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Posted

You could always go to Harbor Freight and get a set of punches and cut them all in half and you would have a she set for different sizes. Cheap enough and do it with a grinder probably.

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Posted
  On 9/27/2017 at 12:03 AM, Mattsbagger said:

You could always go to Harbor Freight and get a set of punches and cut them all in half and you would have a she set for different sizes. Cheap enough and do it with a grinder probably.

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Even better idea! I have access to a high end bandsaw. Wife owns a hardware store :)

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Posted
  On 9/27/2017 at 12:35 AM, northmount said:

Some are pretty hard so may not cut even with a high end bandsaw.  I tried touching up a set on a lathe using a carbide tool.  No luck.

Tom

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I'm thinking harbor freight ones not the "best" steel.lol

  • Moderator
Posted

I make them once in a while for people who don't have the equipment or know somebody who does. I start with the cheaper round punches and slowly grind half away, dipping often to keep them cool. Use a fresh clean coarse wheel and a light touch. The more you hog into the wheel the more friction you make, the more heat you make, and it really doesn't go all that much faster. It just burns up your punch. After that I start to take some of the bevel down to a flatter angle. The flatter bevel makes them punch cleaner with less undercutting. Normally a few passes on the wheel and then to my belts on the knife grinders to finish the bevel and remove grind and grit marks. I work through the grits to 1200 and then finish the edges in the slack belt section. I do the final buff on the edges with a soft wheel and compound.  Takes a little time but they do the job. Here are a couple I did a few weeks ago. Sometimes I will flatten the top of the shank if asked also. Some like that flat top vs. the slight dome. 

IMG_0003.JPG

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

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Posted
  On 9/27/2017 at 2:44 AM, bruce johnson said:

I make them once in a while for people who don't have the equipment or know somebody who does. I start with the cheaper round punches and slowly grind half away, dipping often to keep them cool. Use a fresh clean coarse wheel and a light touch. The more you hog into the wheel the more friction you make, the more heat you make, and it really doesn't go all that much faster. It just burns up your punch. After that I start to take some of the bevel down to a flatter angle. The flatter bevel makes them punch cleaner with less undercutting. Normally a few passes on the wheel and then to my belts on the knife grinders to finish the bevel and remove grind and grit marks. I work through the grits to 1200 and then finish the edges in the slack belt section. I do the final buff on the edges with a soft wheel and compound.  Takes a little time but they do the job. Here are a couple I did a few weeks ago. Sometimes I will flatten the top of the shank if asked also. Some like that flat top vs. the slight dome. 

IMG_0003.JPG

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Wow! That's a lot more work than I was thinking!! Do you ever offer them for sale?

  • Moderator
Posted

I do make them up to sell at times. Normally I wait until I have a few to do and batch them. It is more efficient to do several at a time. 

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

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Posted

Cradom, 

A clicker die to do that would be really expensive and not likely to pay for itself in many shops. It would take a pretty good die maker to get one right. Everybody I've been around doing these scalloped edges uses a single punch, one at a time. I have some straight scalloping chisels that cut several scallops at time, but they will only do straight lines -- chaps and bag work mostly - the curves on these straps require the single punches. The scallops on the chisels are usually smaller than these scallops too.  

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members
Posted

Bruce, those custom half punches are amazing. I have ready made ones and the corners tend to chip because of how thin the punch gets. Great work.

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