Steel die for Soap Container. Plain lines represent steel cutting rules. Dotted lines represent steel scoring rules.
With all of the required number of pieces of cutting and creasing rule cut to sizes and bent to the proper shapes, the next step is to “set up” the die with lead, steel, or iron furniture. In the case of a large-size die, the main blanking-out is done with black walnut or cherry furniture, but with a small-size die, practically all of the blanking-out may be done with labor-saving metal furniture.
Steel die form for Medicine Bottle Carton. Plain lines represent steel cutting rules. Dotted lines represent steel scoring rules.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The die-maker should work upon the surface of an imposing table. First, he places on the table the chase in which the die is to be locked up. Second, he fills in the chase with regular printer’s wood furniture, leaving space in the center for the die, and placing locking quoins near the top of the chase and on the right-hand side of the chase. Third, the cutting and creasing rules are set in the open space in the center of the chase, filling in with metal or wood furniture. Fourth, after the die has been carefully set and blanked out, the entire job is locked up with the aid of a quoin-key and the quoins.
Note these points: Printers’ wood furniture is not as high as black walnut or cherry wood used inside the die, and the printers’ wood furniture is only used as locking-up material on the outer sides of the die.
There are several varieties of printers’ quoins, but the best quoins for the die-maker’s purpose are called “Hemple Improved Quoins.” They are of iron, wedge-shaped, and contain ridges which make them hold tightly. By inserting a quoin-key between the “teeth” of a pair of quoins, and turning the key one way or the other way, the quoins are locked or unlocked.