Punch and die problem

[Hawkwrench]

I have a UMM punch and die set for making discs. While using it  I've noticed that my styrene discs that I punch out have "flash"( for lack of a better term) hanging off them.

When I look at others who use punched out pieces, they all look perfect 

What the heck am I doing wrong???

 

Tim

Edited July 24, 2021 by Hawkwrench

[thierry laurent]

There is no way to avoid that in a proportion of the punched disks even if both tool bodies are perfectly aligned. One thing I observed in the past is that also depends on the plastic age and softness. Last, the problem also increases with the sheet thickness and hole diameter. The smallest and thinnest is the easiest. Just make tons of them and select the best ones!

[Hawkwrench]

Ok. Thanks for the help!

 

Tim

[Greg W]

I have RB Production and Waldron punch and die sets.

 

Everything Thierry said is really good advice. I would like to add, something that really helps to get consistently clean sharp discs, is to keep the gap between the top and bottom halves of the tool as even as possible, before driving the punch through the plastic. If the punch is anything other than vertical, the bottom cutting portion strikes the die at an angle, prematurely dulling the tool, making it out of round and producing a smashed (rather than cut) plastic disc.

 

Use plastic of the same thickness, to help align the punch.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by GDW

[LSP_Kevin]

That's a great tip, Greg!

 

Kev

[Hawkwrench]