die cutting

Has anyone had experience die cutting puzzles on 12x15 press
I am wondering if the heavy material used is too much pressure on the press, what about on a windmill?
Thanks for any help

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I have done puzzles on 12 x18 C&P and on 20x30” Thomson. I have made puzzle dies for clients to run on 10x15 Heidelbergs and it works as long as the stock is not too thick and the pieces are bigger.

what do you consider too thick?

You would be much better off with a press that has power. I would not subject a windmill to this duty. A C&P or kluge would be best suited, due to the strong frame, rocker, platen, bed, and side arms. A newer “welded Frame” Kluge is even better.
Long Center Bevel, “LCB” cutting rule is best with rubber filling all cavities and perimeter is usually needed. So you don’t just have the pressure of the cutting rule, you have the pressure of the ejection rubber also.
Stock thickness is a function of the total length of the rule involved. Sometimes it is easier to cut an involved piece in 2 passes with say a vertical rule die and then a horizontal die.
Simple advertising type puzzles (4-10 pcs) on a 10 x 15 sheet, with a 12x 18 kluge should allow for up to about 20pt stock. l

I think commercially-made jigsaw puzzles were usually cut on heavy vertical clicker presses. One poor woman was killed in one in an unsafe plant not so long ago.
One of my teachers said he saw such workers hand-cuffed to levers on their presses, so that their limbs could be yanked away before the platen closed.