luver punch???

[donsrods]

Yep, I have Gastrick, and they look.......well, homemade. I agree with you that professionally done ones simply look better. I remember those kits you could buy in the '50's and '60's to "do your own louvering" and they were right up there with those chrome platers you hooked up to your car battery as far as results. You put down the female part, laid the hood or whatever over it, and then hit the male part with a hammer. Try that 224 times.

I understand wanting to do something yourself for the cost savings and sense of pride, but there are certain tasks that are better left to a pro, especially if you are looking for really good results. Even the shop that did our tonneau cover had fits getting it right he told us, and it took him most of the day to get it done.

Don

 

[maddog]

Bonehead, you could make louvers, dies or whatever you want. At least thats my opinion. I have seen your work and you seem to be the kind of fabricator that would figure it out as you go and would be producing proffesional looking louvers in a short time. ( after several hundred homemade looking ones, of course )

Don, feel free to send my all the equipment in your shop thats collecting dust. No need to even dust it off, I'll take care of that.

Good chance there is some good stuff on louvers and how to make them here-
http://www.metalmeet.com/

 

[T2T]

Check this out........... http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...=PMD_SE-_-Google-_-Metal_Forming-_-louver_die

 

[Bonehead]

Thanks T, that looks pretty good. I still want the press, it is a challange now.

 

[dawg]

I was thinking a set of dies with the lower set into a small table top, and the male die overhead on a hydraulic ram, and the pieces would just pin onto my English wheel frame?...

 

[Bonehead]

I was thinking something similar, but it depends on how stout your wheel frame is.

I remember an old hot rod magazine from when I was much younger, of a guy who had this huge thing built, with an arm that was about 6 feet long and had a big weight on it. It was levered to cut the louvers by hand. It looked like a iron dinasour, and was all pinstriped up. The image has stuck with me a long time.

 

[dawg]

yea, kinda like the leaf spring idea, something simple has it's charm...

 

[joehalford01]

i've never really cared for louvers on anything but i'll be watching with interest. i want to see what you guys come up with.

 

[Gastrick]

i've never really cared for louvers on anything.

Somewhere, the hot rod Gods and ghosts of lakes racers past, are frowning upon Joe this day.

 

[donsrods]

i've never really cared for louvers on anything but i'll be watching with interest. i want to see what you guys come up with.

WHAT???????? Didn't you just hear about that teacher who almost got crucified for letting the kids name a cat Mohammed and insulting Islam? Saying you don't like louvers in the wrong circles could get you hung!!!

Don

 

[joehalford01]

what was i thinking....please forgive me hot rod gods for i have committed a horrible sin.

 

[Bonehead]

Bout time you came around, I was gitten ready to put you back on your rat rug and send you outta here!

At any rate, how can you argue with this;

 

[joehalford01]

alright, alright........no argument here

 

[Unkl Ian]

Mittler Bros. has a louver press kit,dies,and a few pictures,if you really wanted to make your own.
Definitely cost you more than $50 though.

I considered making one from scratch,eventually figured
an English Wheel was a better investment.

I've seen the Big Hammer Louver Cutter version in a couple places.
Basically the upper and lower dies are located relative
to each other with a couple long strips of metal.Like leaf springs.

Lay out the centerlines,draw the cut lines,like using a regular louver press.
Line up the punch on the cut line,centered.Hit with large hammer.
The majority of the force required,is needed for cutting.Not near as
much is needed for bending and stretching.

Some dies are curved on top,to reduce the cutting force required.

Most people prefer the straight across look.

 

[Bonehead]

$425 bucks for the dies would make me have to go into the business to pay for them, but at $3.00 each, ( or whatever they are now) you could pay it off pretty fast.

 

[Unkl Ian]

Friend of mine has a louver press,so I've helped do a few sets.

You would be surprised at how long it takes to layout the pattern,
so it will look decent.Once you get to punching,they go pretty quick,
but you won't get rich punching louvers,even if you could keep busy.

 

[Youngster]

Louver punch

I've been thinking a louver punch for a while. What do you think about making the dies by hand shaping the male and female sides and using a lath cutoff bar on each as the shearing edge?

Youngster

 

[Bonehead]

I am going to try my own too. I can build the male easy, with a removable cutting edge, any shearing device should work. I was thinking of making and tempering my own female die.

 

[Unkl Ian]

Drill and tap the dies before heat treating.

If you use A2,you can heat treat it yourself pretty easy.

Heat the whole piece red hot,until it is no longer magnetic,
then allow to cool in still air.

Once it is cool enough to handle,polish the scale off one face with Emery Cloth,then heat the whole part carefully until it changes to a Straw color.
Allow to cool in air.Your parts are now hardened and tempered.
-------
Second choice would be to use O1,and quench in Oil.Part of the
problem is you need enough oil to cool it fast enough.
-------
Third choice is W1,and quench in Water.Should be less money,
if you can find it.The cutting edge won't last quite as long before
it needs sharpening,compared to A2 or O1.
-------
All these steels will need to be tempered after hardening.
Use the same procedure as described for A2.




The lower die doesn't really need to be hardened,just the cutting edge
For the cutting edge on the lower die,you could use a lathe tool bit.
Parting tools are tapered,and kinda thin.

.

 

[dawg]

what about an arbor press with a set of dies and a stomp edal?...