Does anyone out there have the ability to make me 1/8" copper or
fine silver discs?
Michelle
tekaandzoe.com
I think that about half the people here have that ability, because
they have a disc cutter and punches to go with it. And a hammer. You
could very likely find just the parts you are looking for at a
supplier such as Metalliferrous (sp?) or Rio Grande. I think both
are supporters of this site; take a look, if you don’t want to cut
them yourself.
But it’s easy, you just put the sheet of metal into the cutter and
whack the punch with a hammer, and there you are! So maybe you
should shop for tools instead of findings, if you want to use a lot
of these discs. It would be cheaper, once you get through the payback
period for the tools. It’s kind of fun, too!
M’lou
I have looked in all places…no one has a 1/8" disk in copper or
fine silver. The best I can find is 4mm disks at Metalifourous. I
already have a disc cutter…does not go down to 1/8"…to buy a new
one $250…don’t want to do that as this is just an experiment. I
see Rio has a plier type punch to punch holes not discs…but need
to find out of the disk left over is a true disk. Unless someone is
silling to punch them for me?
The size you want is vague. Do you want disks 1/8" wide x how much
thick, or do you want the disk to be 1/8 " thick by how much wide? I
don’t know if I can help until I have all the
Veva Bailey
if need be, you can make your own punch, using a 1/8" rod, a 1/8"
(0.125") drill bit, and a small chunk of steel.
-
cut a slit in the steel, 1/2 way through
-
drill a hole, perpendicular to the plane of the slit
-
file one end of the 1/8 rod, flat, then “lap” it flat using a
piece of 400# sand paper on a flat surface.
of course, heat treating is best, but if you use just plan old
whatever steel, the above punch will work for, 20 or so disks.
as always, your results may vary.
Hi, Michelle,
My disc cutter does go to 1/8". It is from MSC Industrial Supply, and
the top is made of heavy plexiglass so that one can easily see how to
position the sheet of metal for punching. I recommend it to anyone
who is looking for a good disc cutter. I can see, however, why you do
not want to invest in another one right now. I can whack out a few
pieces for you to experiment with until you figure out if this is a
good direction for your work.
I tried cutting out a disc with my Miland’s punch. I have the smaller
one. It does not cut a true round disc, but rather a slight oval,
because the punch face is slanted at 45 degrees, and so it cuts
differently than a disc cutter. It made an attractive little piece,
though, which measured 1.42 x 1.49 mm or .054 x.059". I think the
sides of the dot were at an angle. If this much variation from round
would be okay for you, I’d recommend the larger punch, since there
would doubtless be many other uses for the tool in your workshop.
Let me know just what gauges, metals, and numbers you need for your
experiments, and we’ll get on it.
M’lou
Try Rio Grande. Or go The Enamelists Society website for suppliers,
many of whom will have at least copper discs if not fine silver.
Marianne Hunter
http://www.hunter-studios.com
I have a metal round hole hand punch tool which has a 1/8" size die
(there are 7 different-size dies altogether). I got it from
Micro-Mark a few years ago, for something like $35. It will cut
20-gauge copper sheet just fine. Its disadvantage is that it leaves a
tiny peak in the middle of the disc. I think this can be gently
hammered out with a rawhide mallet. Or, you could probably file down
the center of the die where the peak is. Google Micro-Mark and look
for “punch.” It says it will pierce up to 14 gauge mild steel, but
mine does not punch 16 or 18 gauge annealed copper (20 gauge is OK).
Just another suggestion…
Judy Bjorkman
Owego, NY
Hello M’lou,
Would you please supply the URL for the disc cutter from MSC
Industrial Supply. Thanks.
Linda Kaye-Moses
Would you please supply the URL for the disc cutter from MSC Industrial Supply. Thanks.
Sorry, but their website says that this exact one is not available.I
got mine many years ago. But they have one that looks a lot like it,
and also has nine punches that start at 1/8" and go to 3/4" in size.
It looks like a good set.
M’lou