Information on dies?

[Bill Tokyo]

I'm a watchmaker who's just started easing into engraving. Fact is, that I'm going to try my very first engraving
on the back of a small clock. Here in Tokyo, where I am, it's hard to find information and even harder to find someone who can show you the first few steps and answer the slew of dumb questions any beginner has.

I have lots of questions about engraving, but along the way I've really gotten interesting in something often associated with engraving, namely making dies.

Where can I find out more about this, particularly making artistic dies or dies for blanking. There's information scattered here and there and its really tantilizing. some of the best information I've found so far comes from blacksmith sites, but we're talking about something of an entirely different scale than I'm interested in.

I'm interested in blanking light gauge metals, such as for dial blanks or watch hands.

Can anyone recommend some books, article or videos?

Thanks

 

[Steve Adams]

Bill,
Sounds like you want a place that makes die sets. You need a trimmer, a trim tool and it is put in a die set for punching the shape. you certainly don't need much pressure to trim the gauges you are talking about. A company specializing in trim tools with a Wire EDM machine can make the tools. If you don't need a custom shape, you might do some more investigation for some stock die sets.

 

[DanM]

Do a google search for "RT Blanking". riogrande.com and others sell the tools,videos and other supplies.

 

[Bill Tokyo]

Thanks for the information everyone. I'm interested in doing it myself with a graver and a file.

Back in the old days, before EDM machines, people made dies with simple hand tools, this is what I would like to find out more about, as I understand this is pretty much a standard poart of jewelers training to this day in some countries. Certainly, what I've learned from blacksmiths seems to bear this out: they make their dies at the blacksmith forge.

I'm familiar with the RT Blanking system and other types of pancake dies. I don't think that I can get the type of control that I am looking for in that process. Bonny Doon engineering has a great site that specializes in information about this technique.

 

[monk]

the process is fairly straightforward, but requires specialized heat treating. the die roundel stock could be bought in bulk from mcmaster carr .com. you would need to rough cut the stock on a band saw, then "face" it on a lathe to the exact requirements of the blanking press. the dies then are hand engraved. i believe the old-timers called this "die sinking". after the engraving, deburring, and polishing, out to heat treating. expect some rejects. heat treating can cause cracking in these . and it will usually occur with continued use in the press. i never say never, but yer gonna dig a mighty deep hole here. take a tall ladder with you! this is not an easy thing to learn. a lot of the procedures you may have to " farm out". perhaps even getting the roundels to spec. might have to be done outside your shop. that all adds up to big bucks! best of luck