Arbor press.

O

Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
7,743
I've read that an arbor press is the best tool for using a makers mark, or 3d stamps. Just wondering if it's a tool you recommend, or if there is something better.

Right now I'm using a couple of boards and a clamp, or my vise, but I don't like how I have to line everything up (which takes a minimum of 3 hands, and alas, I've only been gifted with two) and I worry that it might shift ruining my hard work.

I've considered using my drill press to press the stamp, but my press is better reserved for its proper function like acting as a makeshift lathe. :D

Should I buy a little 1 ton from HF, or a larger one? Something else entirely? I have the tool and tiny anvil for setting line 24's, but it wouldn't break my heart if I could rig an arbor press to do a better job.

What say you?
 
Nobody uses a press tool for their stamps? Come on guys, I know you have some experience with this.

Let me be more specific.

1. Is a 1 ton press a suitable tool?

2. Is there a better tool?

3. Will using my drill press cause any damage to the tool?
 
I have a one ton press that I am setting up for stamps and using with kydex, but I have not used it much yet.

I plan to.
 
I am going to use it for stamps, eyelets, and whatever else I can think of. I picked up some eyelet dies to use for kydex and then realized I could use it for a lot more. I need to modify some of my stuff to fit in it though. I am using a set screw to lock the die in place in the top, like suggested.
 
Trying desperately to remember if Paul had one in his shop or not, I dont remember one so I think I can safely say that I haven't found a use for an arbor press in a leather working capacity. If he does then I'll retract my statement and bow to his opinion. :)

It might be a good way to ruin snaps though. This is like the one I use most often http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/8108-10.aspx And I also have one of these, but it tends to ruin more snaps than it sets, I need to tweak it a bit. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/3990-00.aspx

Now, I know Paul has one of those.

Now for large stamps as said before, most of us use a large maul.
 
I have never found a need for one on either end of the shop (leather/knife). I do have a 20 ton press that I have contemplated converting to air to run as a clicker. But it sits in storage. Saw an old Rex Riveter like Dwayne's second link the other day at a local antique store. I had one years ago and never even bolted it to the bench. Never used it. I didn't 't have and couldn't 't find the anvils for it. This one was complete with the splash anvils etc. After I explained what it was to the wife (she's just getting into leather work), we walked on by even though they only wanted $20 for it. She felt it was "awkward", which is funny cause she likes tools, and she really likes old tools.
 
Dwayne you are absolutely correct with your recollection. I do have the Tandy 3990-00 and dies for the segma snaps (glove snaps), small and large rapid rivets, ligne 20 and ligne 24 snaps. I have used this set up for about 15 years and it is the perfect solution to setting fasters and snaps.

He is also correct in stating the the 8108-10 all purpose setter will screw up just about as many snaps and it sets correctly. I have a couple of sets around here somewhere, but haven't used them since I got the hand press years a go.

I have used an arbor press in the saddle shop to imprint large, very large custom made stamps and larger maker's marks, but I have little to no use for one in my shop so I never bothered to get one for here. I have all my maker stamps and other larger stamps set up with handles for maul application and use the heaviest maul for one strike application. No alignment problems and wasted shop space for yet another piece of equipment. To each his own, but I just don't need one for my set up.

Paul
 
Last edited:
This double post problem is getting really old quick. :eek:

I forgot about that Tandy machine. Looking at it, it appears to cost just shy of $1000 with all of the dies. Sorry Tandy but you're bananas if you think I'd even consider buying that.

Paul, my makers mark cannot be used with a mallet/maul. Well, I suppose it could but it's not designed for that, plus it voids the lifetime warranty.

I guess an arbor press would be over kill for simply using with my mark, but I haven't seen or heard of a better solution. Maybe I can rig up a way to mount a clamp to a board so that I can forget about growing that third arm. It's hard enough lining the mark up perfectly. I haven't had it shift on me yet, but I think it's only a matter of time.
 
The only dies I have for mine are for the line 24 snaps which I use most every time, absolutely NO need to have all of them (refer back to another active thread about buying every tool available in a set?) The last time I used glove snaps was when we still said nineteen before the year. DONT buy those dies. Eyelets? no, unless you want to do kydex. Hand set those buggers with the nifty eight dollar setter tool. Sheesh.

Look at getting a tax number and a business account over at Tandy and the clouds will part and the angels sing. Suddenly your under 200. See them clouds part yet?

"He who dies with the Least toys wins, because the more you know the less you need" Anonymous
 
Yeah, I got the paperwork for the wholesale deal, but there aren't that many things that I want to buy there. I'm sure there is something, but I don't know what that is. I didn't care for the leather that I saw (admittedly, I didn't go through a whole lot of it) and it's not very likely that I'll buy more tools. They do have a small selection of chems that I'd like, mostly the very limited selection of Fiebings stuff.

Tandy is akin to HF in my eyes. There are some reasons to shop there, but you have to know what to buy because a lot of it is inferior quality. Only difference is that HF has reasonable expectations from their customers when they price their junk. They don't price so that they can then knock 50% off and act like it's an amazing sale. :thumbdown:
 
Do the paperwork buddy, it's pretty painless even here in The Peoples Republik of Kali. It'll get ya hooked up with Weaver too and other places. I 'll tell ya ever once in a while Tandy is a life saver cause you need just one of something and they got it and can get it to ya quick.
 
Strig - I modified a Harbor Frieght Arbor Press to accept the dye's that you see above in the pictures.

If you want to know how - let me know - I will do a work up.

Total cost for the press - about 30 bucks after the Harbor Freight coupon.

Dies are expensive - but they would be if you bought them for any press.

With my press I still have the square arbor and use it to set my makers mark - and other tasks.

TF
 
I just bought the Harbor Freight 1/2 ton press to use with my eyelet tool, the one with the u-shaped guide, for Kydex sheaths. It works pretty good, I'd like to drill out the shaft and plate to accept the press dies, but I don't have a drill press. :-(.
 
Dwayne you are right about not buying dies you won't use frequently, but I bought everything in that photo so long ago that the total cost, press dies and all was at or about $200 except for the ligne 24 dies which I bought about a year ago and I believe they cost me about as much as the press cost originally. I used to set a lot of segma snaps when I was making belts frequently, and the rapid rivet dies paid for themselves a thousand times over when I was making cattle counters for team penners. All totaled, I sold over 2000 of the counters at $25 to $60 when I was active in the sport. Had to set 10 rivets in each counter.

Strig, if I were you I'd look into getting another maul friendly maker's stamp. Made of brass the cost is in the $90 to $100 range, but they last a lifetime if you take care with them. There are a lot of good quality stamp makers, but my absolute favorite is Buckeye Engraving (Google)

Paul
 
I've been using a modified Harbor Freight one ton arbor press almost from day one. It is one of the most used pieces of equipment in the shop. I use it for Line 20, Line 24, tubular rivets, double cap rivets,punching holes, and for strap end cutters. I have since picked up a kick press for my Line 24 snaps, but the arbor press does pretty much everything else. I either modify hand setting tools, or make my own for the arbor press with my metal lathe. So while you are at it you might as well get a metal lathe too, its a great investment :D
 
Strigamort said:
Yeah, I got the paperwork for the wholesale deal, but there aren't that many things that I want to buy there. I'm sure there is something, but I don't know what that is. I didn't care for the leather that I saw (admittedly, I didn't go through a whole lot of it) and it's not very likely that I'll buy more tools. They do have a small selection of chems that I'd like, mostly the very limited selection of Fiebings stuff.

Tandy is akin to HF in my eyes. There are some reasons to shop there, but you have to know what to buy because a lot of it is inferior quality. Only difference is that HF has reasonable expectations from their customers when they price their junk. They don't price so that they can then knock 50% off and act like it's an amazing sale. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...

Ouch, I get most of my supplies from the Leather Factory. Guess I need to rethink my history with them since the 80's. I dont want to make inferior products. :p :D

But honestly, I do.
 
leatherman said:
Ouch, I get most of my supplies from the Leather Factory. Guess I need to rethink my history with them since the 80's. I dont want to make inferior products. :p :D

But honestly, I do.
Click to expand...

Wait. You DO want to make inferior products? :p :D

I hoped that wouldn't come across too harshly. I know that you buy from them. I guess I should point out that I believe that the products from them, in the right hands, will work at a very high level. That means you brother.

I guess if I had been buying from them, likely built a relationship with them and making a killer product from their wares I'd be inclined to have at least some loyalty. That's not me though. As you know, I'm just starting out. I never had the benefit of the good tools and pricing from years gone by. The truth is that I feel a little burnt every time I give them my money because I could buy the same thing from a place I do feel a loyalty to like SLC. With the help of a friend, I believe I've found a great new source for my leather. That leaves chems, tools and hardware. I'll buy my chems from ST Leather because they have a great selection and their prices are great, and I'll buy my tools from a variety of other vendors because they ask an honest fee for quality tools. I have no problem paying good money for something, but I work hard for my money. I expect everyone else to work just as hard for it. That leaves hardware. I can buy the Taiwanese or Chinese hardware that Tandy sells, but again, they simply ask too much for it. I'm convinced that with some effort I can find hardware that is as good or better for the same money. It means that I don't have the convenience of one stop shopping, but with online buying such as it is, that's not that big a deal.

I really hope that doesn't come across the wrong way. I have tremendous respect for you and your work. It's just that, as a whole, Tandy is a poor choice for me. That says nothing of your work or anyone else's. ;)
 
Off topic a bit. Back when Dwayne and I were just youngsters Leather Factory did not have Tandy attached to their name. General quality was a bit to a lot better and the prices were really quite nice. Then Ray bought Tandy and added it to The Leather Factory and slowly at first things started to change, quality slips a bit, prices start rising, options become more limited, and the general thrust of the company slowly changed from a professional leather craftsman choice to a hobby, summer camp type supplier. Things packaged by the each instead of bulk or by the dozens or 10 dozens where we who buy larger quantities could take advantage of much better pricing and convenience of bulk stocking. This was insidious….a little here and there and a little more each week and so on. As time marched on the old managers that Dwayne and I and all of us had such good working relationships with took early retirement, and even Ray, the founding father decided to hang it up and pass the steering wheel to his son. Oh, somewhere along the line about 10 or 12 years ago It became a publicly traded company, probably when Ray leveraged the Tandy buy out. Any way, it is what it is and now under the watchful eye of Junior, in my opinion, the company is going to hell in a hand basket, and Dwayne and other loyal customers like him deserve better once again in my opinion.

Dwayne if I misstated the facts or stretched the truth beyond recognition, please step in and add your comments. We've both been with TLF a long time.

Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top