Custom Clicker Dies

[RockyAussie]

From my experience I find that it is best to repeat hit a couple of times moving the knife and leather between hits to avoid any missus. This I do on tassels mostly and I don't know if I would try 20" long fringes in any hurry. (no ejection rubbers either I should add).

[Mark842]

It works well. I was going to have the die made to cut two at once but Heather over there at Texas Custom Die warned me off..too much cutting edge. I hit it 2 times moving the swing arm from side to side. That will cut the design from the hide. I can then pick up the die with the leather still in it and move it a little bit on the board and hit it again and it's perfect. Sounds like a hassle compared to my one shot wonders but I have it down to about 20 seconds a unit. Slightly better than 20 minutes a unit by hand with a Tandy table top fringe cutter that was less than accurate. Took my average work day from 8-9 hours to about 2 hours without having to hire another employee.

 

2 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

From my experience I find that it is best to repeat hit a couple of times moving the knife and leather between hits to avoid any missus. This I do on tassels mostly and I don't know if I would try 20" long fringes in any hurry. (no ejection rubbers either I should add).

i just have ejection rubbers on the body, not on the fringe. I can just grab the top edge and all the fringe pulls right out. This is with 7-8 ounce oil tanned. Not sure how it would work with a veg tanned. Probably be hell to get the fringe out.

[bikermutt07]

I'm curious to see this massive die or a pic of the item, if you don't mind.

[Mark842]

8 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

I'm curious to see this massive die or a pic of the item, if you don't mind.

Not good at this picture stuff. Had to reduce the size to get it to fit. Hopefully it is big enough to see...

[bikermutt07]

6 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

Not good at this picture stuff. Had to reduce the size to get it to fit. Hopefully it is big enough to see...

Thanks. Is it something for saddles?

[Mark842]

Just now, bikermutt07 said:

Thanks. Is it something for saddles?

Nope, Motorcycle stuff.

[bikermutt07]

50 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

Nope, Motorcycle stuff.

Slaps forehead!

I should have seen that. I've seen a thousand times.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Mark842 how big is your clicker?  That is a lot of cutting surface! 

[RockyAussie]

Note: I have noticed in the past when doing long knives like this after a while they start to bow down a lot in the middle. I have made a practice of putting a sacrificial piece of hard veg on the 2 ends on top to help counteract it but a little build up weld on ends would be better if using a lot. If the bow goes too far the next thing is wanting to go sideways as well and you know what that means. Regards Brian

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

7 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Note: I have noticed in the past when doing long knives like this after a while they start to bow down a lot in the middle. I have made a practice of putting a sacrificial piece of hard veg on the 2 ends on top to help counteract it but a little build up weld on ends would be better if using a lot. If the bow goes too far the next thing is wanting to go sideways as well and you know what that means. Regards Brian

I always wondered if long dies that get warped that way (bow down in the center) get that way from people hitting them in the center first. On my long dies that are too long to do in one hit, I start from one end, then hit the other end, and then the center if two hits weren't enough. I think I only have one die that I need to do that with, and it was warped when I got it, even though it had seen very little use.

[Mark842]

11 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Note: I have noticed in the past when doing long knives like this after a while they start to bow down a lot in the middle. I have made a practice of putting a sacrificial piece of hard veg on the 2 ends on top to help counteract it but a little build up weld on ends would be better if using a lot. If the bow goes too far the next thing is wanting to go sideways as well and you know what that means. Regards Brian

The die shown is 26" long. I've been using that die daily for going on 3 years now, approximately 30-40 cuts a day. Its perfectly straight and level. I hit it with two shots on the swing arm, never in the middle. I always move it around on the cutting surface to keep the wear even and the board gets resurfaced every 3 months.

 

15 hours ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

Mark842 how big is your clicker?  That is a lot of cutting surface! 

I have a Fipi F-36 that was purchased used 5-6 years ago. Not really sure what the ton rating is on as I have seen them listed under that model number from 18 to 25 ton. There is nothing on mine that indicates which it is but it gets the job done.

I will be buying a new press in the next two weeks from CJR here in Utah. I have an appointment with them to have them use my largest die to see what size press I need to go with. I'm curious to see how the old compares to the new. Outside of a few switches on the handles the Fipi has been an extraordinary workhorse that shows no signs of giving up. I'm just getting to the point where I need 2 presses going at the same time.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

15 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

The die shown is 26" long. I've been using that die daily for going on 3 years now, approximately 30-40 cuts a day. Its perfectly straight and level. I hit it with two shots on the swing arm, never in the middle. I always move it around on the cutting surface to keep the wear even and the board gets resurfaced every 3 months.

 

I have a Fipi F-36 that was purchased used 5-6 years ago. Not really sure what the ton rating is on as I have seen them listed under that model number from 18 to 25 ton. There is nothing on mine that indicates which it is but it gets the job done.

I will be buying a new press in the next two weeks from CJR here in Utah. I have an appointment with them to have them use my largest die to see what size press I need to go with. I'm curious to see how the old compares to the new. Outside of a few switches on the handles the Fipi has been an extraordinary workhorse that shows no signs of giving up. I'm just getting to the point where I need 2 presses going at the same time.

That is a testament to a great die and a smart user!  Congratulations on needing a second clicker.  It's nice to have enough work that you need to buy more machinery:-)  

[Mark842]

Just now, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

That is a testament to a great die and a smart user!  Congratulations on needing a second clicker.  It's nice to have enough work that you need to buy more machinery:-)  

Guess that is my unofficial plug for Texas Custom Dies. That being said I have no one to compare them to. I did a lot of research before I purchased and they have made all my dies. Never had any problems at all. They even talked me out of a few mistakes that would have made them a whole bunch more money off me. Not sure how their prices compare to all the other Die manufacturers but as long as I get the quality and service I need I ain't looking elsewhere.