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I'm a sign writer and often need to transfer patterns / designs to paper in a perforated way. Small holes in the outline of the design allow chalk or charcoal to be applied through the paper to the final surface.

This can be a very long process involving a small pounce tool / wheel (like a mini pizza cutter). Which is rolled over the surface to create small holes.

There is an electric tool for the job called a Electro Pounce machine. It rapidly burns small holes through the paper to create a perforated outline. See here. These are very expensive and basically I'm trying to figure out an alternative or a hack of some kind to create perforated holes through paper. I thought maybe a tattoo gun would work but have no idea if you can slow them down enough to create gaps between holes or if it would even perforate.

I'm wondering if anyone has any creative ideas that would do the job? Might be the wrong forum but you never know :)

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Joe
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    Maybe a modest power laser, with a pulsed on/off supply, with all the eyesight precautions that that would need, would work to punch through paper. – Neil_UK Jul 30 '19 at 07:58
  • What about re-purposing a sewing machine - they can go slow... – Solar Mike Jul 30 '19 at 09:47
  • @SolarMike that is a good idea actually, but the issue would be the scale of the paper not fitting well where the arch of the machine mechanism is. But there would be times where this would work well I think. – Joe Jul 30 '19 at 10:06
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    So, think about how you could change that... There are different sewing machines - longer throat... Or think about how you could have a stationary head and a moving table... – Solar Mike Jul 30 '19 at 10:18

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An "Electro Pounce" machine is basically a high voltage power supply with an electrode suited to drawing an arc through the pattern paper to a metal background while managing not to kill yourself.

THESE MACHINES CAN KILL

You NEVER want to be connected to the high voltage side.
Never.

There is a lot about DIY versions on the web - and some stories that tell you what can go wrong.

Many links via images here

And text links here

Some possibly useful comment here

A cautionary and somewhat amusing tale here. A more sensible approach may work.

Also web search on - DIY arc etch pen

A "real" one at work - agh wow - lethal

Russell McMahon
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