masking cutter

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:24 pm

I've recently got into the habit of not cutting a square mask for my stamp when sandblasting, and cutting an oval one instead. Thing is, it takes me forever to clean up the mask to the point where I like the symmetry of the shape. I figure this would go a lot faster if I had a cutter of some kind, like a scrapbooking cutter, or a hollow punch like the use for leather. I've searched high and low looking for something, but can't find what I think I want.

Anyone know if such a thing exists, or should I simply get better at freehand cutting electrical tape?

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:10 pm

I'll be SHOCKED if you can't find what you want here:

http://www.creativememories.com/

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:10 pm

DISCLAIMER:

That information came from my wife, not me.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:40 pm

Here ya go, Kurt:

http://www.csosborne.com/no158.htm

JHowell · Post by **JHowell** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:19 pm

Take a thinnish-walled piece of tubing. Sharpen it in the lathe. Mash it into an oval in a vise. Walla!

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:42 pm

JHowell wrote:Take a thinnish-walled piece of tubing. Sharpen it in the lathe. Mash it into an oval in a vise. Walla!

....

If you heard that, it was my head imploding. I now have a singularity where my brain used to be. I can't imagine why I didn't think of that. It's so damn simple, so elegant, and won't cost me a dime.

Thanks for the reality check, Jack. I must have been hanging around with the "make it for me" crowd for too long.

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:18 pm

JHowell wrote:Take a thinnish-walled piece of tubing. Sharpen it in the lathe. Mash it into an oval in a vise. Walla!

I'm a such simpleton...

I have no idea how that will be used to cut an oval-ended rectangle in some masking tape.............

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:28 pm

Ben & Kurt,

Depending on how they are used, homebrew punches from tubing that's thin walled and malleable enough to be made into an oval shape (without collapsing into a figure eight), will likely not hold up well. I've had occasion to need odd sizes and shapes for years (not pipe repair, but other stuff), and finally gave up.

Punches must be SHARP to work properly, and the alloys used for tubing don't hold an edge well at all.

So cheap you can't afford NOT to try it, though, if all you are cutting is tape.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:39 am

bscofield wrote:I'm a such simpleton...

I have no idea how that will be used to cut an oval-ended rectangle in some masking tape.............

What I'm actually looking for is a true oval. I usually end up just freehanding the tape, but it goes out of symmetry fairy easily. If I do it right, a punch will be the perfect way to go. Read on....

LatakiaLover wrote:Depending on how they are used, homebrew punches from tubing that's thin walled and malleable enough to be made into an oval shape (without collapsing into a figure eight), will likely not hold up well. I've had occasion to need odd sizes and shapes for years (not pipe repair, but other stuff), and finally gave up.

Punches must be SHARP to work properly, and the alloys used for tubing don't hold an edge well at all.

I actually have some 4140 (chrome-moly steel) tube from another project. It's got enough carbon to take a decent edge, and is a decently tough alloy, so it should keep the edge. I wouldn't want to use it on leather or wood, but for electricians tape, it'll be great.

I'll heat one end up to forging temp and lightly form it into a oval. Hot forging will keep it from collapsing in on itself, so that I can get a good shape. Once that's done, I'll normallize and anneal, then grind an edge onto the outside. Heat treat it and temper it back slightly, and it should last years. 4140, properly heat treated, should be able to get to RC55, and I'll only temper back to about RC53. Like I said, not for use on leather or wood, but for tape, it'll last a lifetime.

When it's done, it will look like a homebrew version of that csosborne tool.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:44 pm

Continues to remind me how informative this forum is.

LatakiaLover · Post by **LatakiaLover** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:34 pm

Kurt --

I forgot you dabble in knifemaking.

Yup, that'll work.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:03 pm

LatakiaLover wrote:I forgot you dabble in knifemaking. Yup, that'll work.

It's one of those obsessive hobbies, kind of like how I got started in pipe making. This is the latest one I'm working on:

It's modeled after a knife by Michael Burch, but with my own flair. It went from rough O-1 tool steel stock to that blade in about an hour. There's still a ton of work to do on it before it can be heat treated - like cleaning up the bevels and taking out the rough grinding marks. Once it's done, and a I have a Kydex sheath made, it'll be my every day carry.

It's funny, all these years of making pipes have taught me an appreciation for form in many other things (such as knives) that I didn't have when I started.