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plastic for extruder dies

updated wed 7 feb 01

 

David Hendley on tue 23 jan 01


A coping saw is good for Plexiglas dies, but a jeweler's saw is
better. It's really just a finer coping saw.
You can also use a jig saw if you have a really good one that
will allow you to set a very slow speed. 'Bosch' brand is kind
of the standard for the best jig saw.

But the real key to making good dies is filing after you cut. If you
are making extruder dies you need at least 2 files, a round one
that tapers, commonly called a 'rat tail', and one that is about 1
inch wide and flat on one side and gently curved on the other.
Other shapes are also helpful.
You will also use the files to taper the cut-out area bigger on the
top of the die, to help 'ease' the clay into the die.
Just plan on making the cut-out area a little small, and file it to
the final dimension.
If you buy a jeweler's saw, buy #4 (coarse by jewelry standards)
blades, and also buy some small jeweler's files (same shapes as
the big files) while you're there.

You know, don't you Cindy, that Plexiglas is very brittle? For all but
the smallest insert dies that rest on a larger die, you need to
'back up' the plastic with a wood or metal backer that is roughly
cut a little larger than the Plexiglas. Drill a couple of holes in the
plastic and screw it onto the wood.

I think aluminum, in the form of discarded highway signs, makes the
best dies. It's easy to cut and file, won't break or rust, and won't
wear out for years. Don't steal signs in the middle of the night;
go to a junkyard that specializes in recycling aluminum and buy them.

--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/



----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Strnad
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 1:00 PM
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


| Hi Everybody,
|
| I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
| I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went
for
| a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
settle
| for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
|
| So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
| using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
use
| to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
| work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
| line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it
was
| before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
| because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
| damage the saw.
|
| Any suggestions?
|
| Thanks in advance,
|
| Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)

Carol Sandberg on tue 23 jan 01


Hi Cindy,
I finally gave up on making dies out of plastic ( the "blanks" sold by
Northstar for the Northstar extruder) because I had the same problem....the
plastic would melt behind the saw blade. I asked how the plastic is cut in
an industrial situation, and it takes a special machine. Now I make them
out of wood, make minute corrections to the cut-out area with files, finish
off the top edge of the cut-out with a router, and then seal with
polyurethane. This works better for me than struggling with the plastic.
I also have made dies out of aluminum. It is more time-consuming, but the
resulting die is sturdy.....yet I'm not sure the extruded clay looks any
better with an aluminum die.....for me, the extrusions from the wood dies
are just as nice.

If you find a way to successfully cut through the plastic, I would be
interested in hearing how it is done, since I still have several plastic
"blanks" available to cut.

Good Luck,
Carol, in Indiana



----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Strnad
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 2:00 PM
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


> Hi Everybody,
>
> I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
> I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went
for
> a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
settle
> for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
>
> So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
> using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
use
> to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
> work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
> line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it
was
> before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
> because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
> damage the saw.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
> Earthen Vessels Pottery
> RR 1, Box 51
> Custer, SD 57730
> USA
> earthenv@gwtc.net
> http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

mary ann on tue 23 jan 01


Hi Cindy,
You're not really using plexi, are you? That stuff is a bit brittle for a die. I
started with those cheap cutting boards after I used up my few pieces of baltic
birch. One worked fine and the other fused as it was being cut. Then I consulted
our local plastics shop and got some free samples, found the stuff that worked
best and got a bunch of it cut to the size I need. I use a scroll saw, the
stationary kind, the bed/platform tilted slightly to give a beveled edge as
recommended in the extruder books. The plastic is 1/4" thick and very easy to
cut, use and store. Wouldn't it be nice if I could remember the name of the
plastic. Polycarbonate? I can find out. But I know for sure that if it's
melting on you, you've got the wrong kind.
Mary Ann

Cindy Strnad wrote:

> Hi Everybody,
>
> I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
> I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went for
> a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to settle
> for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
>
> So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
> using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you use
> to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
> work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
> line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it was
> before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
> because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
> damage the saw.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
> Earthen Vessels Pottery
> RR 1, Box 51
> Custer, SD 57730
> USA
> earthenv@gwtc.net
> http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

michael wendt on tue 23 jan 01


Cindy,
When I took plastics in industrial arts (Yes there actually is a course for
that!), they had us do the following things:
1. Use a large toothed blade.
2. Make sure the teeth have a lot of "set", that's blade terminology for
tooth bend to make the cut wide.
3. Use the slowest speed possible. I have a Sears variable speed saw that
goes as slow as I like.
4. Don't feed the material too fast.

A few other hints that might help:
5. Cut short of the line you want and use a mill file to finish the cut,
usually with a slight taper from the extruder side to the exit side so that
the clay undergoes slight surface compression.
6. For straight sections, clamp a piece of 1" X 1/4" steel flatbar to the
face of the plastic die and file down to it.
7. When possible, carefully drill out all turns, as sharp corners can
result in stress concentration points that can crack under pressure.
I am sure there are lots of secrets to it I don't know...
Any other hints from savvy extruder people?
Regards,
Michael Wendt, wendtpot@lewiston.com

Cindy wrote:
Hi Everybody,

I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went for
a simple tile. But it's not straight.

Marianne Lombardo on tue 23 jan 01


I have a scrollsaw, and do a fair bit of woodwork using it. Sometimes I
have to cut plexiglass and I found I need to use a much thicker blade than I
normally would, and work *very* slowly. Keep the scrollsaw's speed very,
very low, if you have one with variable speed.

Marianne Lombardo
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cindy Strnad"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 2:00 PM
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


> Hi Everybody,
>
> I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
> I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went
for
> a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
settle
> for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
>
> So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
> using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
use
> to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
> work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
> line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it
was
> before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
> because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
> damage the saw.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
> Earthen Vessels Pottery
> RR 1, Box 51
> Custer, SD 57730
> USA
> earthenv@gwtc.net
> http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Jeremy McLeod on tue 23 jan 01


> The Plexiglas melts

I believe I saw a posting here on clayart a while back that talked about a
home-made extruder (ala The Extruder Book's instructions) that used
the composition plastic cutting boards (available at kitchen supply stores)
as the material to be cut up into dies. I haven't a clue about the means
of cutting it, but since it's not plexiglas, it might not melt in the same ways?

Perhaps someone who's read The Extruder Book's instructions can
pass on some info.

Jeremy

Cindy Strnad on tue 23 jan 01


Hi Everybody,

I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went for
a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to settle
for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.

So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you use
to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it was
before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
damage the saw.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
http://www.earthenvesselssd.com

Frederich, Tim on wed 24 jan 01


Cindy,
Check with your hardware supplier. They make special blades for cutting
plastic that can be used in a jig saw.
I use a stand mounted type jig saw with variable speed so I can slow it down
when cutting different materials.

Best regards,

Tim Frederich

-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Strnad [mailto:earthenv@GWTC.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 2:00 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


Hi Everybody,

I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went for
a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to settle
for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.

So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you use
to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it was
before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
damage the saw.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
http://www.earthenvesselssd.com

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

John Hesselberth on wed 24 jan 01


Cindy Strnad wrote:

>So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
>using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you use
>to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
>work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
>line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it was
>before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
>because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
>damage the saw.
Hi Cindy,

My personal favorite material is 1/8 inch aluminum. A jig saw followed
by a file does a nice job. I think I'll try to find some 3/16 inch
aluminum next time I go looking.

Regards, John

"The life so short, the craft so long to learn." Hippocrates, 5th cent.
B.C.

artimater on wed 24 jan 01


I did alot of time in the sign business, and set up several =
shops.....The first thing you had to have was a Bosch jig saw...There is =
no substitute and they are amazingly versatle...They have a patented =
blade attachment system that makes the blade much stiffer than other =
jigsaws....I've even cut stainless steel with them....You just get =
different blades for different tasks....If you only have one power saw =
in your world this should be it....It will likly cost you about $250 now =
though I never paid that much....It's been a while since I bought one =
and mine still works fine......Blades are about $10 for a pack of five

artimator
One little bag of P-10 and I don't sleep for 2 days :)
"i only indulge when i've seen a snake, so i keep a supply of =
indulgences and snakes handy"

KLeSueur@AOL.COM on wed 24 jan 01


In a message dated 1/23/01 9:19:26 PM, earthenv@GWTC.NET writes:

<< I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you use
to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. >>

The best tool I've ever found for cutting plexiglas is the Rotozip. It can be
purchased at Home Depot for about $79 or if you want all of the new
attachments for about $150. It's well worth the price. Everyonce in a while
on Saturday or Sunday there's an informercial for it. I really didn't believe
it was all that it was cracked up to be, but it is. It can cut through
formica, tile, just about anything. Far faster and better than a jig saw.

Kathi LeSueur

Greg Lamont on wed 24 jan 01


Hi Cindy,

I had the same problem. I ended up making the first batch from birch
plywood. I think the secret here is to use a variable speed scroll saw,
rather that the single speed one I was using, and to set a a slow enough
speed so as to avoid heating up the plastic to the melting point. Also I
wonder if using some sort of lubricant like WD-40 would help reduce
friction? Waiting to hear from those who have done this.

Greg
http://lamontpottery.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Strnad
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 7:13 PM
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


>Hi Everybody,
>
>I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
>I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went for
>a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
settle
>for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
>
>So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
>using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
use
>to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
>work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
>line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it was
>before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
>because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
>damage the saw.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
>Earthen Vessels Pottery
>RR 1, Box 51
>Custer, SD 57730
>USA
>earthenv@gwtc.net
>http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Farrero, Charley on wed 24 jan 01


I drill the inside shape with a drill (making sure the plastic sheet is
securely clamped..otherwise it will fly) ....several holes in succession
make a sraight line ....refine the shape with a dremmel tool or hand file
then I cut the outside shape of the die with a band saw or variable speed
jigsaw (cheap kind) to fit the barrel of my extruder .


Charley Farrero
farrero@siast.sk.ca
Ceramics dept. WOODLAND CAMPUS
BOX 3003- PRINCE ALBERT.SK.
S6V 6G1 CANADA
ph:(306) 9537064 fax:(306) 9537099
http://www.siast.sk.ca/~woodland/dos/community/ceramic/
studio: Box 145 Meacham S0K 2V0 306-3762221
cfjj@sk.sympatico.ca





> ----------
> From: Carol Sandberg[SMTP:caropl@BLUEMARBLE.NET]
> Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 9:00 PM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Re: Plastic for Extruder Dies
>
> Hi Cindy,
> I finally gave up on making dies out of plastic ( the "blanks" sold by
> Northstar for the Northstar extruder) because I had the same
> problem....the
> plastic would melt behind the saw blade. I asked how the plastic is cut in
> an industrial situation, and it takes a special machine. Now I make them
> out of wood, make minute corrections to the cut-out area with files,
> finish
> off the top edge of the cut-out with a router, and then seal with
> polyurethane. This works better for me than struggling with the plastic.
> I also have made dies out of aluminum. It is more time-consuming, but the
> resulting die is sturdy.....yet I'm not sure the extruded clay looks any
> better with an aluminum die.....for me, the extrusions from the wood dies
> are just as nice.
>
> If you find a way to successfully cut through the plastic, I would be
> interested in hearing how it is done, since I still have several plastic
> "blanks" available to cut.
>
> Good Luck,
> Carol, in Indiana
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Cindy Strnad
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 2:00 PM
> Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies
>
>
> > Hi Everybody,
> >
> > I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise
> as
> > I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went
> for
> > a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
> settle
> > for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and
> work.
> >
> > So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
> > using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
> use
> > to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It
> doesn't
> > work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that
> a
> > line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it
> was
> > before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
> > because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
> > damage the saw.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
> > Earthen Vessels Pottery
> > RR 1, Box 51
> > Custer, SD 57730
> > USA
> > earthenv@gwtc.net
> > http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________________
> __
> __
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>

DJMCAVOY@AOL.COM on wed 24 jan 01


Hi,
Don't use Plexiglas. Go to Home Depot or Loews or your local hardware store
and get a plastic cutting board (usually about $10). They are about 1/2 inch
thick and are made of a material that is great for dies. It cuts easily and
you can use a torch on the rough edges to smooth them out to eliminate any
cutting burrs. When I make a die I usually lay it out on the computer to
actual size, print it out and glue it onto the die material. Then I use
whatever means I have to to cut out the shape.

Dennis McAvoy maker of custom stamps for the potter
Smoky Mountain Pottery
744 Powdermill Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-436-4575

Lewis J Crittenden on wed 24 jan 01


Polycarbonate will work better. I didn't think of it as I use acrylic.
The polycarbonate cost twice as much, but is cheaper than a saw. You can
purchase it as Home Depot in the storm door area. You can stack cut it
also.

John

Nanci Bishof on wed 24 jan 01


Try a jewelers saw. It will take practice and the blades are expensive, but
it will work. The blades you choose will be the key to your success. They are
much finer than those meant for wood and will saw thru steel.

nanci

Hank Murrow on wed 24 jan 01


Dennis McAvoy wrote;

>Don't use Plexiglas. Go to Home Depot or Loews or your local hardware store
>and get a plastic cutting board (usually about $10). They are about 1/2 inch
>thick and are made of a material that is great for dies. It cuts easily and
>you can use a torch on the rough edges to smooth them out to eliminate any
>cutting burrs. When I make a die I usually lay it out on the computer to
>actual size, print it out and glue it onto the die material. Then I use
>whatever means I have to to cut out the shape.


Dear folks;

Dennis is right about cutting board material. You can usually find these at
thrift shops real cheap. And once I refine the shape, I take the drawing to
the copy shop and enlarge it about 115% to compensate for the shrinkage of
the clay. Just rubber cement the resulting xerox onto the plastic and cut
away. i usually add a swelling at the ends of forms to give me extra clay
at the joins.

Good Luck, Hank in Eugene

michael wendt on wed 24 jan 01


The plastic is HDPE ( high density polyethylene).
Regards,
Michael Wendt, wendtpot@lewiston.com

Jonathan Kaplan on wed 24 jan 01


The best stuff I have used for extruder dies is the 1/2" thick UHMW (ultra
high molecular weight) plastic that cutting boards are made from.

Jonathan
--

Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
jdkaplan@cmn.net

Plant Location (use for all UPS, Common Carrier, and Courier deliveries)
1280 13th Street
Steamboat Springs CO 80487

Cindy Gatto on wed 24 jan 01


Responding to Cindy of Earthen Vessels Pottery,
I
also cut various dies for my studios extruder. We are constantly adding to
the number of dies in our collection. Whenever the need or situation comes up
that a new die is needed I go back to the shop bench and cut it out. You may
want to make the investment in a tool called a Rotozip. It is very easy to
use and cuts like a charm. It will cut either wood or plastic whichever you
choose to use, incidentally I have used both for extruder dies and both work
well when made correctly. Also a small amount of water on the blade is no
problem as long as the water is kept away from any of the electric part of a
power tool. Sincerely;
Mark Petrin
The Mudpit
228 Manhattan
Ave.
Brooklyn NY
11206
www.Mudpitnyc.com

CWilyums@AOL.COM on wed 24 jan 01


At a recent workshop, aluminum was used instead of plastic. It cuts easily
and can be readily obtained, in the form of old highway signs, at metal
recyclers. The trick to smooth and even lines is to rough cut the pattern and
then refine it with a file.

Hope this helps

Knox Steinbrecher on thu 25 jan 01


In a message dated 01/24/2001 11:05:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Mudpitnyc@AOL.COM writes:


>


What is this tool, who makes it and where does one look to buy it?


Knox ...in Atlanta with apologies for "cut and paste" bungles. Haven't
figured out how to get in all the words I want when they aren't all on the
same line. Thanks to Clayart, I am learning how to do this at all !!!

Jeff Lawrence on thu 25 jan 01


Cindy Strnad was cutting some plastic with a coping saw and was unhappy with
the result...

Hi Cindy,

I needed to cut a fair amount of 1/4" acrylic and had the same "melting back
together" problem. My best solution (after trying all my hand saws, my
bandsaw, my table saw --scary, that one!-- and my dremel) was to use a
variable speed jigsaw with the finest tooth blade I had, and move the line
as slow as you can. If the bites are small enough and you don't take them
too fast, they harden before melting together. Read some zen koan about the
insignificance of time passing before trying this one. It's easy to go too
fast.

If you want really precise holes, do what I do -- find a machinist and swap
him a pot for a cut. They care about ten-thousandths and fret about
thousandths. My buddy's mill guage goes to millionths but I think the last
couple of digits are just for show.

Jeff Lawrence ph. 505-753-5913
18496 US HWY 84/285 fx. 505-753-8074
Espanola, NM 87532 jml@cybermesa.com

Charlie and Linda Riggs on sat 27 jan 01


Kathy

You are right about the Rotozip. Just got one for Xmas and it is one hot tool. It
can cut dies for extruders and comes with a circle cutter attachment for making
"fool proof" bats. Yes, even I can use this one!!

Charlie Riggs

Still have all ten fingers, too.

Vivian Mills on mon 5 feb 01


The plexiglass melts because the blade runs too fast and makes it too hot.
To cut plexiglass you usually need a lower speeed saw---- the better ones
are more variable as to speed..
Vivian
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cindy Strnad"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 2:00 PM
Subject: Plastic for Extruder Dies


> Hi Everybody,
>
> I've been working on an extruder die this morning. It's not as precise as
> I'd like it to be (to say the least). My first home-made die, so I went
for
> a simple tile. But it's not straight. I'm thinking maybe I'll have to
settle
> for casual, purposeful imperfection--as I do in most of my life and work.
>
> So, is there a secret other than greater coordination and strength? I'm
> using a coping saw. I tried my electric jig saw (the kind of jig saw you
use
> to cut clever patterns of wood, you know--not the other kind). It doesn't
> work. The Plexiglas melts behind it. Seals itself back together so that a
> line shows where the cut was made, but it's almost as well-bonded as it
was
> before I cut it. I don't think I should drip water over this as I work,
> because it would drip on the bottom attachment of the blade and probably
> damage the saw.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Cindy Strnad (thinking of using wood after all--and power tools)
> Earthen Vessels Pottery
> RR 1, Box 51
> Custer, SD 57730
> USA
> earthenv@gwtc.net
> http://www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
>
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Louis Katz on tue 6 feb 01


slower blade speeds and mineral oil as a lubricant. I took a course in =
making 4x5 camera's from black opaque plexi in the early 70's.
HDPE the same stuff cutting boards are made from is much easier to =
machine. Try any plastic company.
Louis