Someone here posted this link a while back for square hole drills. I
don't know if these people are still about in the UK I think. Maybe this
is what you are refering to about Hougen and Watts brothers.

http://www.integerspin.co.uk/polygon.htm



wrote:

Grant Erwin wrote:

The first thing you need to know is how many tons of force you need to punch a
1/4" square hole in 1/16" stainless sheet. The second thing you need is the
smallest and cheapest tool which can yield that tonnage. I had a Whitney Jensen
Model 91 10-ton bench punch which would have worked perfectly for you, but I
suspect you may be able to get away with 5 tons, in which case you can use a No.
8 hand punch like http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7576272205
and you can order a 1/4" square punch/die set from a lot of people. If you get
lucky when you buy the punch, you may be able to solve your problem for under
$100. Punching is *always* the way to go for sheet metal.

By the way, when the time comes to actually punch, lay out the centers of your
holes, and carefully centerpunch them. Then after the part is all centerpunched,
put the part in the punching tool and feel with the tit on the tip of the punch
until it picks up your centerpunch mark, then keeping it firmly located in the
punchmark, punch the hole. That's how to put holes right where you want them.


Funny you should point to that Ebay auction. I had sent the seller an
e-mail asking for more info on that.

Can you tell me what a normal price is for one of those?

Thanks.

P.S: I'm still waiting for Hougen and Watts Brothers to get back to me
concerning bits that make square holes.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.