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Thread: Punch out your own or buy blanks?

  1. #1
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    Default Punch out your own or buy blanks?

    I have just punched out a supply of round silver blanks from .7mm to 1.5mm from sheet. Inevitably there is waste on the sheet. My question....is it better to buy “ready made” from a supplier or diy with the inevitable cleaning and sometimes de burring and the crescent shaped waste?
    I have just built a 2 ton hydraulic press for this and also for doming, but that may be the subject of a further comment.

  2. #2
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    I’ve only ever bought ready made a couple of times and thought the cost outweighed the benefit before I had a disc cutter which has now more than paid for itself. I’ve managed to get pretty good at wasting as little as I can. If it’s fine silver I ball it up for decoration and as I don’t cast or melt anything the rest goes into the scrap box. I think you’ll have to work this one out for yourself. It depends what you intend to do in the future that would involve recycling your scrap rather than selling it

  3. #3
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    Welcome back Caroline. I was just about to ask whether anyone had heard from you.
    David, as Caroline says, do the maths say for ten and write off the scrap as waste, to give you some indication.

    I don't use my press for punches, as I'm too impatient. It's a two pound hammer for disks, and box wood punches with a hide mallet for domes. Actually for larger domes you need to go round the edges too, and that cant be done with a press. Dennis.

  4. #4
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    Default Punch out your own or buy blanks?

    So as mine is sterling silver could I theoretically melt the scrap into thin ingots and if I had a roller then role it out to produce some sheet? Sorry if this is a very basic question but this is a totally new ball game to me. I started just making a few bits of jewellery for fun but like topsy this has grown and I need to rise up another step.


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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruedeleglise View Post
    So as mine is sterling silver could I theoretically melt the scrap into thin ingots and if I had a roller then role it out to produce some sheet? Sorry if this is a very basic question but this is a totally new ball game to me. I started just making a few bits of jewellery for fun but like topsy this has grown and I need to rise up another step.


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    Yes you can but I think there are additions to the scrap which no doubt others will tell you about.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
    Welcome back Caroline. I was just about to ask whether anyone had heard from you.
    David, as Caroline says, do the maths say for ten and write off the scrap as waste, to give you some indication.

    I don't use my press for punches, as I'm too impatient. It's a two pound hammer for disks, and box wood punches with a hide mallet for domes. Actually for larger domes you need to go round the edges too, and that cant be done with a press. Dennis.
    Lovely to be missed Dennis thank you. Yes still here but really had nothing to say. We’ve been moving my wee workshop around to try and make the space more workable and a wee Kandinsky inspiredcorner to hopefully be creative in or give me somewhere to put works in progress. I’m sharing that 5ft bench with a Dustmaster so it is small. Mike has added a couple of bench extensions and I’m waiting on the blacksmith to make me a smaller revolving hearth then I just have to find my mojo. Every corner, drawer, portfolio and file has been gone through and I’m down to one wee bottom drawer of ‘stuff’ which I think is an achievement. I now of course can’t find a thing!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Sorry to have hijacked your post

  7. #7
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    Default Punch out your own or buy blanks?

    No. Not at all. Good subject....”different workshops”. I have added and added to my bench and side bits to make more efficient and to house more bits etc....


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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruedeleglise View Post
    No. Not at all. Good subject....”different workshops”. I have added and added to my bench and side bits to make more efficient and to house more bits etc....


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    If you do a search there has been a workshop post. I change mine in the hope that my 81/2x61/2ft space will actually grow like the tardis! You can see the rest of my pics on my FB page although I reckon it’s like an estate agents portfolio as it looks huge and very tidy!

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