Marie - If all you want to do is stamp out things with a blanking
die - there are two reasonably inexpensive options -
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Use your vise and squeeze the die.
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Have Dar Shelton at sheltech. net cut your die and produce the
stampings.
The first one is really cheap, the second one is not hands on.
Then on to the hydraulic press - if you search the Orchid archives,
you will get masses of on the subject - here is one on
point.
Taking a class in use of the press prior to deciding what to
purchase is a really good use of your time and money. It will open
your eyes to all the things you could do with a proper press.
The thing that most folks don’t understand prior to laying out some
serious money for a press, that is just the beginning. Tooling the
press will cost many times more than the cost of the press. The
standard for tooling is Bonny Doon. It is a complete tool for
jewelers. Period.
The Potter presses are a reasonable choice if all you want to do is
stamp dies, and he actually makes a number of standard shape dies.
The do not however have a taper that cuts the metal, they are a
vertical cut. They are certainly usable, but you are limited to his
designs, and to metal thicknesses of 16 to 20 gauge. You can of
course cut your own tapered dies.
I’ve had my Bonny Doon press for 15+ years. You will pry it out of
my cold dead hands. I love it, have many tools that save me gobs of
time and effort.
Just go and look at all the things you can do with a Bonny Doon
press.
Here’s one - Notes On The Hydraulic Press and Deep Draw Techniques | PDF
I’m a fan of Bonny Doon - it was by far the most expensive tool I
bought at the time. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
And to answer your initial specific question - 20 tons is a good
size - but that means 20 tons across the platen, not just in one tiny
place.
Do some research. Take a class. Get the book - Hydraulic Die Forming
for Jewelers and Metalsmiths by Susan Kingsley. It is $25 and no
matter what you do about presses, it is an invaluable resource. It
has the specs for how to cut a die - angles, steel, saw blade
thickness. It is outdated with reference to currently available
presses, but the theory is there.
Judy Hoch