Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need to
get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill all of
them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind of jig
to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent job
with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to drill
twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide

Define "the same spot". Within 1/2"? Within 1/32"? Within .001"? Within .00001"?

You can get real close with a punch if you carefully centerpunch and then feel
the part onto the tit on the end of the punch, and hold it there while you
actuate the punch. That will get you within a few thou of your centerpunch
location. If you are good, you can centerpunch within .002" of your desired
location, that will get you within .010" - is that good enough?

You'll need an optical center punch to do that good, though.

Grant

Eide wrote:
Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need to
get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill all of
them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind of jig
to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent job
with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to drill
twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide

Yeah, sorry about the vagueness, I work with wood and most of the time I try
to be within 1/8". I don't even know how much .002" is - let's say for this
I want to be within 1/128".
So, a punch. If I want to use a punch what am I looking for? What kind of
equipment do I need?
Thanks.

Eide

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Define "the same spot". Within 1/2"? Within 1/32"? Within .001"? Within
..00001"?

You can get real close with a punch if you carefully centerpunch and then
feel
the part onto the tit on the end of the punch, and hold it there while you
actuate the punch. That will get you within a few thou of your centerpunch
location. If you are good, you can centerpunch within .002" of your
desired
location, that will get you within .010" - is that good enough?

You'll need an optical center punch to do that good, though.

Grant

Eide wrote:
Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need
to
get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill all
of
them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind of
jig
to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent
job
with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to
drill
twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide

Well, 1/128" is .0078" which is a bit more than .002" but not that
much. Anyway, now you've gotten into the range of ten thousandths
of an inch, which rules out a bunch of stuff.

I thought you had a punch already. If you don't, then go get a Whitney
No. 5 punch set ($45) or clone ($19). These will punch 1/16" bronze OK.

See e.g.: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44060

I just looked up the Bay-Com optical center punch I bought for $40. It's
now damn near $80. So go have a look at:

http://www.nucleus.com/~harlan/punch.html

Grant

Eide wrote:

Yeah, sorry about the vagueness, I work with wood and most of the time I try
to be within 1/8". I don't even know how much .002" is - let's say for this
I want to be within 1/128".
So, a punch. If I want to use a punch what am I looking for? What kind of
equipment do I need?
Thanks.

Eide

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Define "the same spot". Within 1/2"? Within 1/32"? Within .001"? Within

.00001"?

You can get real close with a punch if you carefully centerpunch and then

feel

the part onto the tit on the end of the punch, and hold it there while you
actuate the punch. That will get you within a few thou of your centerpunch
location. If you are good, you can centerpunch within .002" of your

desired

location, that will get you within .010" - is that good enough?

You'll need an optical center punch to do that good, though.

Grant

Eide wrote:

Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need

to

get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill all

of

them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind of

jig

to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent

job

with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to

drill

twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide

In article AWWrb.19897$pK6.19745@lakeread02, Eide says...

Yeah, sorry about the vagueness, I work with wood and most of the time I try
to be within 1/8". I don't even know how much .002" is - let's say for this
I want to be within 1/128".
So, a punch. If I want to use a punch what am I looking for? What kind of
equipment do I need?

You need to estimate a couple of things.

1) The tolerance on the hole diameter you are trying to
punch. What amount of deviation from a given size can
you allow, and what amount of devination from true round
is allowed?

2) The tolerance for the hole location. Are you trying
to locate the hole in reference to a given edge on the
part, and if so, how accuate does that need to be?

the first will tell you what method is appropriate,
this could be:

Punching (round and to size within 0.010 inch, depnding on
the punch)

Drilling (round and to size within 0.001 inch)

Reaming, etc.

The locational accuracy will tell you what kind of
jig you need. If you are punching a diameter to
within 0.010 or 0.005 inch tolerance, then your
locational accuracy does not need to be more than
that, really.

Jim

==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

Thanks for the info. I'll check out a hand punch and see where that gets me.

Eide

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Well, 1/128" is .0078" which is a bit more than .002" but not that
much. Anyway, now you've gotten into the range of ten thousandths
of an inch, which rules out a bunch of stuff.

I thought you had a punch already. If you don't, then go get a Whitney
No. 5 punch set ($45) or clone ($19). These will punch 1/16" bronze OK.

See e.g.:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44060

I just looked up the Bay-Com optical center punch I bought for $40. It's
now damn near $80. So go have a look at:

http://www.nucleus.com/~harlan/punch.html

Grant

Eide wrote:

Yeah, sorry about the vagueness, I work with wood and most of the time I
try
to be within 1/8". I don't even know how much .002" is - let's say for
this
I want to be within 1/128".
So, a punch. If I want to use a punch what am I looking for? What kind
of
equipment do I need?
Thanks.

Eide

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Define "the same spot". Within 1/2"? Within 1/32"? Within .001"? Within

.00001"?

You can get real close with a punch if you carefully centerpunch and
then

feel

the part onto the tit on the end of the punch, and hold it there while
you
actuate the punch. That will get you within a few thou of your
centerpunch
location. If you are good, you can centerpunch within .002" of your

desired

location, that will get you within .010" - is that good enough?

You'll need an optical center punch to do that good, though.

Grant

Eide wrote:

Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They
are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need

to

get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill
all

of

them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind
of

jig

to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent

job

with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to

drill

twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide

"Eide" wrote in message news:9tWrb.19807$pK6.18313@lakeread02...
Hey all,

I am making some small bevel gauges out of 1/2" x 1/16" bronze. They are
made of a stack of three pieces about 2" long. On the hinge end I need to
get a hole in the same place on all three pieces. I know I can drill all
of
them at once, but is there a way to punch the hole? To make some kind of
jig
to get the hole punched in the same spot every time? I can do a decent job
with the drill press, but in order to get it right it seems I need to
drill
twice, and I want to do better than "decent".
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Eide



Why not make the bronze pieces a little oversize, drill and ream the holes,
then with a steel dowel pins, pin them together and sand them to final size?

Seems to me using a punch and die is not going to get you as snug a hole as
a ream. Also the punch tends to cup one side and flare the other.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.