I`m finally cutting metal but I have another problem now and I`ve tried all morning to rectify it with no avail. When I`m cutting, I`m ending up with a deeper cut at the end closest to the start of the ram stroke. I thought at first that my vice wasn`t level and sloping down towards the ram, causing a deeper cut at that end but after checking it with a guage, it wasn`t that. I set it all back up again and figured out what it was. Basically, as the ram hits the first cutting edge of the metal, it jumps up a bit on the clapper. Consequently it isn`t taking the full cut, only on the initial couple of mm before it jumps up. It then "falls off" the work at the other end, only to correctly bounce back up on the clapper for the return stroke. If I put pressure downwards on the tool holder for the rams forward stroke, the correct cut is taken! I can`t understand why the hell it is doing it but more importantly, can`t see how to fix it! Any way of stopping the clapper from lifting on the forward stroke would surely stop it lifting on the return?
Could it be the tool profile? I tried using a very sharp point and it didn`t do it as much (still did it!) but obviously ended up with a terrible finish. When I try a more rounded point it just starts jumping on the ram.
Any help or advice appreciated.
Chris