GRAPHOTYPE.net

I am in a Military Vehicle Club, I own a Graphotype 6341. We have one main show a year and I make Dogtags to sell and make money for our goup. I have had some problems with the tag getting pulled out while stamping the 4th or 5th line. I talked to another group that had the jaws machined out for Dogtags. Is this needed or do I need some adjusting. If it needs it can someone describe what needs done (like how deep and long, is it tapered for rolled edge or what?). Thanks from Mike in Iowa.

I have a 6381 and my machine will do the same if I let it. During the stamping process the tag will start to arch because of the metal being punched. This arch will make the tag snag on the spinning carriage, and "ding" good-by tag. But I added a few simple easy steps that completely stopped my machine doing this.

First, if your machine has a roller unit, simply run the tag under the roller while it is still in the jaws after you typed the third line. This will straighten out/flatten the tag again.

Second, after you flattened the tag, reseat the tag within the jaws as you did at the start of the tag and continue on to your fourth and fifth lines.

Now, I?m not an expert on these machines but these steps have stopped my machine from tossing out the tags completely.

I hope this helps you also and good luck

I have a 6381 and my machine will do the same if I let it. During the stamping process the tag will start to arch because of the metal being punched. This arch will make the tag snag on the spinning carriage, and ding, good-by tag. But I added a few simple easy steps that completely stopped my machine doing this.

First, if your machine has a roller unit, simply run the tag under the roller while it is still in the jaws after you typed the third line. This will straighten out/flatten the tag again.

Second, after you flattened the tag, reseat the tag within the jaws as you did at the start of the tag and continue on to your fourth and fifth lines.

Now, I?m not an expert on these machines but these steps have stopped my machine from tossing out the tags completely.

I hope this helps you also and good luck

Sorry mods for the second reply, the fourm returned an error message to me when I submitted my post...

please delete the second posting...

Yes jaws can be machined.

There is one supplier near Chicago that charges $80.00 to $100.00 for this operation.

Tags with more than say 50% coverage in text tend to curve during the imprinting process.

Many times while reproducing WWII "Next of Kin", tags I will have tags that will "curl" and pull or work their way out of the jaws. I indeed use the tag flattener and will roll the tag before the fourth and fifth lines.

I also will flaten tags before stamping because current tags are out of tollerance. Tags are supposed to have a rolled edge thickness of .0315" +/- .0025" and in checking a random sample of tags on my desk I find the following:

.0392
.0402
.0349
.0386
.0390
.0400
.0364
.0331
.0352

Quality control of avaliable tags sucks unless you get them from the Current Government Contractor. The current government contractor does not make notched tags. All notched tags are made by after market manufacturers. I have yet to find any WWII notched style tags that meet the military specification.

Back to the question at hand . . . Yes you can machine the jaws. No you should not do this yourself. The jaws need to be machines so that the lips are flat and parallel.

YOU SHOULD NEVER MODIFY THE JAWS WITH FILES OR GRINDERS. If you are going to alter the jaws they should be machined.

An alternative to machining is to prepare your tags before imprinting by rolling them flat with the tag roller. Depending upon the coverage of text we roll the tags before imprinting, maybe during imprinting and after imprinting.

It may take a little while longer to make the tag but it makes the best flattest tags.

If anyone is interested I will expand upon this whole issue of tag rollers and flat tags later this week.

Take care

IDTags

OK, maybe not the big fish kinda, but the Graphotype kind. The jaws that I find are the right size are the ones marked S M on them when you look at them in the machine. I have 3 machine and they all have different jaws. The ones I have are:
S M - Works great, but will not hold medical warning tags (too thin)
R R - Will hold the tags for about 3 lines and then pop out. Jaws too tight.
B - Jaws too tight or dog tags.

I do believe that the letters stamped on the jaws are originally for the type of plate they were designed for.

~Robert