Tandy Craft Tool Slot Punch

[snubbyfan]

Since I do a fair amount of pancake style holsters, I decided to go ahead and get myself a slot punch.

This may be the last tool I order from Tandy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeKJhIMICVQ

[plinkercases]

A dead blow hammer as mentioned on your feed comments is a must tool for me. I use it particularly with the delrin makers mark stamps and anytime I am using the letter/number set stamps. On a slab with that there is zero bounce. For my big bag/oblong punches (also returned all my Tandy ones for poor quality/shape etc. and ended up getting pro versions) on a big slab I use a 2lb polly mallet or my new 2lb polly maul and whammo through they go. My dead blow is 1.5 lb by "Power Fist" and I believe it as the only weight available where I got mine.

[TinkerTailor]

Send tandy corporate a link to the video and see what they say...

[piera]

I use CS Osborne punches.. SO MUCH better than the Tandy ones.. Have you tried hammering on hard surface like the floor.

Thats only way my Tandy ones worked for some reason ugh

[CaptQuirk]

Since mallets were mentioned, I have been tearing up my wooden mallets on hole punches. How well do the polly mallets hold up?

[TinkerTailor]

Copper or brass mallets will also work without marring the tools and give the kinda wack a big slot punch deserves. Thor hammers makes some cool ones. The idea is to make everything as solid and stationary as possible so the ONLY movement is the punch. With a big enough hammer and a solid surface you can drive even a dull punch with one hit....The bounce on that bench is sucking up at least 1/2 the cutting power. Also heavy hammers with harder faces don't bounce off the punch as much and take away force from the cut. You want the hammer to be at least double if not 4 times the weight of what it is hitting to ensure the work moves not the hammer.  I break the rules and use a 2-3lb steel rock drilling hammer on big punches.  I would get yerself a thumpin-stump like nigel has and a bigger hammer. That poly board will roll the edges of a punch faster than end grain wood will. You can get an 8' 4"x4" and cut it into 4 pieces 2' long. Screw these into a square and you have a 24" high 8"x8" thumpin stump for the price of a fence post and some screws. Homeless despot will even cut it for you.

[Colt W Knight]

I use Weaver and Cs. Osborne slot punches. The CS Osbornes are made with chunkier material and a nice big handle, but the weaver master tool punches work better. They came super sharp and have a straight cutting edge. I can't say the same for Cs Osbourne punches. They require work to get them right.

 

[Colt W Knight]

12 hours ago, CaptQuirk said:

Since mallets were mentioned, I have been tearing up my wooden mallets on hole punches. How well do the polly mallets hold up?

Honestly, depends on the quality of poly head. I made a bunch of mauls, and Nylon 6/6 held up much better than the UHMW plastic and HDPE heads. But I have a Stohlman 2 lbs maul with a UHMW plastic head that I have used to make about 80 GPS tracking collars for cows.  It has seen a lot whacks on punches, and while you can see and feel impact marks, it hasn't lost any chunks or cracked.

 

[CaptQuirk]

I'm using a 1/4" poly/nylon cutting board, sitting on top of a 1" slab of granite. Not much bounce there. Thanks for the pointers.

[keplerts]

+1 for the Weaver Master Punches!

[JLSleather]

I don't put too much weight behind a name - even less than I already did.  I have a craftool punch that works great, osborne punches I can't believe I paid money for, and weaver punches which are a 'meh" kind of average.

Bad idea to get in the habit of saying "this is good cuz it's from so-n-so".