What do you use for cutting end-discs?

[dagabu]

I use a press and cutters to make end disks, here is a little video I just took to show you all my method.

 

https://youtu.be/ZkY8GMtdInc

Edited May 16, 2016 by dagabu

[memo]

now that is a disk cutter. what do you use for a center finder ?

[dagabu]

Nothing, if I need to find the center, I use a center finder to mark a stack of them and punch a hole with a smaller punch.

 

http://www.wolfwoodworking.ca/Media/images/Turning%20Tools%20Supplies/center-finder.jpg

[schroedinger]

Dag what is that black stuff in that hole saw and does it compress while punching and then ejects the disc? Looks like a xlean and fast method (and cheaper then buying). Edited May 17, 2016 by schroedinger

[dagabu]

OH YES! Sorry, that is a closed cell foam anti-fatigue mat that I freed from a dumpster, the center was worn out of it. I used cut disks to take up most of the unneeded space in the cutter and epoxied them into the body followed by two foam disks, also epoxied to the disks, not the sides.

[OldMarine]

How did you remove the teeth from that hole saw? That's some tough metal.

[dagabu]

How did you remove the teeth from that hole saw? That's some tough metal.

 

I used a grinder on a low speed and lots of patience. Don't allow the metal to turn color, use a wet cloth to cool the steel every few seconds of light grinding. I put the hole cutter in my lathe and chucked up the grinder so I could control the pitch. Two cuts are needed, a large taper for the bulk of the edge and about a 45° angle on the last mm or so. It makes for a much tougher cutting edge.

Edited May 17, 2016 by dagabu

[OldMarine]

I'll use my Allpax for 2½" and larger stuff but that looks handy for smaller discs.

[dagabu]

I have them for 5-1/2" and smaller. Very fast.

[schroedinger]

Thanks for the answer.

[dagabu]

Oh! The magnets are the little tiny ones, are Neodymium and are 1/8" x 1/4". Epoxy them in and away you go!

[mikeee]

This tool was designed for cutting rubber membranes, will also work for ball shell manufacturing.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181758554996?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[DaMounty]

Dave,

 

It helps to have a cutting board with a center pin bushing pressed into the board, this makes for a perfect concentric disc each time.

Mikes, what do you use for the centre pin bushing?

 

DaM

[DaMounty]

Damn auto correct Meant Mikeee please see above

[mikeee]

DaMounty,

 

I turn an aluminum bushing on a lathe that is knurled on the outer edge and presses into the cutting board.

This is very much the same way Allpax makes their center point on their cutting boards.

A cutting groove in a cutting board reduces the drag on the cutting blade and allows the blade to cut through the disc material quicker and easier.

[NeighborJ]

I've been using a Milwaukee drywall hole cutter to cut all my disks. It more or less just friction burns the hole but it works from 2" up to 7" and is adjustable in 1/4" increments. The toll cost $24 at home depot and has been worth every penny. The only down side is it can catch and destroy the disk so it takes a little practice.

[memo]

first I bought a china imitation of a alpax gasket cutter. it worked ok but the cost was 40 bucks plus shipping.. then I bought a allpax that was used for 50 buck free shipping. the alpax is great. the blades are a little spendy. I resharpen them with a moto tool and little rubbing compound. cheap fix and it works

[OldMarine]

I have both the Allpax and a Spearhead cutter. The SH isn't as nice as the Allpax but I think it can be adapted to use standard utility blades which is great since finding OEM blades is like pulling hen's teeth.

[dagabu]

I'm going to bring this over here to APC as well as this topic is making some progress on Fireworking as well.

 

OldMarine brought up the subject of arch punches and also brought the use of seamless tube punches to our attention. I knew about steel ruled punches but they are delicate and have to be mounted on boards, in epoxy etc. to work. You see these all the time in large scrap booking stores for cutting out shapes from paper but they would bend if you put 1/8" Davey Board through one of them!

 

I have already made an inquiry with two vendors that make/sell these punches for an evaluation of the viability of using them for our purposes. I will be working with somebody (chime in if you want to be named) on this project and hopefully, offer any size that the vendor offers for sale as a place-n-press solution for cutting disks.

 

Out of the box, you really can't use these tube punches with a hammer, the height is only a couple inches and in a press, I think chopping off a finger tip would be a likely outcome. There is already one idea being bounced around but an evaluation of the materials and process have to be executed first.

 

I am ordering a variety of sizes so please, post here what size/s you would be interested in.

[memo]

dave , i think i will wait until you report on them. if they are really going to be useful. i would like to see some photos.

 

memo

[dagabu]

Here, let me Google that for you...

[memo]

great stuff

[Col]

I like tube punches for end caps as you can cut a load of them at once. Die cutters with heavy duty steel rules are the ideal thing for cutting fiddly or intricate shapes like hemisphere daisies

[Livingston]

Finished a smaller more user friendly cutting board for the allpax style cutters.

I cut the grooves into the board for the common size end discs and made the cutting board smaller.

The pre-cut grooves reduces drag on the cutting blade and helps keeps them sharp.

The board that Allpax sells is a cheap piece of fiber board.

 

Allpax Cutting Board.jpg

mike

 

what one of those boards cost a fella?

[mikeee]

Livingston,

 

How large of a board are you wanting, I have an 18" square board and a 12" square board.

Each board has a metal bushing pressed into the center for the allpax pin.

They cost $30.00 and $20.00 for the cutting boards.