UK source of die rule steel.

[toxo]

I know there's Rule 1 over the pond but anyone know of anything over here?

[mikesc]

Anyone who supplies letterpress printers*,( litho printing doesn't use them )  or at printing companies who cut out the windows in envelopes...( they use "platten presses" to do what leather workers call " clicker" ) ask at you local "jobbing printers" where they get theirs, or if they can order you some..

HTH

 

that is if you want it for cutting out leather..

But if you want the same kind of steel in thin bands for another use ..the kind that is used as "pallet banding" ( when they don't use polyester tape )  is similar..used to be used around tea chests..and in Ireland, when I was a kid, we used to use  it around the heads of our Hurls, to stop them splitting ..awkward to weld the stuff though..the steel..not the Hurls..can't weld wood.

 

*Long time ago..I owned a printing works, one of my Heidelberg machines cut out envelope windows all day long..

Edited March 14, 2020 by mikesc

[toxo]

6 minutes ago, mikesc said:

Anyone who supplies letterpress printers, or companies who cut out the windows in envelopes...ask at you local "jobbing printers" where they get theirs, or if they can order you some..

HTH

There's a printers not two mins walk from me. Don't think "she" (6ft 5inches, built like a brick s**thouse, shoulders 5ft wide decided to "trans". We have to call her Zoe now) does any of that. She doesn't do a lot of what she used to but she might surprise me. If not she might be able to point me somewhere.

[chrisash]

Try Here

https://www.steelexpress.co.uk/toolsteel/

also Harry video on making them at 

 

[toxo]

36 minutes ago, chrisash said:

Try Here

https://www.steelexpress.co.uk/toolsteel/

also Harry video on making them at 

 

Thanks Chris. If you watch on youtube he gives the links to the suppliers.

[toxo]

For anyone else wanting die making stuff:

https://www.partwell.com/die-makers-steel-rules

Prices aren't bad either:

Uni 23.80 2pt CF lengths - £0.94 per metre (100m box)

Uni 23.80 3pt CF lengths - £1.36 per metre (60m box)

Uni - refers to Universal cutting rule

23.80 - the height of the rule

2pt / 3pt - the thickness of the rule 2pt = 0.71mm, 3pt = 1.05mm  

CF - standard centre bevel rule

[mikesc]

If you are having dies made..don't forget ( if they are mounted on boards ) , to ask for them to be mounted with the small rubber blocks inside them..So that when they cut the leather it is pushed out by the blocks..Open backed dies don't need this.

Edited March 16, 2020 by mikesc

[toxo]

3 hours ago, mikesc said:

If you are having dies made..don't forget ( if they are mounted on boards ) , to ask for them to be mounted with the small rubber blocks inside them..So that when they cut the leather it is pushed out by the blocks..Open backed dies don't need this.

It would seem the wooden block type are fairly easy to do, especially if you can cut the slots with the laser. I haven't tried my small laser on wood yet but i'm not holding my breath that it can cut deep enough. Even if not it seems simple enough to cut the shape with a fret/jigsaw all the way through and then glue/screw another board on the back. I have plenty of foam to push the leather out or simply bore a hole through the board. I'm not about to go overboard here. I'm only talking small bags/ wallet type stuff here that I can do with the arbor press. Not trying to get rich, just keeping the wolf away from the door and enjoy it at the same time. And of course we do love an experiment don't we.

Check out those automatic machines. Laser cuts the channels then continous feed the steel through the machine, bends and cuts all in one go and it fits the slots perfectly.