08-02-2011, 06:19 PM
Looking good so far Sam!
For making the rivet holes you will find it much easier and quicker simply to punch them. That is what I do these days. Use the same sort of punch as you used before but strike with greater pressure. If I don't manage to punch straight through the brass after a couple of strikes I turn it over and quickly file off the part the punch has raised until there is a small hole or I see a slight depression which indicates the brass is extremely thin. I then punch it again if there is no hole already and if there is I widen it to the size I need with the point of a needle file. If the hole is quite depressed (as it generally will be due to being punched) simply clamp it with a pair of pliers to flatten it again.
Also, when you make the wavy pattern along the bottom edge, you will find it much easier to do with a small file than with metal shears.
As a suggestion, when you go to get metal shears take a piece of the brass you intend to cut with you so they can see what you intend to cut, as there are a number of different types of metal shears, designed for different materials.
Crispvs
For making the rivet holes you will find it much easier and quicker simply to punch them. That is what I do these days. Use the same sort of punch as you used before but strike with greater pressure. If I don't manage to punch straight through the brass after a couple of strikes I turn it over and quickly file off the part the punch has raised until there is a small hole or I see a slight depression which indicates the brass is extremely thin. I then punch it again if there is no hole already and if there is I widen it to the size I need with the point of a needle file. If the hole is quite depressed (as it generally will be due to being punched) simply clamp it with a pair of pliers to flatten it again.
Also, when you make the wavy pattern along the bottom edge, you will find it much easier to do with a small file than with metal shears.
As a suggestion, when you go to get metal shears take a piece of the brass you intend to cut with you so they can see what you intend to cut, as there are a number of different types of metal shears, designed for different materials.
Crispvs
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