Hi All,

I need to make a hole lot of washers with different ID's and OD's right now i am using something like this http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1928703&PMT4NO=54764564

The holes I punch are:

ID OD
1/8 3/8”
3/16 ½”
7/32 9/16”
¼” 5/8”

What i want to do (If Possible) is make a die with changable plates and punch for use in a arbor press. Do you guys think this is possible and if so any ideas in how this would work?

Thanks for any help you may have.

A while back I had to make a couple 5000 piece runs.I drilled the end of the arbor press ram and tapped the side for a setscrew so the punch rod could be secured. The material was then cut into long strips and fed thru the slot in the die block while the smaller diameter was punched. After all the strips were thru, the rod for the large diameter was installed and the block repositioned and the strips fed thru again.

For the second operation the punch rod must have a smaller diameter right at the end to act as an indexer to align for the second operation. The finished washers fall out the bottom; I drilled a hole in the table and let them fall into a box.

so you just modified the off the shelf kit to fit in your arbour press like the one i linked?

I did not really think of that i was going to make a spring loaded die block.

Thanks for you input diecutter.:cheers:

Since I didn't have your setup, I actually did make a die block and punches out of die steel and did incorporate a heavy spring for automatic return of the punch and ram upward. It's perfectly workable to use the block you have depending on the material and sizes needed; I'm assuming these are right since you have already made parts.

If you want to build one simply get two steel blocks and put two shims slightly thicker than the material between the blocks on each side with enough room for the material to pass between them. Then drill and ream the holes thru the assembly. To sharpen take the assembly apart and surface grind the top of the bottom block and the edges of the punches' critical diameters which is easy to do.

You will get greatly increased life from the die set if the punch and die block are hardened.

Thanks, Diecutter

I will give this a try. It sounds like it is along the lines of what i was thinking, I just was not sure how i wanted to align for the second operation. And actualy what i was originally thinking was inside the same die block i wanted to cut out the ID in one station and then the OD in another all in the same die block but was not sure how to align them and still have the washer fall through the bottom. but i will just have to play around with that a bit..

Thanks again for your help.

Travis

http://www.smithassoc.com/compound-and-pushback-dies/pix/C038.pdf

All depends on the number and quality needed. If you need a large number good quality washers with very little die break an good flatness you will need a series of designated compound washer dies. These dies have a shedder operated by knock out pins and a thru the shank knock out bar. You will also need a press with a thru the ram knock out bar. Expensive at first but pays big in the long run.
Clk on the above link for a picture of a compound washer die. Juergen