Day 2: fill in the blanks


We’re making blanking tools with Helen. This is where you make a tool that is used for cutting multiples of a shape in sheet metal. To do this you saw through a sheet of sprung steel while it is held against an angled bench pin. The angle is necessary so as to enable the metal that is later sandwiched between the two surfaces to be sheared easily.

Using this method you can make the punch and die in the same stroke of the saw blade, as both are part of a single sheet of sprung steel.

And in keeping with the title, there’s no image today as I forgot to take a snap of the tools, called ‘blankers’, as well as the blanks – the cut out pieces of metal that were the ultimate result of todays graft. Tomorrow, for sure.