Oblong Punch That Won't, Grrrrrr

[Sylvia]

Hi Cheryl:

I have a 1.5 inch oblong and the same thing happened to me. took me about 6 hours to bash my way through 9oz leather 8 times. When I finally took a really good look at the thing I realized that one end was thicker than the other. When I get time I'll be spending some time with the grinder and the dremel on it. So yeah, yours probably needs to be sharpened REALLY well.

S

[DoubleC]

Yup, mine is 1 & 1/2 inch too, and using a strop didn't seem to do a thing, and I had to bash my way through one of my thin conchos. I was trying to do an inlay on it to practice. It didn't do too bad after the bashing but when I decided to sew the concho, lizard and suede my 15-91 got away from me, LOL so it's my eye now. I haven't ever made me a new one, still wearing the last one I made by hand. I wanna tell you Sylvia, I don't look forward to bashing out 5 more of these in a guitar strap. And I can't get a maul right now, so it's either wait to get that and two kinds of whetstones or bash my way through.

[reddevil76]

When it comes to tools, I nowadays try to buy from Goodsjapan.jp

The prices are very reasonable. For example, the strap end punch I bought was not only cheaper than Tandy's pro series, Goodsjapan included free shipping as well. (Tandy charges me $33 to ship a bunch of stamping tools)

The strap end punch came sharp, took me only one whack with a rawhide mallet to go through a 12oz belt end. With my 20oz Barry King maul, the punch practically embedded itself into my poly cutting board.

It's been almost a year and it is still sharp as ever with no stropping necessary.

I like the free shipping policy as when I doing online shopping at their site, i look at the prices and I know that is the price I am going to pay. Unlike other retailers, you add a few sales items into the shopping cart, and when you check out, you find an obscene amount on the shipping and forced to cancel. By then you would have wasted maybe an hour doing this "shopping".

Unfortunately I can't find everything I want there, but most stuff is available.

[Sylvia]

The whetstone will work. Somewhere on Youtube is a video on how to sharpen these oblongs. I'll try to find it for you.

ok... the oblong section starts at about 3:00 in this video.

[DoubleC]

Thanks Sylvia. Now I just need to figure out where in the heck you get a whetstone these days. I haven't seen one of those since my uncle died 10 years ago. Oh and lets not forget I need a maul....and who knows what else. This is quite the expensive addiction we have :-)

[TwinOaks]

In lieu of a maul, you could get a CHEAP dead-blow hammer from Harbor Freight. Since you're punching conchos with it, the db hammer might be a better option anyway....no (or at least very little) bounce.

Beater

You can find viable whet stones at Lowe's, Home Depot,...and Harbor Freight. You could pick up both solutions for about $20. clicky

[bruce johnson]

When you said you were using the punch on a concho I guess I immediately thought you were using an oval punch, not a 1-1/2" slot punch. Yeah, it still will need to be sharpened but it will be an exercize in frustration to use a wooden mallet even on a sharp 1-1/2 punch. I use a 2# maul for my bigger slot punches. Usually one or two hits and it's cake. Now going back to the original post where you mentioned something was wider or different than the other. How far off is it? It should be symmetrical. If one end is wider, that isn't right except for a trace punch and I can be pretty assured that TLF isn't selling trace punches.

[DoubleC]

Mike you are a real sight for sore eyes. No, I'm using an oblong punch on a guitar strap I WAS making for a friend, but trying to decide if I really like him THAT well :-) I have a strap end cutter coming, probably tomorrow that Bruce figures will need sharpened too. The maul I've needed, I've been using a cheap Tandy wood mallet for about 2 years now. Time I move up to grown-up tools. I just can't this month. I already got the leather, 2" end punch, 1 & 1/2" oblong punch, 1/2 lb exotics, contact cement (I've been using leather glue) beeswax, rotary knife; the list really does go on a while Now these aren't perishables, well mostly, but even those I'll use before they do, but the whetstone and maul has to wait until next month. I can't squeeze anything else in this month.

I'm not talking about you Mike because you know me and my situation better than most, but people don't understand at times when they say 'you need to get this, that and a few more things to do ONE thing' that someone like me might try, and plan but when you have nothing but cheap tools, conchos, and dyes, etc. man you should see how fast it adds up. I've been buying what I had to have for my 'eyes' and little else and I have a lot to catch up now that I realize I am not going to be able to use 7 tools and a wooden mallet :-)

I saw a frog doing research for something online and immediately thought of you. Welcome back buddy

[DoubleC]

Oh yeah I used it on a concho tonight just to practice using the punch and doing an inlay before I start on the guitar strap. No it's all black except at the top and and the part of the silver that shows, isn't painted I mean, is angled where one end has more showing than the other and I just wondered it that was a guide for punch dummies like myself, end with most silver goes left or right or whatever. I'll scan a picture Bruce and show you, I am talking like an idiot. brb. Below is concho I practiced on.....

[DoubleC]

This is what I meant about the silver at the top......