Custom Clicker Dies

[Weaver Leather Supply]

Just seeing this post.  Weaver makes clicker dies in house as well.  We can take any file as far as I know, including CAD as well as traced drawings, or cut patterns in the mail.  No obligation for a quote.  We strive to keep lead times at a week, sometimes they stretch out 2 weeks depending on how busy they are.  We can take your die orders even if you are not a wholesale customer.  Any questions, or if you want a quote send me a pm on here or an email at Dustint@weaverleather.com and I will get you in contact with the guy who does the die quotes.  Our standard steel rule is 4x32mm Viking made in Austria.  

[Studio-N]

22 hours ago, Weaver Leather Supply said:

Just seeing this post.  Weaver makes clicker dies in house as well.  We can take any file as far as I know, including CAD as well as traced drawings, or cut patterns in the mail.  No obligation for a quote.  We strive to keep lead times at a week, sometimes they stretch out 2 weeks depending on how busy they are.  We can take your die orders even if you are not a wholesale customer.  Any questions, or if you want a quote send me a pm on here or an email at Dustint@weaverleather.com and I will get you in contact with the guy who does the die quotes.  Our standard steel rule is 4x32mm Viking made in Austria.  

oh sure, but do you have to buy $1200 worth to get it wholesale? 

[Ferg]

I don't sell steel rule dies and have no intention of doing so.

That said: I decided about a year ago I would like to learn how to make steel rule dies, not the heavy clicker dies. I found a company with a lady that knows her business that helped me along the path of equipment and dies to use in making same. I bought a manual die making machine on e-bay for $300 and have accumulated a few dies. A very high learning curve on what dies you need and what type/hardness of rule you need. After making several I am learning a small bit about making them. Made parts for a purse I made my wife with some I made.  Yes, you need a welder but it can be a small unit that runs on 120v. 20Amp ckt. (I use a 30 amp circuit) with a 10 gauge cable I made up. I can do Flux Core wire or gas with solid wire. Beautiful little machine.

You need to understand I am supposed to be retired so am also supposed to have more free time and fun. I do have fun but have little to no free time. LOL

 

Ferg

[Studio-N]

1 hour ago, Ferg said:

That said: I decided about a year ago I would like to learn how to make steel rule dies, not the heavy clicker dies.

Ferg

That is great!  I've had an interest in making some steel rule dies but it's just one of the many things on the list of things to learn.

I hope we can compare notes someday.

-nick

[Weaver Leather Supply]

On 8/2/2016 at 0:09 PM, Studio-N said:

oh sure, but do you have to buy $1200 worth to get it wholesale? 

You can buy custom steel rule dies retail and you just have to pay sales tax.  Again, if you want a quote, send me an email.  No obligation to buy...

[JLSleather]

Too bad there isn't a pattern somewhere, like we could all see it, and then some of these die guys could give us a ball-park idea of the money we'd spend having that made.

I mean, say like somebody put up a pattern where we could all look at it, and agreed to the free and fair use of it by anyone, then a die guy could - theoretically - say 'that pattern right there could be done for $Xx in Yy weeks in 11pt steel at x/32" precision.

Maybe if somebody had a pattern that came without guarantee, then somebody could produce a 'mock-quote" that came with no guarantee.  You know, all ballparky like.

Oh, hey... there's that loud bald guy... always givin' away free patterns for somethin'.  Maybe we could use ona them.  Like..." this design right here would be $49.95 .... "

Nah... never happen, right? I'm just dreaming here.  Not entirely my fault.  I have dies that aren't quite what I drew.  I have dies which are very much exactly what I drew, but came dull as a butter knife.  They seem to ALL come with a wonderful flowery story  

Maybe this post will be the last in the thread for a long time (?).  Call this an invitation to add something relevant and useful to the discussion.  If you have a quote (one not set in stone) then post away.  If not, then I guess no answer sometimes is an answer?

Personally, I've contacted enough people by now that I simply cannot be bothered with another "contact us for a quote" line.  In the time I spent on the phone, I could have cut out 1000 parts with an x-acto ...

No, hey,... I 'get' it.  Nobody wants to be compared any more.  Everybody looks good when they're not standing next to someone else, right?

 

[bikermutt07]

 

I don't sell steel rule dies and have no intention of doing so.

That said: I decided about a year ago I would like to learn how to make steel rule dies, not the heavy clicker dies. I found a company with a lady that knows her business that helped me along the path of equipment and dies to use in making same. I bought a manual die making machine on e-bay for $300 and have accumulated a few dies. A very high learning curve on what dies you need and what type/hardness of rule you need. After making several I am learning a small bit about making them. Made parts for a purse I made my wife with some I made.  Yes, you need a welder but it can be a small unit that runs on 120v. 20Amp ckt. (I use a 30 amp circuit) with a 10 gauge cable I made up. I can do Flux Core wire or gas with solid wire. Beautiful little machine.

You need to understand I am supposed to be retired so am also supposed to have more free time and fun. I do have fun but have little to no free time. LOL

 

Ferg

I love it when I see a guy with a problem, and he just says I'll make it myself. That's American Greatness right there, folks.

[JLSleather]

IN that neck of the woods, " a lady that knows her business " about has to be Sandy.

But I don't wanna make dies... did that for enough years (though back then it was tool steel, mills, and surface grinders).  I don't ask die makers to make me a belt and holster, and they don't ask me to make the cookie cutters
 

[Ferg]

You must have a bad day about every other at least. LOL

Not Sandy!

I have done/made thousands of things while I was a building contractor for so many years and then as a manufacturer of wood products. Half the equipment in our commercial shop was either made by myself or modified by me. I have an insane desire to learn how to do everything there is to know about everything. No exceptions. I don't worry about what someone happens to make for a living if I can learn to do it I will learn a better way, that is just the way it is.

 

Ferg

[JLSleather]

And yet, still no actual numbers.  But then, it is Saturday, after all.

 

[whitakermk]

I called Texas Custom Die - and talked to Rachel - she had me email my pencil/pen rough drawing and she emailed me back by the end of the day with pricing for a couple of die ideas I had in mind. A small belt slide holster - with two slots. Real easy stuff.

She emailed me back with a price for one die with slots build in and one with out the slots. About 180 for the added slots - essentially a 3 piece die needing a bridge to make everything stay in place. And the one with out slots was about $60 bucks. Shipping was about $10 dollars.

She said she could have the die made by one of her artists doing the final art/line art work. Or, I could do it - by bold black line, or via computer. Since I needed exact matching edges on both sides I went for me laying the die line art out on the computer. I emailed them in, she said perfect, I approved them, paid, they showed up at my door in about two weeks or less.

Amazing service, very up front pricing, have used the die hundreds of times so far over a couple of months.

Hope this info helps. The pricing noted was my exact pricing to the best of my memory - This order was placed late 2015 heading into 2016.

 

[JLSleather]

Actually, I was thinking about numbers from the people who make them.  I've talked with that girl, and I'm sure the steep increase in cost is due to "critical" features.  Simple enough to make slot punches, but takes a bit more time to ensure they are matched, sized, placed, and parallel.

I'm quite picky - I admit it.  I expect to pay for what I get.  But when I pay, I expect what I asked for.  A "bargain" is no bargain if it isn't what I needed, and on the other hand, I'm not paying $75 and up for a circle I could have any first year machinist student make in 15 minutes.

Course, it's a little tougher to BS me about some things.  I made dies (not clicker dies, but stamping, blanking, forming, drawing dies) before some of these folks wore big boy pants

Perhaps you could show us your sketch?  Actual size or dimensions not necessary, maybe just a sketch with an overall size -- so we know what cost $60 (ish).

As for TxCD, they seem friendly enough, and I DO have and use some of their products.

 

 

 

[JLSleather]

IN fact, I just used a full-size pattern as an example in another thread.  Maybe some of these foiks could tell us a ballpark number on this one?

http://www.jlsleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Gk43_P1.pdf

 

[whitakermk]

Can't find the sketch - but I have a picture of one of the finished belt slides. This is the $180 with the slots. Imagine the same thing with no slots for the cheaper version. Basically a rounded rectangle with slots. I went with my own die because I wanted a slightly larger size and shape - was thinking about attached lasers pointers on 380's etc. 

[JLSleather]

Just off the phone with Heather (Tx Cus D) who answered about every question a guy could possibly ever have. And then some.  

They're making me one, and likely replacing one and repairing one.  But I can say that they made dies for me for two sizes of mag pouch -- I think 3 or was it 4 variations? - which all work quite well.

ONE of those questions... yes, they DO make dies which cut on both edges (top / bottom).  There is a bit of an increased cost, but for items which use a matched left and right (or front and back) this is money well spent.

Beyond that, give 'em a call and they can tell you what you need.

[JLSleather]

Latest die I purchased was through Tx Custom Dies.  Reasonably priced, arrived quickly, geometrically correct, and cuts cleanly.  Nice work.

 

[OLDNSLOW]

I just ordered one from them yesterday for a reasonable price, another company said that it would cost 300 to make getting it done for less than half at Texas.

[Sonydaze]

Here is a die I recently had made by Economy Die Makers. This one is made with 3/4" cutting rule and cost C$94.00  (approx US$72.00)  It has done about 200 clicks so far and works great.

[Mark842]

On 8/26/2016 at 0:35 PM, JLSleather said:

ONE of those questions... yes, they DO make dies which cut on both edges (top / bottom).  There is a bit of an increased cost, but for items which use a matched left and right (or front and back) this is money well spent.

At risk of sounding ignorant...I've been using a clicker press for a few years for my products. Have never had a need for a die that cuts top & bottom but every time I hear them mentioned I wonder how this is done without ruining the die? I assume you have to replace the metal plate on your swing arm with a cutting board type plate?

School me please..just very curious.

Mark

[RockyAussie]

8 hours ago, Mark842 said:

At risk of sounding ignorant...I've been using a clicker press for a few years for my products. Have never had a need for a die that cuts top & bottom but every time I hear them mentioned I wonder how this is done without ruining the die? I assume you have to replace the metal plate on your swing arm with a cutting board type plate?

School me please..just very curious.

Mark

Both clicker presses I have , have an aluminium plate at top and the double sided knives have not given any problems but these are just the regular 19mm knives for wallets and such.

[Mark842]

10 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Both clicker presses I have , have an aluminium plate at top and the double sided knives have not given any problems but these are just the regular 19mm knives for wallets and such.

So you click right against the cutting edge, metal on metal? How does this not destroy the cutting edge? that's what my Fipi press has also...aluminum plate on the swing arm.

This is hurting my brain...

[JLSleather]

Yep, aluminum plate.  I assume that your press has some adjustment in height, so no need to take out any plate already there- just "stack" it.

As for "needing" double-edged dies,    They're useful any time you need a top and bottom that match. Or a left and a right.  I'll make this a little longer than maybe you need for the benefit of others.

If I make a product like that, then the person making the die (whether that's me or not) would need to match two "mirror image" dies to see them fit.  Say a 1/32" tolerance is acceptable variation.  

Now if LeftDie is 1/32" under and RightDie is 1/32" over, they are both "within spec" but the pieces will not match.  

If on the other hand ONE die is made with two cutting edges, then even if the die is made 1/32" under OR 1/32" over, teh two sides would still match.  There is a way this could be not true, but at this point we're not discussing draft angles.  The folks at Tx Custom Dies tell me theirs are made with a 3/4" die height only, so any angle introduced would be very minimal (a fraction of the fraction).

There are of course people who purchase and use these dies entirely for speed, and precision isn't even part of the equation.  I know of one batch on ebay who appears determined to be the king of $39 holsters (and they DO sell volume).  Their product is cheap, but clearly little thought went into the design (beyond what we can "put out" quickly).  Each his own, I suppose...

I don't currently own any 2-sided dies.  I'm not a boot maker, and my holsters are generally NOT the same front and back.

But the aluminum won't harm high carbon steel, assuming you're not running the die deep into it.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by JLSleather

[Mark842]

10 hours ago, JLSleather said:

Yep, aluminum plate.  I assume that your press has some adjustment in height, so no need to take out any plate already there- just "stack" it.

As for "needing" double-edged dies,    They're useful any time you need a top and bottom that match. Or a left and a right.  I'll make this a little longer than maybe you need for the benefit of others.

If I make a product like that, then the person making the die (whether that's me or not) would need to match two "mirror image" dies to see them fit.  Say a 1/32" tolerance is acceptable variation.  

Now if LeftDie is 1/32" under and RightDie is 1/32" over, they are both "within spec" but the pieces will not match.  

If on the other hand ONE die is made with two cutting edges, then even if the die is made 1/32" under OR 1/32" over, teh two sides would still match.  There is a way this could be not true, but at this point we're not discussing draft angles.  The folks at Tx Custom Dies tell me theirs are made with a 3/4" die height only, so any angle introduced would be very minimal (a fraction of the fraction).

There are of course people who purchase and use these dies entirely for speed, and precision isn't even part of the equation.  I know of one batch on ebay who appears determined to be the king of $39 holsters (and they DO sell volume).  Their product is cheap, but clearly little thought went into the design (beyond what we can "put out" quickly).  Each his own, I suppose...

I don't currently own any 2-sided dies.  I'm not a boot maker, and my holsters are generally NOT the same front and back.

But the aluminum won't harm high carbon steel, assuming you're not running the die deep into it.

 

 

Thanks for the in depth. Helpful info, even though I was just curious. My products don't have a left and right or front and back but I can certainly see why you would want it for some products. Tx Custom Dies has made all my dies with some costing over $1K. I can imagine hitting the sharpened side with 20 ton even though its aluminum to high carbon steel. That being said I get the feeling you would laugh at how I baby my dies but I have a boat load of money tied up in them and I click high volume with them.

 Would be curious to hear what the life cycle is on a double sided die compared to a single.

[JLSleather]

Next time you're talking with the folks down there, ya might ask 'em about shelf life.  I personally can't imagine a die costing $1k  -- that must be quite detailed! 

 

[Mark842]

56 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

I personally can't imagine a die costing $1k  -- that must be quite detailed!

The most expensive I have has 260 linear inches of cutting surface. Cuts out the product shape and 11 strands of 20" fringe and has 36 holes.