Oval punches

[Spyros]

10 minutes ago, billybopp said:

The difference is that if you make a tool like that, or a jig - you only have to take the time to get it just right once.  If it's something that you do often the time and money spent will pay you back in time and money!   I need to make something similar to that for my hole punching - I already made one to help me align letter stamps on straps out of thick plastic (I just don't have the tools to do metal).

- Bill

I mean you don't need much in terms of tools, just a drill for the holes.  Buy the metal bars in the width and thickness you need and cut it to size a hacksaw, sand the edges round (if you can be bothered), pop some rivets in and that's it.  The ruler bit is just for show.    I'm actually thinking of using aluminium because I'm too lazy to drill through mild steel.

 

Oh I just remembered I made one too for letter stamps

 

 

It works, kinda.  but those stamps are not made to be used like that, they're too spaced out.

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Spyros

[chuck123wapati]

10 hours ago, Spyros said:

I think Ι'll pop out in the shed this weekend and make one of those quickly

.....but then the problem is, on that metal piece in the middle, how do I drill those holes straight 

It's the age old catch 22 of toolmaking:  

"to make the tool that you want, you need the tool that you're making"

 

Scribe a line down the middle of you piece from one end to the other, Then drill small pilot holes on both ends of each oval, then drill out the pilot holes with the right size bit  and finish with needle files.

[chuck123wapati]

i was just wondering if anyone skived each end of the round holes, one side on the front and one side on the back of the belt so the prong wont deform the hole as much instead of making an oval Like we do with belt loops on pancake holsters.

[RockyAussie]

11 hours ago, Spyros said:

I think Ι'll pop out in the shed this weekend and make one of those quickly

.....but then the problem is, on that metal piece in the middle, how do I drill those holes straight 

It's the age old catch 22 of toolmaking:  

"to make the tool that you want, you need the tool that you're making"

 

Very easy to make up with a 3D printer and some Chicago screws. No problem at all with doing whatever shape slots and hole shapes you want then. Only tricky bit is working out how to set it up for spring closing as well.

[Spyros]

 

1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said:

Scribe a line down the middle of you piece from one end to the other, Then drill small pilot holes on both ends of each oval, then drill out the pilot holes with the right size bit  and finish with needle files.

I was half joking, I just suck at drilling holes for some reason.  Even with my drill press.   Even when I use a center punch and pilot holes and clamps and everything else, about 1/3 of the time the drill bit finds a way to go in sideways and get out the other side at an angle, or just generally travel outside the pilot hole.   That's for wood and especially metal.   For holes in leather I have all sorts of other problems: pilot holes are irrelevant, sometimes the material shifts and stretches and slides under me, the punch covers my mark so I can't see what I'm doing etc.  

At the end of the day maybe it's just my attention to detail, when I get to the hole punching stage it's usually towards the end of the project and I'm getting impatient.  Just need to slow down and take my time, and also rethink my method.

[RockyAussie]

1 hour ago, Spyros said:

 

I was half joking, I just suck at drilling holes for some reason.  Even with my drill press.   Even when I use a center punch and pilot holes and clamps and everything else, about 1/3 of the time the drill bit finds a way to go in sideways and get out the other side at an angle, or just generally travel outside the pilot hole.   That's for wood and especially metal.   For holes in leather I have all sorts of other problems: pilot holes are irrelevant, sometimes the material shifts and stretches and slides under me, the punch covers my mark so I can't see what I'm doing etc.  

At the end of the day maybe it's just my attention to detail, when I get to the hole punching stage it's usually towards the end of the project and I'm getting impatient.  Just need to slow down and take my time, and also rethink my method.

I think we all suffer from that problem. I have found even with a mill or router bit I can make it go all over the place. On my printer it prints out with no input from me except the cad drawing and my drawing program finds the middle of stuff WAAAAy bettern me.. I don't have much of a call for one of them things because I print out holders to hold multiple holes for different size belts in the one cut but I just may draw up one for those that have a printer and pop it into the printers and laser posts section here. Heres a couple of pictures of jigs I've made both out of wood and plastic that use the same knife for different width belts. The plastic is way easier and less time consuming and if I want a little bit wider or less I can just streath it in the program and print it again. NO probs.

Edited August 14, 2020 by RockyAussie

[Spyros]

Well, plastic, acrylic, various synthetic fabrics, they are superior materials.   Just better in many practical ways: maintenance, weight, expansion/contraction, variety etc

In my mind the only reason to use leather, wood, brass in this day and age is because I like how it looks and feels and especially how it ages.  Old plastic looks... old.  Old leather/wood/brass looks  

But for jigs, internal parts and the like if I had the opportunity to use hard plastic then **** yeah absolutely.    My main problem with 3D printing is making space for it, my shed is already missing a couple of crucial machines and I can barely fit another screwdriver in there.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Spyros

[billybopp]

I mentioned above a jig for centering stamps on strips and belts and such - and found a picture of it to share with you.   This is the prototype made of hobby plastic sheets - plastruct brand if I remember right, and chicago screws.   I also put together an Adobe Illustrator file as a fancy version of this to try to get it laser cut, but it just never happened since the prototype did what I wanted it to do!  I may still get a nicer version made from my drawing at some point if I can find somebody that can do laser-work for me!

It's pretty simple, really.  A self-centering jig within a self-centering jig.  I should also make a center "arm" specifically for punching holes (and will at some point).

- Bill

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

13 hours ago, Spyros said:

 

At the end of the day maybe it's just my attention to detail, when I get to the hole punching stage it's usually towards the end of the project and I'm getting impatient.  Just need to slow down and take my time, and also rethink my method.

I had an old driller once, oil field slang, That told me once Boy your workin faster than you can think  when things start going wrong go take a break before you really screw it up. I didn't know how right he was till i tried it. 

[chuck123wapati]

11 hours ago, Spyros said:

Well, plastic, acrylic, various synthetic fabrics, they are superior materials.   Just better in many practical ways: maintenance, weight, expansion/contraction, variety etc

In my mind the only reason to use leather, wood, brass in this day and age is because I like how it looks and feels and especially how it ages.  Old plastic looks... old.  Old leather/wood/brass looks  

But for jigs, internal parts and the like if I had the opportunity to use hard plastic then **** yeah absolutely.    My main problem with 3D printing is making space for it, my shed is already missing a couple of crucial machines and I can barely fit another screwdriver in there.

 I respectfully disagree. 

[Frodo]

53 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

 I respectfully disagree. 

 

Chuck is a lot nicer than me. 

I just disagree

[Tugadude]

Timely subject, regarding durability of products.  One of my "other" pursuits is fixing older bicycles.  Last night I had to replace a set of cantilever brakes on a bike I'm fixing for one of my kids.  All of the plastic bushings had cracked, rendering the brakes worthless.  All of the metal components were in tip-top shape.  Many plastics get extremely brittle with age, and exposure to UV isn't necessarily the problem, BTW.

[chuck123wapati]

35 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Timely subject, regarding durability of products.  One of my "other" pursuits is fixing older bicycles.  Last night I had to replace a set of cantilever brakes on a bike I'm fixing for one of my kids.  All of the plastic bushings had cracked, rendering the brakes worthless.  All of the metal components were in tip-top shape.  Many plastics get extremely brittle with age, and exposure to UV isn't necessarily the problem, BTW.

you would love my 70s azuki ten speed. I also had a Roberts from England given to me for free cleaned it up and gave it to my son it was pristine the only thing not original was the saddle and tires and they were going to throw it away.

Edited August 14, 2020 by chuck123wapati

[jcuk]

1 hour ago, Tugadude said:

Timely subject, regarding durability of products.  One of my "other" pursuits is fixing older bicycles.  Last night I had to replace a set of cantilever brakes on a bike I'm fixing for one of my kids.  All of the plastic bushings had cracked, rendering the brakes worthless.  All of the metal components were in tip-top shape.  Many plastics get extremely brittle with age, and exposure to UV isn't necessarily the problem, BTW.

Yes i get this with webbing or Biothane horse tack  that's needs to be repaired webbing tack cheaper to buy new in most cases, Biothane tack once it is starting to crack the customer often think you can repair it no, replace it in both cases the old tack will often end up in some land fill somewhere and will not break down. 

 

JCUK 

[Tugadude]

1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said:

you would love my 70s azuki ten speed. I also had a Roberts from England given to me for free cleaned it up and gave it to my son it was pristine the only thing not original was the saddle and tires and they were going to throw it away.

That's an awesome ride.  The components on it are top-shelf.  That rear derailer and the crankset with the drillium rings are pure class.  Nice score!

[chuck123wapati]

58 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

That's an awesome ride.  The components on it are top-shelf.  That rear derailer and the crankset with the drillium rings are pure class.  Nice score!

original Campys!!!! I about died. Serial number shows it was built by the original founder was custom built back then for each person. I registered it on their sight. It was to big for me but my son fit it well.

[Sheilajeanne]

Nearly every time I go to the local dump, I see bicycles people have thrown away for scrap metal. It makes me very sad.

There is a man in the nearest large town that fixes up and sells old bikes for a living. I wish there were more people who did that!

[Spyros]

America, the land of big sheds

[Sheilajeanne]

LOL!  He has an average sized two car garage. He puts tarps over the bikes when it rains, and they are chained up when on display. I often wonder just what he does when he has to mow his grass!

I imagine he rents storage somewhere for the winter time.

Oh, and he has the EXACT bike I had as a kid, a CCM Rambler!  https://bicycle-itis.com/used-bike/125-ccm-rambler

No point in me buying it, because my legs were too long for it by the time I turned 14... 

[Spyros]

3 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Nearly every time I go to the local dump, I see bicycles people have thrown away for scrap metal. It makes me very sad.

There is a man in the nearest large town that fixes up and sells old bikes for a living. I wish there were more people who did that!

Ιn Australia, at least in my city, there is a business that employs people with disabilities and they have a very nice facility just outside the landfill with an inspection area and a shop.  They inspect the hardwaste coming in and salvage and sell at the shop anything that can be sold.  Win win in my book and i have bought some nice timber from construction waste.  

[Spyros]

23 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

LOL!  He has an average sized two car garage.

Well I live in Australia now but I grew up in Europe.  Over there "average size two car garage" is something that the 1% says LOL

[Sheilajeanne]

Well, most of Europe doesn't need room to store snowmobiles! 

I've noticed, the farther north you go in Canada, the larger the garages get. You need room for your SUV, snowmobile, ATV, canoe, riding mower and patio set.

That's a great idea, re. recycling salvageable stuff from the dump. Here you are not allowed to take stuff, though I've done it on occasion, and I've also seen dump employees do it, too. One day I pointed out a set of dishes that had been dumped, and told one of the employees how there was a family in town who'd lost everything in a house fire who would be very glad to have those dishes. She agreed with me, and removed them from the tip area before they could get broken.

I scored a nice teapot and sugar bowl with a silver spoon in it from that set of dishes!

[Spyros]

51 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

I've noticed, the farther north you go in Canada, the larger the garages get. You need room for your SUV, snowmobile, ATV, canoe, riding mower and patio set.

Probably the land gets cheaper as you go north, yeah?  How's your bubble going, still raging?  Ours has kinda settled a bit lately, Govt told the banks the party's over. 

[Sheilajeanne]

Yes, it gets cheaper. And you also need to have a larger lot, to make room for your septic system. I'm in a small town only an hour from Toronto, and there is no sewage system here, though we do have municipal water.

The real estate sales slowed dramatically during the lockdown, but now that it's eased, sales in the Toronto area are breaking records. Seems that prices went down during the lockdown, which has fueled the buying frenzy. Toronto real estate prices were insane before, and I can guarantee they will soon get back to their previous level with the way things are going.

I am so glad to be living in a small town that surrounded by mostly farms and patches of forest.

[Frodo]

1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said:

 

I am so glad to be living in a small town that surrounded by mostly farms and patches of forest.

Frodo's Shire

 

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Frodo