Punching holes

[barra]

I too use a lead block. I find, being a soft metal that it saves the punches the best for me. I re smelt once in a blue moon and when it gets chopped up I panel beat it smooth with a solid ball pein hammer, sort of a hit and drag motion not unlike the final peining of a copper rivet.

Having said that, after 30 years, Bruce has seriously converted me to the small round punch in the drill press method with an el cheapo kitchen cutting board underneath. Of course this only works for round punches.

Barra

[MikeCahill]

Hello,

What is the best backing surface for punching holes, poly board or a poundo board.

Do you use a scrap piece of leather below the piece or is it OK to let the punch penetrate the board?

Thanks

Jim

end grain of a hardwood (beech) log, every now and then I run an electric planer over it a couple of times, I think it should take about 80 years before I need to get a new log

Cheers

Mike

[leatherman1457]

I use the 12" X 12" black poundo board, rubber cemented to a12" X 12" butcher block end grain board 4" thick, set on my small slip proof rubber mat on my 24" X 24" X 1 1/2" piece of marble. that is a solid way to punch leather. I have punched out several thousand feet of strap gymp with my punchs on a set up as I described.

[UKRay]

I'm a big chunky lead block man - My punches stay really sharp and it helps to absorb some of the noise when I'm working in the middle of the night! LOL

[RobDude30]

Would a white plastic cutting board from wal-mart work as well as Tandy's? They look the same to me.

I have one of the WalMart cutting boards that you mention and it has already cracked in several places. It does work, but likely won't last very long.

[kevinhopkins]

I like an end grain too.... it's easier on the cutting edges, and doesn't give you the grief of a poundo board.

Kevin