forging a leather punch

[profcommie]

Amateur blacksmith here. I want to forge a leather punch to put my symbol on a leather pouch and some other leather bags/sheaths I have. Punch should be 2" diameter circle. Symbol is a triangle made of three triangles inside of a large circle about 1/4" thick.
please be very specific. I've made a knife, some stakes and a crowbar. So I have a little experience, decent hammer control and a good amount of strength but little knowledge of terms yet.

[MattBower]

This doesn't sound like a job for forging as much as it does carving the design into the end of a piece of round stock using chisels, a rotary tool (Dremel, etc.), and so on.

You could also start with a piece of pipe of the appropriate diameter, then braze or weld flat stock into the opening to form your design. Pipe cap on the other end as a struck surface. You'll be using this on leather, so it doesn't have to be built as solidly as a tool for use on metal.

[peacock]

Please be more specific. Do you want the triangle raised and the circle sunk into the leather? Or do you want the circle and the triangle
both raised or both sunk? I use my blacksmithing touch mark on my leather work. This mark is your mark and you want it to look very professional
you may want to have it professionally made.

[profcommie]

Please be more specific. Do you want the triangle raised and the circle sunk into the leather? Or do you want the circle and the triangle
both raised or both sunk? I use my blacksmithing touch mark on my leather work. This mark is your mark and you want it to look very professional
you may want to have it professionally made.

This is not for my blacksmith mark. This is a badge from a medieval reenacting group. I will probably have one professionally made eventually but for now I'd like to make one myself for the challenge of it and for the pride of having made it myself.

To clarify, I would like the triangles and the circle to be sunk, leaving the negative space in it to be raised.

Thanks for the help

[profcommie]

http://twitter.com/#...9168896/photo/1
This is the badge I am trying to make into a leather punch. When properly colored, the inner most triangle is empty as well as the space between the big triangle and the circle. everything else would be royal blue

Edit: Sorry by the way I couldn't quite figure out the forums media functions to post the picture

[David Einhorn]

Sorry but I could not see your photo on Twitter. For the 2" circle I would suggest a slice of 2" pipe or forge weld a circle from 1/4" stock and round on a mandrel. Then piece together the triangles, position them within the circle and weld bars of flat stock across the back to both hold everything in place as well as provide a surface to wack with a hammer..... of course these suggestions are without seeing your design. ;-)

[MattBower]

I can't see the pic either, FWIW.

[MattBower]

Is it supposed to be like one of these? (Black = depression in the work.)

[ThomasPowers]

So do them individually: Pipe for the circle and a single triangle that you apply 3 times---*much* more medieval than making a whopping big single tool and not that you would need a heck of a lot of force to do a 2" stamp at one go---as in screwpress!

To forge a triangle you could take a piece of hex stock and forge in every other point---or even do it with a large 6 sided bolt head (which could just be ground to shape too)

[ThomasPowers]

PS. if you use a bolt make sure it's not plated before heating it!

[David Einhorn]

Interesting symbol, sort of reminds me of: http://en.wikipedia....Fallout_shelter

[MattBower]

Just to be clear, that's my interpretation of what he described. I might have it wrong!

[SmoothBore]

Assuming that one of the drawings of the symbol is more or less correct ..................


I would use a pipe of the required diameter, and about 2 or 3 inches long, to make the circle part, ... and a close fitting piece of round bar, about 6 inches long, to make the rest of the punch.


Let's assume that you use a 3" length of 1 1/2" pipe, in order to get a circle of about 2" O.D. ... with roughly 3/16" wall thickness.


That will leave you with an I.D. of roughly 1 5/8".


Now, ... on the end of a piece of 1 1/2" diameter round bar, about 6" long, ... draw the triangle part of the design.


It looks like 3 straight hacksaw cuts, about 1/4" deep, will define the "large" triangle.


Grind away the 3 "shoulders", . at about a 45 degree angle, and you'll have a "male" triangle.


Now, ... 3 more straight hacksaw cuts, across the raised triangle, will create the desired image.


If the center triangle is to be a depression, ... punch the center of the "center" triangle, and drill it out, about 3/8" deep, ... to a diameter that removes most of the "center" triangle.


With the bulk of the material removed, you can chisel, or grind out the remaining "corners" of the center triangle.


A few spots of weld spaced around the round bar, about 1" back from the "face" of the punch, ... and again at about 2 1/2" from the face, should serve to take up the gap between the O.D. of the bar, ... and the I.D. of the pipe.


You can grind the welds until the bar fits snugly into the pipe.


Now, ... just sit the pile on end, on a flat surface, and put the bar inside the pipe, with the triangle shaped face down, on the flat surface, too.


Weld the top edge of the pipe, to the round bar, ... and you're done.


Good Luck.