Metal footplate for leather tool case

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

Dear all
I'm new to the forum, and have an fabrication enquiry I'd like to ask your collective expertise for advice on.

I'm making a leather tool case by hand, and want to make a metal footplate that protects that base of the case. I've attached a photo and sketch of the design ( hopefully). The design is high spec. It's a simple enough design. I've contacted a number of machine shops and been advised that It can only be made at enormous expense. 30K for the tooling. I've also got advice from a retired engineer that it doesn't need CNC punching, but can be turret punched, thereby reducing the cost.

Can anyone on the forum advise on what options are available. I'm a sole operator doing custom leather cases, so mass manufacture I can't afford nor need. Most companies aren't interested in prototyping or low volume.

Surely there must be a solution out there. I'm also told there's a manual turret punching technique, but thats all I know.

Perhaps there's someone on the forum that could make it?

Thanks
Martin
Sydney

ps files won't upload. But you can email me and I can send you copies.

muckalee · Jul 17, 2017

You should be able to upload the file as an attachment to your reply.

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

Aplogies, but the file sizes exceeds the limit allowed.

magneticanomaly · Jul 17, 2017

To make 100,000 of your metal plate at 150 per minute would take expensive tooling.
But I am having trouble imagining any metal bottom-reinforcement plate for a tool bag that could not be made by hand with tin-snips and hammer-and-anvil in less than an hour, for quantities of less than 10 per day

Sheet metal is just like leather, only a little stiffer and holds bends better.

Can you post a rough sketch?

L Vanice · Jul 17, 2017

Loriner68 said:
...I'm making a leather tool case by hand, and want to make a metal footplate that protects that base of the case. I've attached a photo and sketch of the design ( hopefully). The design is high spec. It's a simple enough design...

If you are making the leather part by hand, then you had best plan on you or someone making the sheet metal part by hand. There are many hand tools, hand-held electric tools and small machines that might be applicable. But we cannot suggest methods without seeing what you want to make.

A turret punch is an expensive tool, not found in very many shops. There are very likely less expensive and more common tools that can do the same work, probably more slowly. If you can afford to do hand leather work and still make money on your product, then hand metal work should be equally profitable. We don't work free.

Larry

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

I've tried uploading a rough sketch but the file is bigger than allowed. Can't compress the file.

Scottl · Jul 17, 2017

Without even a rough sketch to go by it's hard to give advice, but .... unless you are planning to have them produced in mass quantities (which doesn't jibe with custom made leather bags) it could be as simple as tin snips, files, and sandpaper or far more complex and expensive. For small quantities if they are limited to a few standard sizes I would find a local sheet metal shop and have them shear them to size (rectangular only) and do the de-burring etc in your own shop. Even if you want rounded corners you could do that with snips or even a belt sander.

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

The bag is being made by me in collaboration with an independent leather craftsman in London.
I'm more than prepared to pay for the finished part, but the cheapest quote I've got is
around the 2000 mark, not including the reverse engineering from the sketches...if that makes sense.
If only I could find a way to upload the sketch and photo

boslab · Jul 17, 2017

Thin aluminium diamond pattern plate is available in sheets (embossed not 5 bar tread plate), this works easily, shear, corner notch, radius bend with round bar in a folder, tig the corners to make a tray with radiused sides.
Not difficult.
embossed aluminium sheet - Google Search
As an example, Aalco service centres in the uk stock this and other patterns
Mark

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

The uploading of sketch isn't working. I've compressed the files but they're still too big. Any ideas about what I can do?

Thanks to mark and scotti and all responses thus far.

Dave G. · Jul 17, 2017

Loriner68 said:
The uploading of sketch isn't working. I've compressed the files but they're still too big. Any ideas about what I can do?

Thanks to mark and scotti and all responses thus far.

Well, you could resize your sketch, you could rescan at a lower resolution, you could tell us the size, thickness, and material choose. How many holes? Where? What accuracy and precision is required? Is this thin flat or are there also bends? Don't forget to tell us how many you'll need - in the first order and potential total.

Porschefix · Jul 17, 2017

Loriner68 said:
The uploading of sketch isn't working. I've compressed the files but they're still too big. Any ideas about what I can do?

Thanks to mark and scotti and all responses thus far.

Take a picture of the sketch with your phone and then upload that. Or other device, such as a digital camera of some sort.

Scottl · Jul 17, 2017

Loriner68 said:
The uploading of sketch isn't working. I've compressed the files but they're still too big. Any ideas about what I can do?

Thanks to mark and scotti and all responses thus far.

Create a physically smaller jpeg and upload that. If you need to show additional details zoom in and crop to just what you need to show. As I said, if it is a typical satchel type tool bag a simple rectangle with the corners knocked off should be all you need and any sheet metal shop could do those for you. In my younger days I cut plenty of sheet metal blanks with foot operated shears so it doesn't take much to cut something light enough to be usable in a tool bag.

L Vanice · Jul 17, 2017

Loriner68 said:
The uploading of sketch isn't working. I've compressed the files but they're still too big. Any ideas about what I can do?

Thanks to mark and scotti and all responses thus far.

It is pretty easy to upload a photo in .jpg file format to this site. Here is an example. I called up definitions of footplate and shot a photo of the monitor, file size 5.64MB. I picked that image because your use of the term is confusing. I have had rides on the footplate of a steam locomotive, including in England, several times, so I know the common UK use of the term, which I guess is also the common use in OZ. That terminology and the lack of a picture or clear description has been preventing replies from being more than generally helpful.

Start a new reply and look at the tiny icons in the tool bar at the top of the text window. Note that, when you put your cursor over the third icon from the right, a caption will appear that says, "Insert Image." Left click and a small window will open. Click on "From Computer" and then on "Select Files." In the next window, find your .jpg image on your hard drive and select it. Then click on "Upload." Your picture will then appear as a thumbnail in your reply. There is still a limit on file size for each image you upload, but I seldom exceed it with normal photos.

Larry

Milland · Jul 17, 2017

Commercial baking and cooking tins/trays are available in lots of sizes, any chance you could find one that's close enough to your needs to adapt, then modify your bag design to suit? A good stainless steel version would be relatively cheap for the quality and available in the hundreds of pieces at reasonable cost.

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

Okay thanks for all the help.

First things first. The term 'footplate' is a bit confusing. The part is 180mm long, 600mm wide. There are two flat channels, 3.0mm deep at either end running horizontally. These channels are 25mm wide. Running vertically is a deeper channel, 10mm deep. It is 130mm long. and a closed channel. The part is then folded at 90 degrees, then folded again at 90 degrees. Two sharp folds to form a U shape. Each fold is at 9mm depth. Thats the finished part. It's then slotted over the leather edge/seam. The 130mm long channel sits on the base of the bag acting as a raised 'foot', hence awkwardly called 'footplate'. As I'm not a machinist or metal engineer it's the best written description I can come up with.

When I said small volume I mean really small. Around a dozen. To bring cost down if it means 500 or 1000 then thats fine.

I'll get onto re-sizing the PDF or taking a snapshot. It's 2am here and I need to get some sleep. I'll get onto it in around 7 hours.

You've all been very helpful. A warm thanks.

bhigdog · Jul 17, 2017

Without a sketch I'm shooting in the dark but have you considered rather than folded sheet metal fabricate the thing from sheet metal and simply machined bar stock. Rivet the bar stock on with brass rivets and be sure to point out to the customers the "hand forged" solid brass rivets. Might even say the plate is fabricated from solid billet..........Bob

TeachMePlease · Jul 17, 2017

For the love of Pete, step into the 21st century. Upload your sketch to imgur.com and then either post the link here, or use the forum's built in image embedding code by typing [*img]http://www.imgur.com/yourLinkHere[*/img] without the asterisks.

Ries · Jul 17, 2017

not sure if by "channel" you mean a U shaped section, or you mean what we might call a beaded line in sheet metal.
but I am pretty sure that in small quantities, you want a sheet metal man, not a machinist.
I have a friend who makes purses from Stainless Steel- she does it all in house, leather riveted to stainless- and she uses mid 20th century hand operated sheet metal equipment to do it- shears, brakes, rolls, punches, riveters, and so on. Most likely what you want, in small runs, could be made by an old fashioned sheet metal mechanic, which I would think there would still be a few of in Oz.

here is a beaded sheet metal "channel".
Upgraded Harbor Freight Bead Roller-updated - YouTube

this is my friend who makes stainless and leather bags.
Index

Loriner68 · Jul 17, 2017

Metal footplate for leather tool case

Plastic

Cast Iron

Plastic

Titanium

Diamond

Plastic

Diamond

Plastic

Titanium

Plastic

Cast Iron

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Plastic

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Plastic

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