Anybody here have a Carlisle Imagination XPress?

[deker]

I'll be getting a used Imagination XPress next weekend and I'm trying to get everything together and ready before I get it here. If you've got one and wouldn't mind, could you tell me what the dimensions of the die plates are? I want to make sure I've got the bits on hand to start building dies ASAP once I get it home.

Thanks,

-d

 

[deker]

Nobody then? You're all at Blade!

All I need now is the length of the die plates. I've gotten that they're 3/8" thick 3 1/2" wide and that the guides are just 1"x1"x.25" angle, but I don't know how long they need to be.

The reason I'm concerned is that I'm planning so I can hit the ground running. I've been designing dies and want to make sure that I get my shopping list correct. Here's a sample:

Combination drawing/flattening dies ala Caffrey:

Laddering dies in 3/8" and 1/4":

2" and 1" Squaring dies (I also plan to do 4"):

Rounding die set. It has 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", and 1" slots:

Hopefully I can convince a buddy or two of mine who have access to milling machines to cut the laddering and rounding plates for me. It's not tough work, I just don't have the necessary equipment.

-d

 

[DougSeward]

Congrats on the press acquisition. Great catch. -Doug

 

[deker]

I got some corrected measurements in a PM (Thanks Nick!) and updated the pictures above. The correct measurements are:

Die Receiver on Press: 3/4"x3"x6"
Blank Die Plate: 3/8"x3 1/2"x6"
Die guides: 1"x1"x1/4" angle iron 6" long. (though apparently these need to be shortened in height slightly to get a proper fit on the top)

The next week is going to be hell while I wait! I've spent a good bit of the day today moving things around in the shop to reduce the general "piles of crap" organization style as well as to move things out of the way to get the press in. I don't know what I'd do without an engine hoist and a hand truck. I've got too much heavy stuff

-d

 

[Sam Salvati]

Hehe Deker you are gonna love it!

 

[deker]

Hehe Deker you are gonna love it!

Gee, what makes you say that Sam? The fact that I'm basically sitting here on a Sunday drawing Barbie clothes for my new press?

-d

 

[Sam Salvati]

I am surprised you have not already built one in some sort of 3D program and are designing paint schemes for it

 

[deker]

I am surprised you have not already built one in some sort of 3D program and are designing paint schemes for it

Paint? Paint is for pansies! When I built my grinder I left it colored "scale". My Kerrihard has a layer of ancient grease and oil so thick that I doubt anybody will ever know what color it really is. If you're using a tool right you'll burn the paint off anyways

-d

 

[Bill Burke]

Deker, since you have to make dies you might want to make your squaring dies so that you have one bottom die and all the sizes of top dies fit inside it. Like this. this creates a self cetering effect and everything has to come out square unless the dies get bent. th

 

[Burton Harruff]

Congrats Deker get some pics once it is in action. I am going to try and get some ladder dies together also. Bill I really like this design for the squaring dies and will put some together like this also. Thanks for sharing.

 

[deker]

Deker, since you have to make dies you might want to make your squaring dies so that you have one bottom die and all the sizes of top dies fit inside it. Like this. this creates a self cetering effect and everything has to come out square unless the dies get bent. th

That's pretty slick Bill, thanks!

Man, this is going to be a LONG week....



-d

 

[jdm61]

Nice score. Oh, by the way. Once you figure out what you are going to build and start doing it, PM me so that we can talk about you making 2 sets of each and howmuch you would want for the "spares' For something a bit different, I would check out Uncle Al's "exotic" laddering dies as an option.

 

[deker]

Nice score. Oh, by the way. Once you figure out what you are going to build and start doing it, PM me so that we can talk about you making 2 sets of each and howmuch you would want for the "spares' For something a bit different, I would check out Uncle Al's "exotic" laddering dies as an option.

Let me get through my first couple of sets of dies and see how it goes. I also need to be busting my hump in short order on the big damascus order that is paying for the press. I've got near 100lbs of steel to forge in the next little while here.

I had a friend at Blade check Uncle Al's table for the Breeze dies I wanted, but he was out by then. I've got to order some up. I can't see to find a list of the designs he has on his webpage though, anybody know where a guy could see what all Al makes?

-d

 

[jdm61]

Let me get through my first couple of sets of dies and see how it goes. I also need to be busting my hump in short order on the big damascus order that is paying for the press. I've got near 100lbs of steel to forge in the next little while here.

I had a friend at Blade check Uncle Al's table for the Breeze dies I wanted, but he was out by then. I've got to order some up. I can't see to find a list of the designs he has on his webpage though, anybody know where a guy could see what all Al makes?

-d

Go to the "online catalog" and check under the second page in the "knife fixtures" category. He has 1/4 and 3/16 inch sized dies in the ladder, Texas and Arkansas patterns. The top and bottom mesh perfectly, so Al said that you can just clamp down on them with the press and weld them in place. As far as die types go, I think that if you looked at Ed Caffrey and Nick Wheeler's dies, between the two of them you would find about every possible combination known to mankind.

 

[deker]

Go to the "online catalog" and check under the second page in the "knife fixtures" category. He has 1/4 and 3/16 inch sized dies in the ladder, Texas and Arkansas patterns. The top and bottom mesh perfectly, so Al said that you can just clamp down on them with the press and weld them in place. As far as die types go, I think that if you looked at Ed Caffrey and Nick Wheeler's dies, between the two of them you would find about every possible combination known to mankind.

Aha...I missed the "next" link at the bottom of the fixtures page. thanks Joe!

-d