On Nov 12, 2016, at 2:24 PM, Paul Koning <paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
There are lots of paper manufacturers and lots of
grades and thickness of paper. The thickness we're talking about is one that shows up
in a couple I looked at. So it wouldn't surprise me at all if suitable paper could be
had. The matter of cutting it to the correct shape is a different issue, admittedly.
It may not be all that difficult. Perhaps the right method here is a die-cut, a common
method for doing custom cuts of paper ? often far more complicated than punch cards. The
basic idea is that you build a form up with steel rules that define the edges you want
cut. These rules essentially act as a blade. Then you mount this on a press, and run
through a stack of paper as if you?re printing, but in fact you?re just cutting.
Here?s a basic overview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1NKLPYS0Vo
A few years back, while photographing letterpress printers (see
http://johnlabovitz.com/projects/letterpress), I met a fellow (Rob Barnes) in Denver who
specializes in die-cutting. Like most die-cut operators, he uses mid-20th century
Heidelberg letterpress printing presses. I have no idea if he?s interested in a
retro-punch card project, but it might be worth contacting him.
http://www.vintagepressworks.com
Frankly, I think the harder task is to find a good stock of appropriate paper.
Best,
?John