Members lawman133 Posted October 27, 2020 Members Report Posted October 27, 2020 Hello. I came up with this a couple of years ago when my wife gave me a Tandy hand press for Christmas. She saw me drooling over it in a catalogue but did not realize how expensive the setters were for each application. I bought an Xtra set of the hand setters for around $12 Canadian and took them to a local machine shop where I had them shortened and milled to fit the 3/8 inch press as shown in the photo. This cost less than the price of a single purpose Setter from Tandy and provides 5 different options. I have a Heavy duty ball detente handle for 3D stamps that will be adapted the same way. I hope this helps you save some money as it did for me. All the best and stay safe. Jim Ziegler Quote
Members Rohn Posted October 27, 2020 Members Report Posted October 27, 2020 Great post! Love it! Quote Rohn(John 8:32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (KJV)
Members Spyros Posted October 28, 2020 Members Report Posted October 28, 2020 (edited) That's really good, well done! I love it when people find solutions like that Personally my biggest problem with my setters (I have like 50 of them, all cheapies) is figuring out when to use each one of them, cheap setters means no instructions But I did sth similar with hole punches, I bought a whole bunch of cheap ones from the hardware store (I think I paid sth like $15 for 2 sets of 5) and shaped them and sharpened them to leather working standards. 6 months in they're still going strong, no complaints, turns out even though cheap it was actually proper tool steel and well treated. Unfortunately I don't have a metal lathe or machine shop around so I did all the shaping on the belt sander with just a basic jig, then did the sharpening on the drill press. Not easy, and I did destroy the first few I tried, but I got the hang of it eventually and ended up with 6 usable ones in all the basic sizes. When working with belt sanders the key is to keep dunking your work piece in water to keep it cool so you don't anneal/soften the steel. The other thing I did I bought a box of cheap assorted cutters in all shapes, for those times when you just don't have the exact shape/size punch in your arsenal. Now those things are very basic and thin, not heavy duty at all, but they do cut like razors. So I found the one I was using the most, cut a slot with a dremel on a steel bar and then a hole with a drill, and made it into a tool with a handle. Took about 10 mins. Like I said not heavy duty at all, but on light leather it does the job very well, it cost basically nothing and I've been using it every day for months now. Just have to remember not to smack it too hard, it's not a normal punch. Again you have to be careful not to destroy or deform the cutting bit when drilling the hole, that was the most challenging part. Needs a sharp drill bit, spraying with WD40, and some sort of soft support like a piece of wood. Edited October 28, 2020 by Spyros Quote
Members lawman133 Posted October 29, 2020 Author Members Report Posted October 29, 2020 Hi. I forgot to mention that this also works with the common 1000 lb Arbor Presses with 3/8" Ram hole. Jim Quote
CFM Frodo Posted October 29, 2020 CFM Report Posted October 29, 2020 LOL...WELL... I tried your suggestion. and the machine shop wanted to charge $45.00 PER tool to turn them SO. i just got the dermal out and did a redneck job on them Quote Singer 66, Chi Chi Patcher, Rex 26-188, singer 29k62 , 2-needles D.C.F.M
CFM Frodo Posted October 29, 2020 CFM Report Posted October 29, 2020 another money saving trick. If your hammer gets wore out, you can replace the polyurethane with a polyurethane skateboard wheel or buy a wheel and make your own , might want to buy an axle also. Quote Singer 66, Chi Chi Patcher, Rex 26-188, singer 29k62 , 2-needles D.C.F.M
Members Spyros Posted October 30, 2020 Members Report Posted October 30, 2020 I love Frodo's inventiveness I have a woodworking lathe of sorts (another DIY job) and I have turned soft metals on it like brass for small jobs like ferrules for tool handles etc. Hardened steel of course is a whole different league, but if we're just talking about shaping the outside of a cylinder to a dimension without super precise accuracy, it's something you can do by mounting on a drill (ideally drill press) and a file. And a lot of patience Quote
CFM chuck123wapati Posted October 30, 2020 CFM Report Posted October 30, 2020 12 hours ago, Frodo said: LOL...WELL... I tried your suggestion. and the machine shop wanted to charge $45.00 PER tool to turn them SO. i just got the dermal out and did a redneck job on them if you have s drill press Frodo chuck them up and use a file then some sand paper to finish the process. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
CFM Frodo Posted October 30, 2020 CFM Report Posted October 30, 2020 14 hours ago, chuck123wapati said: if you have s drill press Frodo chuck them up and use a file then some sand paper to finish the process. DUH!!! WTH didn't i think of that !!! Quote Singer 66, Chi Chi Patcher, Rex 26-188, singer 29k62 , 2-needles D.C.F.M
Members Spyros Posted October 30, 2020 Members Report Posted October 30, 2020 6 hours ago, Frodo said: DUH!!! WTH didn't i think of that !!! I know why, because you didn't read my post right before Chuck"s Quote
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