Anyone know a toolmaker?

by **Thirteen** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:43 pm

I am looking for someone to make me a small cutter/punch tool for snipping plastic strips to a certain shape. I would appreciate any leads on toolmakers in sydney. I know it's a long shot.....

by **Futureman** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:22 am

I know a few from my days as a fitter / turner / welder..

Do you know exactly what you want? Drawing etc?

Regards
Mike

by **Thirteen** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:30 am

Hey Mike, I am trying to make a simple cutter to trim the ends of nylon strips that are about 2.5 mm x 7mm into a curve. If you think of the end of a wooden paddle pop stick you would pretty much have the idea. I am looking for a hand tool or small punch and die system that I can place the square cut end of the strip into and clip it so that it is curved. I can make a simple drawing, I guess there would be a few ways to approach it mechanically.

by **rob** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:41 am

buy a leather workers hole punch and file half of the blade off. This will allow you to cut half circles.
i've done this but filed off three quarters of the blade to cut radiused corners onto square shapes.

otherwise i know a tool maker, but will need all the exact dimensions etc.

by **Thirteen** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:08 am

rob wrote:buy a leather workers hole punch and file half of the blade off. This will allow you to cut half circles.
i've done this but filed off three quarters of the blade to cut radiused corners onto square shapes.

otherwise i know a tool maker, but will need all the exact dimensions etc.

Thanks Rob, I will look into the leather punch idea today.

by **TimS** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:35 am

My dad is a retired fitter and toolmaker - taught Navy apprentices Craft Theory for 30+yrs
He might be able to help you out if you want to go the custom-made jobby..

by **jkhuri44** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:04 am

i think there's a bloke that hires a small part of our warehause at work that can do shit like that. I will ask for you on Monday Steve :-)

by **Thirteen** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:04 pm

Thanks guys, I will see if I can come up with a drawing, I would love to speak with a toolmaker if you can hook me up.

by **rick** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:17 pm

steve i have a set or two of really old (1930s) heavy leather type hole punches
if one was the right diameter like rob said you could just grind off one side on a grinder in about a minute and problem solved
what is the actual diameter ?

by **Futureman** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:23 pm

Something with a 7mm diameter? Maybe even a nice old half round wood chisel might do the trick?

You also might find one of those hand held leather hole punches (Like a big pair of pliers) and modify them? It might make the job easier if you have to do many..

I was at the Roselle markets today, and was thinking of what you were looking for.. some geezer had a whole pile of wood chisels.. some half rounds. Just didn't know how big or how accurate you need to be.

I've got a old friend at Tecnol Engineering who have some great machinists, but hang for a bit before you contact em, I might be able to organise something.

Regards
Mike

by **Thirteen** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:59 am

rick wrote:steve i have a set or two of really old (1930s) heavy leather type hole punches
if one was the right diameter like rob said you could just grind off one side on a grinder in about a minute and problem solved
what is the actual diameter ?

Any diameter from 9mm to 12mm would be fine.

by **rick** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:58 am

i will see if i can dig one out tonight and grind it or maybe tommorrow night
then you just put it on the plastic and give a whack with a hammer ( they look a bit like a cold chisel )

does it need to be true half round , or a bit eliptical ..?
if it can be a bit elliptical , i could set you up with the sharpest half round antique coping chisels you would ever see !

by **heathen** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:23 am

Is'nt there a place up the Cross called the "toolshed" or something, dunno if they make tools though. heh.

by **Thirteen** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:56 am

rick wrote:i will see if i can dig one out tonight and grind it or maybe tommorrow night
then you just put it on the plastic and give a whack with a hammer ( they look a bit like a cold chisel )

does it need to be true half round , or a bit eliptical ..?
if it can be a bit elliptical , i could set you up with the sharpest half round antique coping chisels you would ever see !

Thanks Rick, all I need is for the piece to have no sharp corners that would dig through a fabric channel that it is sewn inside. Think sail battens. The profile is not critical, can be half round like a paddle pop stick, or anything nearby as long as it doesn't have any noticeably sharp corners on it.

by **Thirteen** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:57 am

heathen wrote:Is'nt there a place up the Cross called the "toolshed" or something, dunno if they make tools though. heh.

I already tried them, they didn't exactly have what I was specifically looking for, I looked everywhere in there, in fact I didn't leave until 4:30 AM.

by **heathen** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 3:10 pm

Thirteen wrote:
heathen wrote:Is'nt there a place up the Cross called the "toolshed" or something, dunno if they make tools though. heh.

I already tried them, they didn't exactly have what I was specifically looking for, I looked everywhere in there, in fact I didn't leave until 4:30 AM.

Damn! hehe.

by **Ausrock** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:05 pm

Steve,

Wad (hole) punches like these.... http://www.hobbytools.com.au/prod527.htm .....can be found at most hardware stores, grind the edge the right way and you may have the answer to your problem.

Anyone know a toolmaker?

Anyone know a toolmaker?

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