I think over the years we've all got blisters on our fingers from using Xacto knives to cut out the windows and doors from that tough chipboard. I have been trying to find a tool and die guy to make these punches for me. I do a lot of things but I never learned the art of metallurgy so I needed to find an outside source. After 5 years and talking to twenty three companies, both in person and on line, nobody could help me out! I kept explaining to the potential suppliers that the Japanese where doing this in the 1920s in their small cottage industries and probably were using nothing more than a hammer and a punch. When I did get a price it was anywhere from $79.00 to $102.00 per punch. Ridiculous with our new, modern day technologies and for such a small item. As it turns out I was talking to my neighbor the other day about this dilemma and he asked a couple of questions and asked for some dimensions. One day later he stopped over with these three sample dies. He's such a genius that he figured out that we don't even need a hammer just a cheap drill press a super magnet and a plastic backer. These dies cut so quick, smooth and effortlessly it's a pure joy. I have a meeting with him tonight and we'll see what kind of per piece price he might come up with. We have to keep in mind that there are quite a few sizes that the Japanese used on these houses.
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