Craftool 3900

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Nov 24, 2016
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I've been looking at the Craftool 3900 to set line 24 snaps. Can anyone tell me it will set pull the dot snaps?
Also, any opinions on the Craftool press.
Thanks and best wishes.
 
I love the press.....but I got mine and the dies long ago before the prices became ridiculous. It is so good at what it does, I'd probably still buy one today along with several sets of dies IF In could catch it/them on a pretty good sale.

Paul
 
I do not know for sure if the Ligne 20 and Ligne 24 regular dies will work or not. I don't use the Pull the Dot.

I suggest you call toll free and ask Tandy/LF, and I'd be very interested in what you find out.

Paul
 
I don't know what a 3900 tool is but if it works for regular Ligne 24 snaps will work for pull the dot snaps as well. I use a lot of pull the dot snaps on my sheaths and have used some old but well made Tandy line 24 setters exclusively. They do take a solid anvil surface to clinch the teeth in the socket that keeps them from turning. Otherwise no difference from other snaps. It does need to be the heavy duty version. The smaller, cheaper ones only work in brass.
Randy
 
The main reason I am Pro press is because of consistency. I ruined many snaps , rivets etc. with the hand setters and I think it was, or is because of inconsistency of strike force and or strike angle. The press eliminates all of that unless there is a pilot error in positioning the snap or rivet in the press.......otherwise success very time!

There was a time when I was selling an item that had ten double cap rivets set at a specific depth so they would slide in a slot (not fully clinched), and I could set the press for that depth and set literally thousands with not a single hiccup. I sold something over 700 of those things known as "cow counters" in the Team Penning world. ($30 to $50 each) That little venture made the acquisition of the press a no brainer and , of course it has paid for itself many times over. It is now a point of convenience more than necessity.

If you have the occasion to set many snaps or rivets, then the Press could be a viable consideration for you.

Paul
 
Paul, I believe you hit the mark on a snap setter. It would appear to be so much more accurate as well as easier.
I was just about to pull the trigger on the 3990 when I saw a press on KnifeKits.com which is somewhat similar but has a turret and includes both sets for rivets and snaps for about $200.00. It is made by CKK. I wonder if you have any experience or thoughts about that machine. It's call the Pro model combo kit: https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=41_526&products_id=5285.
Thanks so much for your friendly help.
 
golfer1, I don't do Kydex, but I think the CCK would be better than the Tandy press where KYdex is concerned. My personal choice based on leather only work would still be the Tandy set up with the dies. Now a lot of that preference (most) stems from familiarity with the Tandy press for years and total unfamiliarity with the CKK.

In any event the press system, whatever the brand, assuming the dies are good and correct should give more consistent and better results than the hand setters.....cost not withstanding...,the die prices are approaching outrageous!

Paul
 
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I've been looking at the Craftool 3900 to set line 24 snaps. Can anyone tell me it will set pull the dot snaps?
Also, any opinions on the Craftool press.
Thanks and best wishes.

I've seen people mention using the Tandy dies on PTD snaps, but haven't tried personally. I would think the locking tab in the socket would get in the way without a bit of modification to the die, but don't know for sure. Like Paul said, I'd ask Tandy. If nothing else, you can probably find just the PTD socket die that'll fit your chosen press from another manufacturer.

Paul, I believe you hit the mark on a snap setter. It would appear to be so much more accurate as well as easier.
I was just about to pull the trigger on the 3990 when I saw a press on KnifeKits.com which is somewhat similar but has a turret and includes both sets for rivets and snaps for about $200.00. It is made by CKK. I wonder if you have any experience or thoughts about that machine. It's call the Pro model combo kit: https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=41_526&products_id=5285.
Thanks so much for your friendly help.

I have both.

The CKK press there is a 1/2 ton (I think) arbor press. You can find that model cheaper from other places but you'll need to drill a 3/8" hole in the anvil (or something else) yourself. It comes with the hole and set screw in the ram from the factory though. I bought mine in an auction I think. Mine is poorly machined and the action is rough, but I coulda got a lemon. I would guess CKK does quality control on the ones they mod.

The Tandy press can be moved around at will, and as Paul mentioned, the depth is adjustable. The arbor press needs to be bolted or clamped to a sturdy bench or it'll flip over when you pull the handle down. There's no return spring so you'll be performing two actions with the CKK press as opposed to one with the 3990, if that matters. You'll also need to buy or make a separate depth stop if you need that option. That said, the arbor press has more oomph to it and a bigger opening. Neither of those really matter for your intended purpose though, other than needing to be more careful of how much force you're using.

As for the CKK dies, I used the eyelet dies for years and they're nice. I prefer the ones from USKnifemaker though and gave my CKK ones away. I also have the CKK snap dies and, for whatever reason, just can't get along with them. Maybe I just used too much pressure and/or didn't use the right length of snap, but my testing didn't go well at all. Obviously they work, as others use them, so I don't know. I should probably do more experimenting. I do know that the same snaps in the same material were absolutely perfect with the Tandy dies.

For reference, both presses use the same 3/8" shank diameter for the dies. Those two options aside, there are cheaper press and die setups similar to Tandy's out there, though they tend to have weird shank setups that tie you to their die selection.

Anyway, of the two, the CKK setup is cheaper overall and may be fine for you. The snap die thing is probably some fault of mine. I like the Tandy style setup better though.
 
Paul, Kiah: thank you so much for sharing your information. I do not plan to be working with kydex so it once again appears the Tandy 3900 is the way to go. I was hoping the CKK unit would fit the bill, but there are some things Kiah described that leave question marks.
Kiah, I did send you a message, thank you.
Best wishes to you and Paul.
 
No problem. I should've noted that an arbor press setup does have an advantage of requiring less force than the Tandy style press. I have the arbor press that CKK used to sell (the same that USAKnifeMaker sells currently). If I have to set hundreds of eyelets in a sitting, I put my dies in it with a short extension on the handle. The extra leverage makes it pretty much effortless.

Both styles have pros and cons.

ETA: The Tandy style also has the advantage of being easy to convert into a foot press. Something I plan on doing in the near future.
 
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Wanted to thank you all for your help, I ended up with the 3900 and snap dies, I really appreciate your input.
 
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