Hoping to tap into some knowledge here in sheaths:
I can't seem to set an S-61 eyelet without it splitting (90% of them). My first thought was the dies(they're the USA Knifemaker ones) however it doesn't happen in the same spot. I marked the position where a split occured on the male die with a Sharpy then went through 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions but there wasn't a pattern to where the splits were occuring. As far as other trouble shooting: checked alignment on the dies, cleaned and polished the dies, tried letting the anvil on my arbor float, lubricating the male die, rotate the eyelet while compressing, snug down the bolts on the vertical arm(?) of my arbor, go slow and smooth as possible, hand setting using the dies and a polyurethane mallet, and even ordered a new batch of eyelets. Those showed up this week so I tried a couple out on two pieces of 5 oz leather and they both split. I put 8 in two pieces of .093 boltaron and 5 of those split
What's weird is with the S-66 eyelets I only get about one in ten or so that splits. Not only that but I can put an S-66 in the die by itself and compress/roll it all the way down on itself without splitting. Side by side I don't see any difference between the two other than height. It seems like there may be a little bit of wobble with the 61's when it sits on the female die compared to 66's.
Any ideas???
I can't seem to set an S-61 eyelet without it splitting (90% of them). My first thought was the dies(they're the USA Knifemaker ones) however it doesn't happen in the same spot. I marked the position where a split occured on the male die with a Sharpy then went through 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions but there wasn't a pattern to where the splits were occuring. As far as other trouble shooting: checked alignment on the dies, cleaned and polished the dies, tried letting the anvil on my arbor float, lubricating the male die, rotate the eyelet while compressing, snug down the bolts on the vertical arm(?) of my arbor, go slow and smooth as possible, hand setting using the dies and a polyurethane mallet, and even ordered a new batch of eyelets. Those showed up this week so I tried a couple out on two pieces of 5 oz leather and they both split. I put 8 in two pieces of .093 boltaron and 5 of those split
What's weird is with the S-66 eyelets I only get about one in ten or so that splits. Not only that but I can put an S-66 in the die by itself and compress/roll it all the way down on itself without splitting. Side by side I don't see any difference between the two other than height. It seems like there may be a little bit of wobble with the 61's when it sits on the female die compared to 66's.
Any ideas???