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Thread: An Arbor Press is useful

  1. #1
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    Default An Arbor Press is useful

    I started this thread rather than hi jacking Nick's thread about collets. Caroline asked what size press I have, well I use the smallest one as it is mounted on my bench to the right of my working area.

    The photo shows some of the punches I have made over the years to fit the arbor press, they were mostly used when shaping small flower parts, spheres and pendant easter egg halves. I also have another piece of kit which fits it for blanking out discs, this also fits my fly press.
    This is the arbor press I bought from Warco, I bought the No 1 size, which was under £50 when I bought mine and is £66 now, but if it is only for jewellery pieces the size 0 is a decent press; http://www.warco.co.uk/sheet-metal-f...bor-press.html

    I also make small dies in brass blocks and press tiny decorative items like the leaf groups shown below using a flat fitting in the press.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    James
    Last edited by Goldsmith; 01-11-2014 at 12:14 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default

    I also have another useful tool for adding to a press of any type, it is called a Hunton Bolster Outfit, this is not cheap but if you want to cut hundreds of shapes they pay for themselves quickly, I have cutting dies that fit this tool so that I can cut discs up to 50mm. diameter without any distortion. Earlier on in my career I made British and foreign regalia and badges and needed many sizes of discs for badge backs.
    This is the Hunton system; http://www.hartleige.com/product/fly...ts-and-tooling

    James

  3. #3
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    Default

    Thanks for that James, very helpful. The problem I would see for me would be making the punches. Oh the possibilities though. Would my understanding be right that it could be used as a more mechanical form of repousse work? I did a bit of repousse many years ago and really enjoyed the process but never got round to buying the necessary equipment.
    So many questions! How would one go about making the brass dies?
    Last edited by CJ57; 01-11-2014 at 01:08 PM.

  4. #4
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    Default

    This post comes so timely for me! I have been toying wiht the idea of getting a quicker way of cutting some small shapes that I need lots of for a ring that sells really well, especially with the Xmas trade coming up. I was considering having the shapes laser cut, but the other option is to die cut of course. I have been wanting to try/get a press for ages was wondering how well these small cheap ones compare for e.g. the blanking presses you can get from jewellery supplies companies for hundreds of pounds as opposed to £60-ish.

    So James, how do you get your dies cut, or do you make them yourself too? This is where I think I might fall down, but I guess there must be someone out there who can cut them for me. I want to cut a small heart shape that is about 6-7mm in each direction, from 0.7 or 0.8mm sterling, 9 and 18ct gold sheet. So I guess I need a (blanking?) die cut for doing this, but then would the little arbour press be a good tool for doing this? Any restrictions on thickness of metal to punch through? Smallest sizes possible to cut etc.?

    I like the idea of doing it myself and not be reliant on a third party when you need them quickly etc.

    I think the bolster outfit would also be a good thing, as you say when you need to cut a lot of these they will pay for themselves. There are also other shapes I could really do with die cutting for increased speed in making certain ranges. I would again have to find someone to cut the round dies to use in a bolster.

    Would really appreciate feedback on this! Should I go this way, or should I consider laser cutting?.... Also, are these arbour presses any good for using to make freeform hollow shapes, or does that really require a hydraulic press?

    Carin
    Carin Lindberg

    Camali Design
    www.camalidesign.com

  5. #5
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    Carin, you may find a fly press less work for blanking out .8mm. thick items, it really depends on your arm strength with an arbor press. Check out these previous postings on another thread; http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3027

    Also check out the "pancake dies" videos on youtube.

    James

  6. #6
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    James,

    The brass rod photo that you posted on this thread thats egg shaped, am I correct in thinking that this could easily be shaped using a high speed lathe?

    As per previous comments, the struggle for me would also be in shaping the brass rods. I guess that if you were using such a system for bezels, then you'd potentially need several different sized marquise shaped ones, pear shaped ones and so on so that you could utilise several sizes of stone right?

    Not sure if you're in the market for such things, but is shaping these rods potentially something you'd be willing to undertake as work ( I.E. paid to do? )

    Fascinating subject!

    Nick

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nick martin View Post
    James,

    The brass rod photo that you posted on this thread thats egg shaped, am I correct in thinking that this could easily be shaped using a high speed lathe?

    As per previous comments, the struggle for me would also be in shaping the brass rods. I guess that if you were using such a system for bezels, then you'd potentially need several different sized marquise shaped ones, pear shaped ones and so on so that you could utilise several sizes of stone right?

    Not sure if you're in the market for such things, but is shaping these rods potentially something you'd be willing to undertake as work ( I.E. paid to do? )

    Fascinating subject!

    Nick
    Yes Nick, I made the brass rod tools on a lathe, but I don't take on any new customers work these days as I am retired. I only do a little work for old customers.
    If you have the space, a lathe is another very useful tool to have.

    James

  8. #8
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    Thanks James. I guess you are right, a fly press might be better, although they do scare me a bit!

    Pancake dies, yes those are the ones! I have seen them in action online (and actually Carole showed me at her workshop once, how to use one with a flatting press which was easy enough) and there are people out there who can make them for you too, so that's good. You can even use them in a bench vise if you haven't got a press apparently, although I have never tried. I might get a couple of shapes made and give that a try, see how easy (or not!) that is to do. Then consider a press, perhaps go and try someone's press to see what it's like to do what I intend to do, 0.8mm gold sheet is quite thick I think for cutting with a pancake die? Especially a small 6-7mm shape.

    I have previously looked at getting a hydraulic press because I would also like to do some freeform "puffed shapes" but that is a larger investment, been looking at the Potters USA ones... And as someone said, it's not really that useful for cutting lots of little shapes with since each cut will take a while, instead of being quick like with a press or arbour. Actually James, does a flypress work to do this kind of work, with a die, container and polyurethane pushers etc.?

    The search goes on! I will probably start a thread about laser cutting too, as that might be a short term option for now, with Christmas coming up...

    Carin
    Last edited by camalidesign; 02-11-2014 at 10:47 AM.
    Carin Lindberg

    Camali Design
    www.camalidesign.com

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goldsmith View Post
    This is the arbor press I bought from Warco, I bought the No 1 size, which was under £50 when I bought mine and is £66 now, but if it is only for jewellery pieces the size 0 is a decent press; http://www.warco.co.uk/sheet-metal-f...bor-press.html
    Just in case anyone wants to get one of these arbor presses, Axminster Tools have them for less; the 0.5 tonne http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-arbor-press-ap0 for £34 inc VAT and the 1 tonne http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-arbor-press-ap1 for only £48 inc VAT. No idea if they are any good, but they have good reviews...

    Carin
    Carin Lindberg

    Camali Design
    www.camalidesign.com

  10. #10
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    Carin, once the fly press is set up with the punch and die, they are very quick and easy to use, no arm strength required as the swing arm and weight balls give the power, when blanking out from flat sheet it takes only a few seconds to cut each piece from the sheet. I have no experience of hydraulic presses but I am sure that many of their tools can also be used in a fly press. If possible try and go to a Tool show and see some demos, I am not sure about your area but we ahve a few held each year around London, I actually bought a second hand Norton No5 fly press for £110 from someone at a model engineering show held at Sandown Racecourse some years ago, sadly I sold it 3 years ago when I stopped working. But I think if you invested in one of the Warco arbor presses you will find it useful for many jobs and at not too much outlay. One of the jobs I use my arbor press for is when shaping leaves I press the central vein in by using my arbor press and the tool on the far left of my photo of press tools, a tool that I made from an old chisel.

    James

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