THUMBNAIL die construction plans, pictorial.

[Dawai]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmZ32l86Gxs

Tim Doty posted the plans over on ********shaping.com and I did follow them as close as a hillbilly can..

I did wander off creating the smile (G03 CCW move) .. Lost center.. should have rezeroed on the edge.

If I had it to do over? I'd weld a bar onto the center of the smile radius, chuck it into the lathe and do a interuppted cut.. ie.. cut a circular groove.. THEN, weld the thumbnail pin on, cut the bar off the back.. and be happy.. too much machining.. make a harley rider sit in the barber chair too long.. (I got one in the corner)..

The old cnc is acting up.. not been the same since that crazy dog pulled a bundle of wires out the side.. the crazy dog is gone.. and I miss him.. worth more than the machine. I got nother nutty one thou.. he snores..

[oldgoaly]

DC, you might want to change the wording a little to a Tim Doty's style shrink dies that he made, I don't think RichardK "invented" the shrink dies, he made his version from what was already out there to fit his machines there. I think what you will find is your dies will work fine, but will limit you some on some real high crown stuff. Wider base seems to be easier to handle. Thanks for posting! tt

[mindover]

I don't have a mill, or any machines except a small lathe so when I made my thumbnail dies I simply used a four inch grinder. I marked it out by eye and then simply ground the metal way from around the male part then ground a matching female die. It took about half a day but the results were good. I made a set for my pullmax too. For those people without lots of machines it is possible to make things.

David for a 'hillbilly' (your description not mine) you are pretty good with electronics, is that your background? or is it engineering you are prety apt at that too.

David

[Dawai]

Do you have a 4 jaw chuck? if so? make the male die offcenter, turn it without carbide cutter, reuglar tool steel cutter.. a interupted cut.. (carbide shatters) you cut the smily face on one side.. sink the pin in the other side and weld.. dress with a small grinder wheel..

Your skills are way beyond mine in metalshaping.. I am a good instrument-electrician-tech.. learning metalshaping as I go.. My shoulders are shot out *wore out.. I came up with the helve hammer to make it go a while longer.. I am 53.. my co-training atheletes have already had knee and shoulder replacements. I should have started metalshaping sooner before I wore the body out. I have a yard full of rusty old trucks.. my love..

I will come up with a easier way to build these. I think I have already gave this set away to a local buddy..

I love the UHMW to planish.. basically what this is doing to the tuck.. one side resists.. other side smacks it down flat into itself.. so? one side urethane other side uhmw?? that leaves the finger to be steel? I think.. replaceable pads.. stock thickness you just clamp in..

A quickie hammer head? a piece of 2x2 heavy wall square tube.. a piece of 1 1/2" UHMW bar is a press fit.. makes a great hammer.. I am thinking along that line.. perhaps set screw-advancement of the hammer head as it wears. Attempting to shrink tucks the helve last night were more than dissapointing... it hits way too hard.. even adjusted all the way up. I have a fix.. a stop bolt.. will work on that tomorrow.