Ruined New Punch!

[ShortBBL]

I bought a new Novolene Chopping Block from Weavers, on the recommendation of someone here (I think) and wow.... after using my 3/8" punch 3 or 4 times, it is totally trashed!

What the heck do you all use as a back-stop or whatever, when punching holes? I'm bummed, but at least I learned it with the lower cost punch instead of one of the $60 bag punches I bought!!

Should I use the semi-soft poundo board? At least with that, I dont think it will hurt the punch. What good are those Novolene boards if not for punching holes?

The punch just rolled into itself....

[TwinOaks]

I punch on either the Poundo mat, or a piece of scrap.

[roo4u]

i punch on scrap leather...since i usually by sides i always have the leg and belly bits as waste...some of the legs on latigo are pretty dang tough and last a good long time as the backstop for my round and slot punches.

[dirtclod]

I use white cutting boards like you can buy at Wal Mart an never had a problem. Sounds like you had junk punch. Some where i have a hard cutting board lots harder than the ones i have now and i have never messed a punch up. The problem with using leather and poundo boards are you can punch right through them and mess your tool up or your bench IMO and it aint worth much.

[tonyc1]

A lead block.

[Luke Hatley]

LISTEN UP..........

Listen to Tony. USE A LEAD BLOCK.......or Listen to me and use the END GRAIN OF A hardwood

block....both works well and your punches will last a long time.

[Nutty Saddler]

Use a LEAD BLOCK - I've been using a lead block for 18 years and my punches have never even had to be re-sharpened .

Use a rawhide / wood / plastic hammer and a lead block and your punches will look like new for years and years

[roo4u]

i probably should have said i use leather on top of one of those cheapo white cutting boards

[particle]

For those of you that use lead blocks - do you get any transfer of the lead onto the leather, like a grey smudge?

[Nutty Saddler]

Lead Block - I don't get any transfer at all , If I am working with pale coloured leather I do put a piece of paper between the work and the block , this could be done all the time if you are worried about lead transference, but for me it has never been an issue

[busted]

I bought a new Novolene Chopping Block from Weavers, on the recommendation of someone here (I think) and wow.... after using my 3/8" punch 3 or 4 times, it is totally trashed!

What the heck do you all use as a back-stop or whatever, when punching holes? I'm bummed, but at least I learned it with the lower cost punch instead of one of the $60 bag punches I bought!!

Should I use the semi-soft poundo board? At least with that, I dont think it will hurt the punch. What good are those Novolene boards if not for punching holes?

The punch just rolled into itself....

The tool was junk when you bought it. Using it 3 or 4 times will not trash the tool. How much does the maul weigh you are using?

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Sounds to me like the punch was not heat treated correctly, or poor material. I would expect a punch to chip an edge before rolling over.

I use end grain wood, be it soft, or hardwood, but always end grain.

[particle]

Did you perhaps sharpen the punch when you first received it? I received a pair of punches from a local shop that's very well known - I won't mention their name because a lot of people seem happy with their work, but I certainly wasn't one of them. From day one, I couldn't punch through a single layer of leather with a 3lb mallet without striking it about 10 times. I sharpened it considerably because the edge was way too blunt of an angle. After that, it cut WAAAAAY better - once or twice, until it rolled the edge over because the angle was too shallow... I've since reduced the angle, and even had a member here sharpen them for me a while back. They cut okay, but I'm not at ALL happy with them - especially when they split the leather at the curved end of a belt slot on a double-layer of 8/9 oz. I can't afford new ones at the moment, and I didn't feel like sending them back because the lady on the phone was rude and tried to blame their dull punches on me, saying I must have dropped them (way out of line, and I NEVER dropped them) and then said I ruined their punch when I tried to sharpen it. What a joke.

[buffalobill plus Ed D]

hey everyone this lead block sounds great, anywhere special to get on? what thickness ive been using a granite slab with the black rubber from tandy, and sometimes the punch does go right to the granite slab damaging the punch what a pain!!!

[dirtclod]

I guess you could buy fishing sinkers and melt them down. Or you might get a bag of shot for a shotgun and melt that down. Or if you have a recycle place close by they might have some. Old wheel weights would work fine to. If i was going to make one i'd get the cheapest old cast iron skillet i could find melt in that and use it to shape your lead. But the cheapest and easiest is to do is get a plastic / nylon cutting board. They work fine and last forever and they won't dull your punches or knives. But i seem to be about the only here that uses them. The wood end grain block dosen't last very long if you do much punching in my world. But use what works for you.

[buffalobill plus Ed D]

hey dirtclod thanks for the reply the SHOT from shotguns isnt lead uphere, they stopped that i think awhile ago,lead and lake water not a good idea in any amount, i will try the cutting board makes sense clicker presses are made with heavy plastic, although the melting of fishing sinkers skillets wheel weights sounds even better we recycle everything up here and that stuff is easy to come by!

[dirtclod]

I would think that you get lead shot. Do skeet shooters have use steel shot ? As far as duck and goose hunting it's the same here steel only. You can get the cutting boards at wal mart for around $10.00 USD. I get the white ones their about a 1/2 inch thick and come in all different sizes.

[buffalobill plus Ed D]

Im not sure for the skeet shooters but the way things are going here (GREEEEEN) i dont think lead is around anymore could be wrong, the cutting board is the best idea will be getting one tomoro the local wal mart is walking distance from everywhre they take up 10 000 sqare blocks lol thanks for the help

[busted]

I guess you could buy fishing sinkers and melt them down. Or you might get a bag of shot for a shotgun and melt that down. Or if you have a recycle place close by they might have some. Old wheel weights would work fine to. If i was going to make one i'd get the cheapest old cast iron skillet i could find melt in that and use it to shape your lead. But the cheapest and easiest is to do is get a plastic / nylon cutting board. They work fine and last forever and they won't dull your punches or knives. But i seem to be about the only here that uses them. The wood end grain block dosen't last very long if you do much punching in my world. But use what works for you.

I use a polypropylene cutting board `20" x 40" x 1" thick. It works great. I can't imagine a leather shop without one. These tools we use ain't cheap ya' need all the help ya' can get to keep them functioning properly.

[hivemind]

I punch on a poundo board, but used scrap for years - a good sized piece of sole bend. I also had my father make my bench with an unfinished pine top, so if I do slip and drive something into it there's no damage to anything but the bench. Ten years on, it looks like hell, but I'm not after cosmetics in my basement shop.

[electrathon]

I am sort of surprised no one has yet said this. Lead can and will make your kids grow up stupid. If you are going to have lead laying around do not ever let your kids mess with it. It is bad for adults too, but kids are very suseptable to lead learning issues.

Wheel weights can be bought as salvage from a local tire shop. It is a little harder than soft lead like is used in plumbing.

Aaron

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Have you priced lead lately? Those $20 bags of shot are over $50 now. China, and India are buying lead, along with other metals, to further industrialize. Scrap lead was pushing $2 a pound, we used to get wheel weights for free, or up to $.10 a pound. Trap ranges are "mining" their ranges for the shot. The Martinez trap club pulled close to 120,000# out of theirs one year. If you can get it free to cheap , get it.

Proper handling will mitigate health concerns. As with most metals ,they pose an inhalition hazard IE; dust, and vapors. MSDSs are available online.

[jeeperaz]

Yikes! I remember as a young teen, my friends and I would go out hunting/plinking in the desert with our pellet guns. Rather than carry the lead pellets in our pockets (too hard to get to), we'd each throw a handful of 'em in our mouths.

And then there was the mercury we used to play with.

[ShortBBL]

Here is what it did....... I use a 2 lb maul.... and dont even hammer too hard!

[dirtclod]

What brand punch is it ?