Using clicker dies without a press?

[teejaysee]

Hi guys, was considering to get some dies, but understand that an arbor press or some clicker would be required. Has anyone had experience of using a die without any sort of machinery? E.g. maybe just using brute force or something?

Otherwise i guess ill stick to hand-cutting my leather hahaha :/

[garypl]

6 hours ago, teejaysee said:

Hi guys, was considering to get some dies, but understand that an arbor press or some clicker would be required. Has anyone had experience of using a die without any sort of machinery? E.g. maybe just using brute force or something?

Otherwise i guess ill stick to hand-cutting my leather hahaha :/

I think you will be frustrated trying to use a die without some type of press.  I have a small die to cut out a 1.5 x 2” rectangle and even a 1 ton arbor press is difficult to make work.  I use a hydraulic press to push the die.  
 

Gary

[Matt S]

Chinese sellers seem to like the idea of hammering the leather onto the die with a nylon hammer. Seems like a good way of tearing up your hammer, knuckles and dies to me. I did hammer a small die onto leather with a soft-faced hammer before I got my press, but the results weren't worth the effort.

I once put a digital scale under my cutting board when using my smallest clicking die. It maxed out at 300Kg (660lb) and the leather wasn't cut through. I doubt that you can just press even a small clicker die through leather, unless you and a hefty friend can jump up and down on top of it.

Arbor presses seem to work for small dies but I am a big fan of cheap hydraulic bearing presses. Mine cost under £100 and I've cut literally thousands of parts with it.

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Matt S said:

Chinese sellers seem to like the idea of hammering the leather onto the die with a nylon hammer. Seems like a good way of tearing up your hammer, knuckles and dies to me. I did hammer a small die onto leather with a soft-faced hammer before I got my press, but the results weren't worth the effort.

I once put a digital scale under my cutting board when using my smallest clicking die. It maxed out at 300Kg (660lb) and the leather wasn't cut through. I doubt that you can just press even a small clicker die through leather, unless you and a hefty friend can jump up and down on top of it.

Arbor presses seem to work for small dies but I am a big fan of cheap hydraulic bearing presses. Mine cost under £100 and I've cut literally thousands of parts with it.

I agree on the hydraulic press! Without a press you will just ruin your dies  then you will be out the money to replace and then have to buy the press anyway. Harbor freight has some pretty low cost presses arbor or hydraulic.

[BentleyLeather]

I had considered this as well but only for say 5-6oz leather max, actually more like 3oz with a glued in 1 oz liner. 

Do you all think a 1 ton arbor press would work in that application?

Let's say it was modified by adding a steel plate on the bottom and on the arm coming down. 

Just curious. Thanks in advance.

[Frodo]

If you have access to a welding machine

go find a metal bed frame and a bottle jack 

bingo.  in 3 or 4 hours you will have a hydraulic press

[garypl]

7 hours ago, BentleyLeather said:

I had considered this as well but only for say 5-6oz leather max, actually more like 3oz with a glued in 1 oz liner. 

Do you all think a 1 ton arbor press would work in that application?

Let's say it was modified by adding a steel plate on the bottom and on the arm coming down. 

Just curious. Thanks in advance.

You would be better off buying the inexpensive hydraulic press from HF.  I paid @$70 for mine and it pushes the dies through 8 oz leather with a couple of pumps of the handle.  I tried using my 1 ton arbor press and decided it would not work well.

Gary

[toxo]

I've only tried my 1 ton Arbor press with 2.4mm. Ok I had to walk it around but it was fine. If/when I have a design that flies I'll take my home made dies to my leather supplier and hire their big press for peanuts.

[johnv474]

Lay down a 25 lb steel weight plate on the driveway, between the wheels of your car, face down.  On top, lay a cutting board, like the 1/2" thick milky white kind.  Then, put your leather and die on it,.then another 25 lb plate on top.  On the plate, use a Jack such as the one with the spare tire on your car.  Center it on top of the top 25 lb plate, lined up under one of the jacking points listed in your owners manual.

 

It's real slow but it's about as cheap as you can get without stumbling across a used press for a steel, but if the pattern is intricate, still more repeatable than hand cutting.

 

[Handstitched]

On 6/1/2020 at 7:25 PM, Matt S said:

Arbor presses seem to work for small dies but I am a big fan of cheap hydraulic bearing presses.

I never thought of that, what a great idea. I also like Frodo''s idea of using a bottle jack . I do have a 20t USM press & dies, but no 3ph to use it. ( ' One Powerball....) .

I did find an old rusty  home made bottle cap press for home brews in my paddock, no idea where it came from, but I might convert it for small die cutting. 

HS

[johnv474]

Book presses can also be used, and antique case iron ones can sometimes be found cheap on eBay or in flea markets.