My punch room.
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pmI like to punch holes in metal.
My little shop is a mere echo of my machine shop when I worked. Now everything is downsized and the bigger machines replaced with consumer grade/hobby grade smaller machines befitting a retired hobbyist.
The punch room's most used devices are a set of Greenlee clamshell punches in a variety of shapes and sizes, pulled by a 2 ton hand pumped hydraulic ram.
Pilot holes are first marked on the stock using a prepared brass jig and a hardened awl or punch prick. This dimple is drilled out with a carbide PCB drill of about #60 with a palm drill or a Dremmel micro drill press. Then on to the drilling
tapping machine to drill the 3/8" or 3/4" hole for the punch draw screw. If thin aluminum I use a brad pointed drill or a Forstner bit, and for heavier stock step up to a silver & deming drill for high accuracy.
Then on to the punch room for final sizing. The picture shows an easy morning's worth of panel prepwork for two of my favorite projects drilled, tapped and punched.
When mild steel of thicker section is punched we bring on an old Whitney 20 ton manual ball bearing punch rated at 1/2" hole thru 1/2" steel.
Geo
My little shop is a mere echo of my machine shop when I worked. Now everything is downsized and the bigger machines replaced with consumer grade/hobby grade smaller machines befitting a retired hobbyist.
The punch room's most used devices are a set of Greenlee clamshell punches in a variety of shapes and sizes, pulled by a 2 ton hand pumped hydraulic ram.
Pilot holes are first marked on the stock using a prepared brass jig and a hardened awl or punch prick. This dimple is drilled out with a carbide PCB drill of about #60 with a palm drill or a Dremmel micro drill press. Then on to the drilling
tapping machine to drill the 3/8" or 3/4" hole for the punch draw screw. If thin aluminum I use a brad pointed drill or a Forstner bit, and for heavier stock step up to a silver & deming drill for high accuracy.
Then on to the punch room for final sizing. The picture shows an easy morning's worth of panel prepwork for two of my favorite projects drilled, tapped and punched.
When mild steel of thicker section is punched we bring on an old Whitney 20 ton manual ball bearing punch rated at 1/2" hole thru 1/2" steel.
Geo