Oval punches

[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!