Tools for just doing a few of your own can be simple.
It helps and is really going to be necessary to have a band saw with some fine tooth blades. A wood cutting saw is fine and will zip right through thinner metals if you get something in a 14 to 18 tpi (tooth per inch) blade. It may not last as long as a good bi-metal blade but you can pick that up for your saw probably at Sears or Lowes. I would not waste the money on a bi metal if you did not have speed control of your saw since the higher speed wood cutting saw will just eat those up anyway.
Then using the saw you can cut out the shape you draw. Cutting it will make a big bur on the one side that needs trimmed off so a 1x30 belt sander from Harbor Frieght is a good thing to have with some nice 50 or 60 grit belts, ceramic would be best but aluminum oxide will do the job, just won't last as long.
2-56 screws are most often seen in clips so some #44 drill bits would be nice to fit the screws through. 3/32 will work but its too large and the clip can move side to side using that size. If its all you have its all you have. #44 is what you want though for that size screw. You drill your mount holes with that in your clip blank after marking them.
What you would end up with is a flat piece of metal with two or three holes in it for the screws. When I used stainless I used 410 stainless since it was easily available and cheap from Jantz or Texas Knifemaker supply among others. It did need heat treated. It can get up to 45 Rc and that is where Paul Bos took them for me for good spring to them. A 300 series stainless may work for it but I use titanium in .040 to .050 thickness now exclusively. It has spring, doesn't need further treatment after making it and works out best for me personally.
If you have your blank, (first pic) and drill your holes you now want to mark where you will bend the clip to give it a typical clip shape. (second pic. and I know its not the same one the template is. Its just for example so for the purpose of this tutorial pretend it is the next step)
Now the next step is you make the bends. You can see the typical bend needed in a side profile shot (third pic left to right) and I know what you are thinking. How do I make the bends.
Ok well, if you have the ability or the tools a metal bending break whether homemade or store bought helps. If you don't have that you can get by easy enough with some simple metal bending vise grips like these I always called body pliers or duck bill vise grip pliers. (fourth pic)
And as a second tool also quite helpful if you can find them in a heavy duty type like this one from your local jewelry supply a nice pair of jewlers pliers capable of holding on good and tweaking sideways with a gloved hand. You hold these on the clip just below the hole mount position with the left hand, and place the duck bill on the line drawn where you make your bend. Your first bend is going to be up. A bench vise will work if you have some shields in them to prevent leaving teeth marks in which case you can skip the jewlers pliers. Two pair of duck bill grips will work to make the first bend also.
Don't be surprised if you break some clip blanks getting the hang of it. .040 thickness titanium can be bent without heating it but only so far. You'll know how far when one snaps off on you. Get the touch down you'll figure it out. Don't punish yourself over a couple breaks. Save the longer end of the scrap. You
can use those for practice bends to get better at the needed ummph.
Second bend is going to be down. This is where it gets tight. You will need the jewelers pliers here to make the second downward bend so as to be able to do so without affecting the first bend. Grab with the left hand, place where your secondary bend will be and using the duck bill vise grip the other side of your line. Now bend gently but forcefully down to make the clip yield to your will. Sounds easy. Its not. If your left hand does not have the strength with the glove on you can use a smaller cresent wrench with the handle clamped firmly in a wood vise on your work table so that the adjustable end is out just gapped enough to fit the clip in where you had your pliers.
Then you can move down to the last bend which is going up again. This is the bend where the folder slides down over the rim of the pocket at the bottom of the clip. Using the duck bill pliers and either the jewlers pliers or the cresent gently bend up with the vise grips.
Practice making bends in the metal or titanium scraps left over from your breaks until you get the hang of it.
Its all you need to make clips really. If you are talking mass production well, forget it. You have to have better than this to get by for that but for just some personal clips this works. I've done it.
STR
