clicked a bunch of clicks and still are very accurate. I have clicked dies 3 times that size with several holes without a problem. I have clicked for other people with there dies. The press will click a die that is larger that the plate, but I don't. These die shown here are about $40/50 dollar dies. I have no dies that cost me over $100 dollers. Now a couple of my customer dies cost well over $100 but I will not show them. By the way the phone number on the pen is not mine. -- Tex

Edited June 22, 2013 by Tex Shooter

[Glendon]

Very good information, and it is the same info I have put together over the last few months looking into clickers. The basic shapes you would want to get as dies to save yourself the agrovation, coasters, wallet backs, pouch parts, would be in the $40 - $50 range.

[Glendon]

Thank you guys. You convenced me it should be worth a try. Any suggestions on the thickness of steel plate I should be looking for to distribute the weight of the jack? I can get 1/4" hot rolled steel easily, but I'm not sure if it would be thick enough not to bend on me.

[bruce johnson]

I have 1" plates and am convinced that is way overkill, at least for the top. On the flip side, they were cut offs at a steel yard and free. A dozen doughnuts got me past the secretary and into the back. He gave me a big piece for the bottom and a couple sizes for putting over the dies. A 12 pack was later delivered in appreciation.

[Tree Reaper]

A 10 ton comes with 3/4".

[silverback]

Try looking at your local scrap metal dealer for some 19mm-3/4 aluminium plate.A lot easier to move around and kinder on the feet.

[Rayban]

So this one should do me for small pieces such as key fobs, etc.?

http://www.harborfre...press-1666.html

I wouldn't be running it all day long, just on a "as needed" basis......it's a real pain for me to cut these things out by hand.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Rayban