RT Blanking System

[bilythepink]

I have been looking into buying an RT Blanking System and was wondering if anyone has one and can give a bit of a product review. I appreciate that it only replaces the piercing part of the process and that the piece still has to be finished as usual. I plan to use it for stamping out small parts rather than whole pieces but feel a little bit guilty that I will be mass producing rather than truely handmaking (even though I will have produced the blank and finished the piece by hand :">) I don't have a problem with piercing, infact I find it quite relaxing, but think this system must be more cost effective.

[caroleallen]

I've got one which never gets used these days. I had it in the early days when I struggled with piercing and I did find it quite difficult. I think I probably had the wrong blade in it though. That said, it saved me a lot of time, though there was quite a bit of cleaning up to do on the edges of the silver pieces. Nowadays, because most of my stuff is mass produced, I get my pieces laser cut. I've long since felt guilty about mass producing. You've got to earn money. If I made everything completely by hand I'd never get any sleep.

[bilythepink]

Thank you for that Carole, that was rather what I was expecting ... I did hear that it was a bit labourious cutting out the die. I'm probably not making the quantities yet to warrant laser cutting though, I imagine there is a minimum quantity requirement ? I'm just a bit ocd regarding consistancy in shape and size so thought the RT might be a good solution while I only wanted a relatively small number of pieces.

[Dennis]

When I did this on a course some years back, we were given some tool steel and cut our designs with just a jewellers hand saw. There was no trouble getting the angle right just by eye, so no special equipment was needed.

The problem arises more with how to provide the short sharp blow on the die. Among the choices are:

A hammer, not recommended.
A vice.
A hydraulic press.
An arbour press.
The planisher at the base of an upright ring stretcher.
A fly press, Scary.

My picture gives an example and the thicknesses of the metals. Dennis.

[caroleallen]

I use a flatting press. Actually this is one piece of equipment that's used all the time. Couldn't be without it.

[mizgeorge]

I don't use my RT system nearly as much as I should, mainly because I never seem to get round to cutting more dies. I use either my ring stretcher or arbour press as deeply though I'd love one, I just don't have space for a hydraulic press at the moment.

[caroleallen]

You could always look into getting your pancake dies done by Sheltech. http://www.sheltech.net/home.html

[bilythepink]

I did have a look at Sheltech and might enquire as to how much they charge but in the meantime I think I might have a go at cutting one out myself, thank you for the image Dennis. I have found a blog http://fluxplay.blogspot.co.uk/2011_02_01_archive.html that shows the angles. It has to be worth a try before handing over £200 (plus vat) I was going to make a press out of an old bottle jack but, if you say an arbour press works ok, I will probably get myself one of those. They are not as expensive as I thought they would be. Thank you all for your help :D

[bilythepink]

Just a quick update ... I bought the RT system from a lovely lady on this forum AND IT IS FAB !!!!!! I purchased some titanium king blades from Cooksons which make cutting the steel much easier and anything under 1mm is being cut by pressing with an ordinary woodworking bench vice (and elbow grease). I am going to try and 'oil harden' a few of the good dies to see if they cut easier and last longer ... great fun though and not 'cheating' at all :D :D

[caroleallen]

Glad to hear you're getting on OK with it. I think the blade is important.

[Dennis]

Me too. Glad it's working for you, Regards, Dennis.