I don't want to damage my chisels

[dikman]

HDPE = high density polyethylene. Same thing plastic milk bottles are made of. I made a couple of mauls from chopped up milk bottles, melted down. I suppose if I was keen enough I could make a cutting board using the same process, but it would be a lot of work!

[Spyros]

5 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

Well, you've certainly got more experience than I have, but my thoughts on that are that the $2 cutting board (I use those often to make templates) isn't going to absorb much if I use a stitching chisel on it.  And I'm not sure what HDPE is, but it sounds expensive and hard.  I wanted something that would not dull or harm the stitching chisels if I went through my assembly into whatever I have underneath.  I just tried what @Sheilajeanne suggested above... I used a piece of 8+ oz veg tan on top of my poly board and it worked like a charm.  Rigid enough to pound against but soft enough not to harm the chisel.

 

Ηigh Density Polyurethane, just soft-ish plastic basically.  Not too soft not too hard, Its perfect.  The cutting board was made of the same.

Low density Polyurethane is basically foam, like those insert cutouts they put inside tool drawers and presentation boxes.  High density polyurethane is basically the same thing but more dense.

[Sheilajeanne]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

HDPE =  high density polyethylene plastic - wot plastic milk jugs are made of, kitchen cutting boards and such. It is hard. Maybe Sheilajeanne can tell us how it compares to her poundo board.  I don't have one of those

I used plastic cutting board in my kitchen, and also have a couple for leatherworking. However, the HDPE seems a LOT harder to me than a poundo board, which is like firm rubber. After ruining those chisels on the poundo board, I'm not tempted to do any punching on the HDPE~

[LeatherLegion]

MDF board works great. 

[MtlBiker]

59 minutes ago, LeatherLegion said:

MDF board works great. 

Sorry, but I just don't agree.  MDF (we use a lot of it in our workshop) is really quite hard and I wouldn't risk using it as a base for my stitching chisel punching.  I still think @Sheilajeanne had the best suggestion here... to use thick veg tan leather under the assembly I'm punching through.  That way there's no risk to the (rather expensive) stitching chisels I plan to use.

1 hour ago, Sheilajeanne said:

I used plastic cutting board in my kitchen, and also have a couple for leatherworking. However, the HDPE seems a LOT harder to me than a poundo board, which is like firm rubber. After ruining those chisels on the poundo board, I'm not tempted to do any punching on the HDPE~

Where did you buy the poundo board?  A search of Canadian sources didn't turn anything up other than the poly boards sold by Tandy etc.

Would you use that under your belly leather when punching with your stitching chisels?

 

[Northmount]

53 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

Where did you buy the poundo board?

https://tandyleather.ca/products/poundo-boards?_pos=1&_sid=b6b8e5059&_ss=r

MDF very smooth, but ... may contain metal fragments.  Have seen sparks fly occasionally when cutting a 3/4" sheet.  So would not use it for anything where a sharpened edge is pressed or hammered into an MDF board.

 

[Sheilajeanne]

The poundo board was from Tandy. And yes, I have it under the belly leather when punching holes.

[Spyros]

3 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

I used plastic cutting board in my kitchen, and also have a couple for leatherworking. However, the HDPE seems a LOT harder to me than a poundo board, which is like firm rubber. After ruining those chisels on the poundo board, I'm not tempted to do any punching on the HDPE~

How it feels is irrelevant, just make sure it says HDPE not LDPE or something else

I've been pounding $200 KS blades on it for a couple of years now, and sometimes *really* pounding them all the way in, and they're just as sharp and straight as the day 1.  Same with my cheaper ones.

[Sheilajeanne]

Spyros, I have NO idea what the original label on my cutting boards said! I got them a long, long time ago. So, not going to trust them with my chisels.

[tsunkasapa]

+1 on the HDPE. I use under all my sharp tools. Round knife, punches, occasionally thonging chisels. No damage to any of them. I have a big 32"x24" on my bench, and a 12"x48" I use outside when I true up the straight edge on a side for strap cutting. Good stuff.