I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.

Currently I'm cutting these by hand, but would like to automate the
process. Ideally I'd like tools that a 12 year old kid could wield to
good effect, so the less skill needed by the operator the better. A
close second place is a tool that needs some care and manual dexterity
to use, but it still quick and robust.

So -- how to do? Die cut these "Paper punch" style, with a top & bottom
die? Make a single-sided die and either press it, or whack it with a
hammer like a leather punch? Hole saws?

Also, any suggestions on drilling the holes in the small disks? These
are fiendishly hard to hold while cutting a hole. Currently the easiest
way seems to be to drill holes in the parent stock, then cut the disks
around them. Drilling holes in the large disks is easy -- in fact, all
I've been doing there is just poking the holes with the right size of wire.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On May 4, 6:09*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. *This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.



How many do you need to make? If it is not too many, I would try
making a single sided die and use it spinning in a drill press. It
could have a .025 drill so it drills the hole first and then cuts the
disk in one operation. Think of a toothless hole saw. I have used
something like this for cutting rubber disks. I did not need the
hole in the center.

Dan

On 5/4/2011 8:13 PM, wrote:
On May 4, 6:09 pm, Tim wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.



How many do you need to make? If it is not too many, I would try
making a single sided die and use it spinning in a drill press. It
could have a .025 drill so it drills the hole first and then cuts the
disk in one operation. Think of a toothless hole saw. I have used
something like this for cutting rubber disks. I did not need the
hole in the center.

Dan
That's what I was thinking. When I worked in a printing company they had
a hole drill that would melt through a 1/2" stack of paper with ease--a
sharpened thin tube spinning in a small hand press--had a cutout on the
side to eject the paper disks. Should be easy to make one for a drill
press. I believe it was sharpened on the inside of the tube since they
were after clean holes, for clean disks sharpen from the outside.

--
:3 )~

On 05/04/2011 06:03 PM, Mouse wrote:
On 5/4/2011 8:13 PM, wrote:
On May 4, 6:09 pm, Tim wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.



How many do you need to make? If it is not too many, I would try
making a single sided die and use it spinning in a drill press. It
could have a .025 drill so it drills the hole first and then cuts the
disk in one operation. Think of a toothless hole saw. I have used
something like this for cutting rubber disks. I did not need the
hole in the center.

Dan
That's what I was thinking. When I worked in a printing company they had
a hole drill that would melt through a 1/2" stack of paper with ease--a
sharpened thin tube spinning in a small hand press--had a cutout on the
side to eject the paper disks. Should be easy to make one for a drill
press. I believe it was sharpened on the inside of the tube since they
were after clean holes, for clean disks sharpen from the outside.

Hmm. I'd be making batches of 10 or 20. That would certainly do if I
weren't going to try to farm the work out to my 12 year old, but I
wouldn't want let him close to the power machinery.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On 5/4/2011 9:13 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
On 05/04/2011 06:03 PM, Mouse wrote:
On 5/4/2011 8:13 PM, wrote:
On May 4, 6:09 pm, Tim wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.



How many do you need to make? If it is not too many, I would try
making a single sided die and use it spinning in a drill press. It
could have a .025 drill so it drills the hole first and then cuts the
disk in one operation. Think of a toothless hole saw. I have used
something like this for cutting rubber disks. I did not need the
hole in the center.

Dan
That's what I was thinking. When I worked in a printing company they had
a hole drill that would melt through a 1/2" stack of paper with ease--a
sharpened thin tube spinning in a small hand press--had a cutout on the
side to eject the paper disks. Should be easy to make one for a drill
press. I believe it was sharpened on the inside of the tube since they
were after clean holes, for clean disks sharpen from the outside.

Hmm. I'd be making batches of 10 or 20. That would certainly do if I
weren't going to try to farm the work out to my 12 year old, but I
wouldn't want let him close to the power machinery.

Well, you know your kid's capabilities/responsibility level best. I
won't go into what I was into at his age, lol. Parents are more careful
these days.

--
:3 )~

On 05/04/2011 06:18 PM, Mouse wrote:
On 5/4/2011 9:13 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
On 05/04/2011 06:03 PM, Mouse wrote:
On 5/4/2011 8:13 PM, wrote:
On May 4, 6:09 pm, Tim wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different
materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015"
styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of
the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the
big
problem.



How many do you need to make? If it is not too many, I would try
making a single sided die and use it spinning in a drill press. It
could have a .025 drill so it drills the hole first and then cuts the
disk in one operation. Think of a toothless hole saw. I have used
something like this for cutting rubber disks. I did not need the
hole in the center.

Dan
That's what I was thinking. When I worked in a printing company they had
a hole drill that would melt through a 1/2" stack of paper with ease--a
sharpened thin tube spinning in a small hand press--had a cutout on the
side to eject the paper disks. Should be easy to make one for a drill
press. I believe it was sharpened on the inside of the tube since they
were after clean holes, for clean disks sharpen from the outside.

Hmm. I'd be making batches of 10 or 20. That would certainly do if I
weren't going to try to farm the work out to my 12 year old, but I
wouldn't want let him close to the power machinery.

Well, you know your kid's capabilities/responsibility level best. I
won't go into what I was into at his age, lol. Parents are more careful
these days.

#1 son may have been OK, but #2 son gets anxious when there's a need for
honest caution. Then he locks up and stops thinking.

If you're not afraid of power tools at all then you won't think about
the hazards, and you shouldn't use them. If you're so afraid of power
tools that the hazards make you stop thinking -- you shouldn't use them.

Hopefully he'll grow out of this.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Only because you think you, as a parent, are more careful than your parents
were. That would be doubtful and I would believe they thought the same thing
of their parents

It's only the view on the other side of the coin, only.

You will have no idea what your kids are really doing until they tell you
the stories, a few decades from now, over a few beers.

-------------
"Mouse" wrote in message ...
Well, you know your kid's capabilities/responsibility level best. I
won't go into what I was into at his age, lol. Parents are more careful
these days.

On May 4, 9:13*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:


Hmm. *I'd be making batches of 10 or 20. *That would certainly do if I
weren't going to try to farm the work out to my 12 year old, but I
wouldn't want let him close to the power machinery.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Serviceshttp://www.wescottdesign.com


After you have made the tool and chucked in the drill press, the
amount of time to make 20 ought to about one minute. I would just do
them yourself and figure out something else for you son to do.

Dan

On May 4, 3:09*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. *This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.

Currently I'm cutting these by hand, but would like to automate the
process. *Ideally I'd like tools that a 12 year old kid could wield to
good effect, so the less skill needed by the operator the better. *A
close second place is a tool that needs some care and manual dexterity
to use, but it still quick and robust.

So -- how to do? *Die cut these "Paper punch" style, with a top & bottom
die? *Make a single-sided die and either press it, or whack it with a
hammer like a leather punch? *Hole saws?

Also, any suggestions on drilling the holes in the small disks? *These
are fiendishly hard to hold while cutting a hole. *Currently the easiest
way seems to be to drill holes in the parent stock, then cut the disks
around them. *Drilling holes in the large disks is easy -- in fact, all
I've been doing there is just poking the holes with the right size of wire.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Serviceshttp://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details athttp://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

This looks like a cheap solution:

http://www.handhelditems.com/12pc-ho...h-p-47273.html

Roger Shoaf

On May 4, 3:09*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
I have two sizes of disk to cut, from two or three different materials:

Disk 1: 3/4" diameter, from 6mm thick "Depron" foam. *This is a
close-cell polystyrene foam (I think it's extruded).

Disk 2: 0.125" to 0.150" diameter, from 1/64" plywood or 0.015" styrene
(I have the plywood, the styrene matches the color and chemistry of the
foam).

Both need to have a .025" diameter hole drilled, but that's not the big
problem.

Currently I'm cutting these by hand, but would like to automate the
process. *Ideally I'd like tools that a 12 year old kid could wield to
good effect, so the less skill needed by the operator the better. *A
close second place is a tool that needs some care and manual dexterity
to use, but it still quick and robust.

So -- how to do? *Die cut these "Paper punch" style, with a top & bottom
die? *Make a single-sided die and either press it, or whack it with a
hammer like a leather punch? *Hole saws?

Also, any suggestions on drilling the holes in the small disks? *These
are fiendishly hard to hold while cutting a hole. *Currently the easiest
way seems to be to drill holes in the parent stock, then cut the disks
around them. *Drilling holes in the large disks is easy -- in fact, all
I've been doing there is just poking the holes with the right size of wire.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Serviceshttp://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details athttp://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Part 2:

For the center hole it depends on how close you needed to be. If you
got a set of dividers and a center punch, you could scribe the
circles, drill the holes and then punch the gaskets by eye. If you
needed more precision then you could make a little fixture with a
drill guide bushing.

Roger Shoaf