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I really want to start working on my 50 gallon drum of finger cards. I bought a Dremil and have been using the plastic cutting blade which works beautifully for the first few cards but then wears down and starts getting wedged. Within a matter of trimming .15lbs of fingers I have wore out almost 2 plastic cutting blades. There has to be a better way, is there another tool made for Dremels?
I would think either a scroll saw or a small band saw would be the best way to do it.
I second the scroll saw idea.
think i've read those old paper cutters work well too, the kind on the board with the big slicing arm on it. Be careful with it though
I don't think it would work on fingers but it works great on ribbon cable, some people put the fingers into a vice (just snug it up a little) and snap them off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear
I use " End Nippers " to cut off the gold fingers. It works fairly well although your hand will surely get tired.
pliers or a vice all the way no wear and tear on tools and by far faster.
Do you do anything to the break-line before placing them in a vice? For example, to you first cut along the linw with a utility knife to aid in the breaking?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dunemaul
I use large tin snips. Also radial arm saw with good blade.
http://www.nvtc.ee/e-oppe/Marina/tools/Tin%20snips.jpg
The ultimate cutter would be a shear cutting break that used to cut sheet metal.
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_11745.jpg
8" Bench Top Shear / Brake
nope just wiggle gently. also if you worried about loss keep you vice bolted with a tub under it. also helps speeds things up. Id be done with that drum by now this morning.
Typical boards with gold fingers are FR4 material or similar. They are woven fiberglass. As Dunemaul says, just wiggle back and forth in a vise and it breaks the material and the small copper traces attached to the fingers pretty easy.
in australia, we just break them off with our teeth.
and spit 'em straight into the bucket.
dont throw the remainder away you probally can incinerate them and harvest more gold or with a ball mill.
I have also heard angle grinders sometimes work, but never tried that.
If I were to start grinding angels, I would be afraid that there would be no act of contrition that could take that back. LOL :pQuote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
Flat jaw welding pliers might help. Set the board in a vise and snap the whole row of fingers off.
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_13705.jpg
I use the old school paper cutter and its the best choice i have personally found when you are dealing with large quanities
So I've been using the vice method. It's quicker, but leaves a lot of green from the break. I will need to go back over them with the Dremil Got about 1/2 a 50 gallon tote done in the past hour 1/2. That's with the help of my little four year old whose saving up to but his Batman Lego Game
quickest way i know of is with a pair of large knipex cutters. ofcourse they are $90.00 for a good pair but i already had them lol. not trying to discourage anyone but i belive in just leaving them on the board and getting more for it.
Need one of these
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...1111/sheer.jpg
[QUOTE=ron22;95959]Need one of these
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...1111/sheer.jpg[/QUOTE
What the heck is that? Its kinda scary liokin.
It is a sheet metal shear. Place the metal in there step on big yellow level and it cuts. Think big paper cuter.
I have been using an old rusty school room paper shear that I found in a very old trash pile for over a year and it has proven to be the fastest and cleanest method I have come across yet.
I have cut several lbs of fingers from both boards and ram and it still works great.
there are cards that have to have some steel parts bent or removed before you can shear the fingers though.
The picture below is of a laminate flooring shear. I tried it on an old brown board. It sliced through it very easily. The only thing is that it takes about 1/4 inch of material in its cut, so you need be aware of what the good and bad side of the cut are.
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...7/HPIM0492.jpg
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...7/HPIM0493.jpg
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...7/HPIM0491.jpg
If you are cutting the fingers off you want to get a clean cut as close to the gold as you can get.
My tool and method is the best I have found so far.
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/...e/DSC00207.jpg
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/...e/DSC00204.jpg
I clamp them up in a vise and use a coping saw with a standard wood blade. I have thought about trying my scroll saw, but it's a bear to get that thing out for only a few cards. The coping saw method works pretty well; you can get nice and close to the fingers.
My mom bought me a big craftsman band saw like 10 years ago. I've moved three times, and never used the thing. Last night I dug it out of the box and set it up for the first time. I couldn't find the bolts to mount the table/tray portion up, but I have to tell you, other than flinging the finger, this is by far and away the most precise laziest way to do these things. Probably sometime this week I'm going to set of some trials and get a good idea for qty per hour.