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How Did They Make Metal End Pieces In 'the Day''?


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By no means a simple task. In an illustrated article by Roger Digby which appeared in the February 1978 edition of ' Folk News ' Geoff tells us how he tore a tendon in his wrist whilst cutting stainless steel ends for a very special edition of a 40 button Anglo to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee. He is quoted as saying " Never again " ! Have you got a picture of the instrument Geoff or would you prefer to forget the experience ?

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I used to use a powered scroll saw for ends before I relegated the process to my CNC router. The problem with them is that they use only a short portion of the blade which dulls faster and breaks often. Hand sawing allows you to use most of the blade. I make Wheatstone style ends which are turned over at the edges. I found that by pouring a thin layer of bees wax on the back of the end, the lubrication it provided the blade as it cut greatly increased the life of the blade. I still use the scroll saw for an occasional one off pattern. Perhaps with more practice I would have gotten close to Geoff's rate, but the best I did was eight hours for a pair with 96 holes each, including the needle file touch up. I tried the hand frame route, but kept having the frame tilt just after re clamping the blade and snapping it. If I were to try that again, I think I'd try to hang the top of the frame from an overhead return spring so gravity would help me keep everything in line. I did make a quick release blade clamp for my scroll saw which really speeded up moving between one hole and the next.

Having made many punch and die sets, the accuracy needed for the clearance between punch and die to get a clean burr free hole is so high as to make such a multi punch die nearly impossible to make, even if you discount the incredible weakening of the die which would result from such close spaced holes, and the great difficulty of stripping the end plate off the punches. I have made two punch dies before, and even those were difficult since the accuracy required was at the limits of what my machine tools could provide. Laser cutting works well on Stainless steel, but copper alloys reflect most of the light and require much higher powered lasers to do the job. Water jet works well, but the minimum kerf is .040" which leaves the designs with rounded interior corners. A good hand fretted job is hard to beat and probably worth the time.

Edited by Dana Johnson
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I tried the hand frame route, but kept having the frame tilt just after re clamping the blade and snapping it. If I were to try that again, I think I'd try to hang the top of the frame from an overhead return spring so gravity would help me keep everything in line.

The marquetry chevalet looks like an interesting idea:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/newsletters/Woodworking/4/5/article2.htm

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By no means a simple task. In an illustrated article by Roger Digby which appeared in the February 1978 edition of ' Folk News ' Geoff tells us how he tore a tendon in his wrist whilst cutting stainless steel ends for a very special edition of a 40 button Anglo to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee. He is quoted as saying " Never again " ! Have you got a picture of the instrument Geoff or would you prefer to forget the experience ?

 

Rod.

 

Not that it matters really, but sometimes what is said and reported can get confused.

In actual fact the wrist wrecking fretwork was that of my 16 sided Crane Duet that I made just previous to the QE11 Jubilee Anglo, the latter having a more regular fret pattern. See attachment for pictures.

 

 

 

And it wasn’t the sawing wrist that suffered, it was the holding down wrist. I should have been more patient and taken more breaks from sawing. ;)

 

Geoffrey

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I tried the hand frame route, but kept having the frame tilt just after re clamping the blade and snapping it. If I were to try that again, I think I'd try to hang the top of the frame from an overhead return spring so gravity would help me keep everything in line.

The marquetry chevalet looks like an interesting idea:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/newsletters/Woodworking/4/5/article2.htm

 

Alex.

I saw, no pun intended, a marquetry chevalet in action a couple of years ago and in conversation with the owner/user, it was fine for what it was originally designed, (wood veneers in bulk), but not really suitable for metal. :(

 

Geoffrey

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Alex.

I saw, no pun intended, a marquetry chevalet in action a couple of years ago and in conversation with the owner/user, it was fine for what it was originally designed, (wood veneers in bulk), but not really suitable for metal. :(

 

Geoffrey

Thanks Geoff, I guess that saves me building one to find out if it would work! ;)

 

Beautiful work on the 16-sided Crane. I certainly wouldn't fancy doing that in stainless. Do you remember how long it took to design and cut the ends?

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