1 inch oblong punch in a press

[Colt Faro]

Does anyone know if you can get a 1 inch oblong punch for a press. I'm tired of punching them by hand.

Thanks,
Colt

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Does anyone know if you can get a 1 inch oblong punch for a press. I'm tired of punching them by hand.

Thanks,
Colt

Here is an idea/thread that your search might not have found;

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,37342.0.html

[rickk]

A really big (heavy) urethane or rawhide hammer makes it easier. A really solid impact surface makes a world of difference too.

Also, sometimes I wonder if the people who sharpen some punches at the punch factory have ever used them. The angle they put on some punches is much too blunt. About half of the punches I have ever received spent some time at the grinder on day one, doing some major reshaping of the edge.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

A really big (heavy) urethane or rawhide hammer makes it easier. A really solid impact surface makes a world of difference too.

Also, sometimes I wonder if the people who sharpen some punches at the punch factory have ever used them. The angle they put on some punches is much too blunt. About half of the punches I have ever received spent some time at the grinder on day one, doing some major reshaping of the edge.

            I agree, they all need work to work well, even when new 

                               tEN wOLVES 

[Cliff Fendley]

I've had to regrind my punches as well, then do my punching on a pondo board placed on a big steel table that has no give. Use about a 3 pound dead blow hammer. An arbor press like Tallbald set up may work good for it.

[TN Mongo]

I use a 2 lb maul on a Tandy poly board that's on top of a 3" granite slab.  Enco runs the granite slabs on sale every couple of months.  They are great for tooling.

[daddyeaux]

Not to change the subject, but does anyone make round punches for large diameter holes? I need to punch a 1 5/8" perfectly round hole in some leather. I have never seen round punches of any large diameter.

[rickk]

Yup, they come really big, and really expensive.

I have some going up to  well over 2" that I use to make cannon charge wads and several in the 1.4 to 1.6"  range for 37mm launcher wads.

I think all my over 1" punches were gotten from ebay. If you want known quality, Osbourne makes them but you will be talking serious $$#.  The big punches show up on ebay all the time.

Rick


edit:

There is a new Osbourne 1-5/8 on ebay right now for $69.99 (buy it now option) which is a pretty good deal.

There is also a set of 5 punches (also new, but not Osbourne) that includes a 1-5/8 on there ... current bid is 10 bucks with 2 days to go.

Also, a tip... when you use big punches, make sure your work surface is really solid..... really really solid. It makes a world of difference. A poundo board placed on a concrete sidewalk works way better than a poundo board on even a heavy duty bench. When I cut out corrugated cardboard 2-1/4" wads for my cannon I use a piece of 2 foot diameter, 18 " long oak that was destined to be firewood. A single mallet strike cuts the cardboard clean. Trying the same thing on my 3.5" thick pine workbench takes a number of mallet strikes to cut through.

[Irish Dave]

I always punch only into an endgrain wood block. right now I'm using a 12"-15" dia. chunk of seasoned ash about 6"-8" tall. Good and solid, yet light enough that I can lift it up onto my workbench.

Punches stay much sharper much longer in my experience using this approach.

Just a couple of cents worth.

[daddyeaux]

Thanks Rikk and Dave, I will certainly check this our

[Slowhand Bob]

Not sure about the newest catalog but Weaver do offer them for their big floor press.  Another idea might be to have it made as an actual click die to work with a small arbor press, should work well.  Texas Custom Dies is an outfit that I recently found and have been well pleased by them so far.