Question Electro Pounce

[RiXaX]

When I was an apprentice there were a couple shops I visited and did a few jobs in that had electric perforators they made with neon transformers and rheostats. Does anyone remember more exacting details of how this was done?

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I don't remember a rheostat, but I do remember it was a sheet of sheet metal mounted on a frame. One of the transformer homeruns is mounted to the sheet, and the other is wired into an hand held plastic "pen" with a pointed metal end. The pattern was held on with magnets and you would use wooden rulers to make the straight lines. It more or less burned small holes in the paper...

Out of curiosity, why the interest in an old pounce machine? You can still get pounce wheels. I even have a couple in a tool box somewhere.

 

[Billct2]

I don't remember seeing any homemade ones, just the commercially available ones. Always hated them, but they were efficient for doing large patterns.

 

[unclebun]

We used a commercially made one. Worked way better than a wheel, but it sure was fun when you accidentally leaned against the metal backer...

 

[studio 440]

When I was an apprentice there were a couple shops I visited and did a few jobs in that had electric perforators they made with neon transformers and rheostats. Does anyone remember more exacting details of how this was done?

FMS electro pounce was the name they made a senior and junior model . I still use mine they are hard to find now and sell for around 600 $ used but you can still get them new for 950$

 

[Marlene]

We had one years ago and I remember the shocks when you leaned on the metal table, ouch.

 

[Cross Signs]

I have worn the elastic metal watchbands for many years. But I forgot to take off my watch only one time!

 

[RiXaX]

I bought the Electro Pounce in 1970 and still use it regularly. A young man I met wants to build one and I was remembering the one's from my early years when shops made their own.
I don't remember if it was done with a neon transformer or a fluorescent ballast, just remember it came off an old sign. I also remember the dial that gave far better variety in hole size
than I have with the dial on my store bought model. I liked the small holes for gold patterns and the big holes for walls.