SandSquid Report post Posted July 15, 2012 Doing a project for camp to help organize the leather-working tools (upon my departure in two weeks) in the craft hut, \ I plan to make a wall hanging organizer utilizing a loop/strap system such as employed for the bullet loop ammo/shell carrier... (Punching two round holes and cutting lines between them is proving to be a Royal-PITA and not giving me the results I want.) I can adapt the design to utilize any size punch between 3/8" to 3/4". Does not have to be pretty just serviceable. I have $24.06 in my paypal account. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted July 15, 2012 I'm a little confused on what exactly it is that you are looking for. You say you have a punch for making round holes and have been cutting straight lines to make an oblong hole, correct? Are you looking for something that will make an oblong hole in one shot that needs to be 3/8ths to 3/4ths of an inch in length? I mean no insult by this, I was just try to clarify what it was you meant. Though, if it is a round hole punch you are looking for and not an oblong one, I just might be able to help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SandSquid Report post Posted July 15, 2012 You say you have a punch for making round holes and have been cutting straight lines to make an oblong hole, correct? Correct. Are you looking for something that will make an oblong hole in one shot Precisely! that needs to be 3/8ths to 3/4ths of an inch in length? Anything within that range would work... I'm not too particular in this regard If it is a round hole punch you are looking for and not an oblong one, I just might be able to help. Thanks, but I have a cheap set of the round punches, I need the oblong one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted July 16, 2012 I was letting my brain grind away at this one silently in the background and a thought occurred to me, if you are not successful in getting the punch you need, then I hope you have access to tools. A grinder, a vice, a hacksaw, and maybe a few other things. If you don't, then maybe call in some favors. Anyway, let me get to the point before I wander off too far mentally. If you look at a punch, it's basically a tube bent to a certain shape and sharpened on one end, right? Well, if you get some steel pipe that's about 6" long, you can squish one end in a vice and grind an edge onto it. You'll need to find something to put in the end being squished to prevent it from collapsing all the way closed or warping too severely. It should be something that can handle the forces involved and be the width of the final hole desired. A rough guess is that if you squish a 3/8" pipe to about 1/8", it should be about 1/2"in length. Mind you, that's a rough guess. Once you have it the shape you want, take it to the grinder and carefully place an edge to cut with on it. You can clean up the cutting edge with a sharpening stone and test it out. I think that some thin walled, galvanized pipe might work for a while and it wouldn't hurt to cap off the other end so you can beat on it. It's possible that some scaps of wood cut to the desired hole width will work for preventing the end from collapsing, but make sure it's a hardwood and not something soft like pine. I wouldn't expect the tool to last you a long time, but should suffice long enough for the project at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SandSquid Report post Posted July 16, 2012 I wouldn't expect the tool to last you a long time, but should suffice long enough for the project at least. Great thinking, but we just don't have the "free" time... Between teaching 3-5 Archery & Leather classes a day and a planed departure in two weeks, if it comes down to it, I'd just order online. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylvia Report post Posted July 16, 2012 Squid... put on your best smile and go ask your local tandy for any of the bag punches that have been returned as not working. See if they will donate them... then get to work grinding the edges and sharpening. Check out Etsy too... I found a decent 1 in. round punch for not too much there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SandSquid Report post Posted July 17, 2012 Squid... put on your best smile and go ask your local tandy for any of the bag punches that have been returned as not working. Sadly I'm 150 Miles & 2.5 hours from my nearest Tandy or I'd just buy one. I'll try etsy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
