Sharpening Hefty Punches

[benlilly1]

I bought these punches used off Ebay. I have to hit way too many times to get them to cut the holes. Is there a way to sharpen these so I can use them?

[dirtclod]

I put the punch i want to sharpen on the tool and spin / turn it by hand on a stone the run some wet dry paper on the inside to get rid of any burrs.

[tbmow]

Because these are round punches, you could put them (one at a time) into a drill press. Set the press at its slowest speed and be very careful! Use a fine wetstone or oilstone, and proceed slowly and carefully. This method will yield a rounder shape than if you try to sharpen by hand. Just be careful.

If there are dings in the edges, it will take longer, but keep going slowly and make certain that the edge does not get too hot (which is why you should use a wetstone or oilstone). If you have ever seen a sharpened or edged tool with blue streaks in the metal, that is an indication that the tool got too hot during manufacturing. Getting the metal hot enough to permanently change color changes the characteristics of the metal, such as how well it holds an edge (a.k.a. how long it stays sharp).

Look on some of the knifemaking forums if you want other explanations. Check out how the edge progresses from the rough blank to the end finish.

[TwinOaks]

The first thing you need to do is inspect the cutting edges for burrs, nicks, or flats. If you find any, you'll need to lightly re-face then cutting end by stoning it flat/smooth. Once you've done that, THEN you can look at sharpening it.Here's some useful threads:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=28862&hl=%2Bsharpen+%2Bpunch

and especially this one. Watch the video, starting about the 3 min. mark.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=24024&hl=+sharpen%20+punch#entry152979

[electrathon]

Sharpening them will help. I have a set and they are not overly sharp when you get them. But also remember that the metal flares out rather quickly, they are shaped more like a maul than an axe. You are having to push a lot of leather out to drive them in. Also consider using a bigger hammer so you do not need to swing so hard or often.

Aaron