One way to get a good punch cheaply

[bigfootnampa]

I have purchased several old spud wrenches at flea markets. They are often bent a little but I can easily straighten them. The large ones make good ring mandrels and drifts. I recently cut the wrench end off of a smaller one and am using it as a small diameter hot punch. It works very well for making holes for screws in my wall hooks and suchlike. Mine leaves about a 3/16" diameter hole. These can be expensive new but I can usually get them for five dollars or less at flea markets. They are tough steel and hold up well for hot punching, even in small diameters.

[Bentiron1946]

I've been using them for ring mandrels for several years now and they are real fine steel for that.:cool:

[Ratel10mm]

Sorry, what's a spud wrench please? From the sound of it it cold be a scaffolder's wrench, i.e a spanner at one end and a podger at the other?

[bigfootnampa]

I think you have it! Here is an image link: Proto C908 Structural Wrench

[Ratel10mm]

Yes, that's the thing thanks. And thanks for the idea too! :)

[jimbob]

you flatten that out a bit and you have a dandy hammer eye drift...most of the work is already done!
cut the wrench off the end and you have a handle to hold the drift.

Edited July 13, 2009 by jimbob

[Michael]

I've been using sharpening steels as punches for a while now. Usually a dollar or less when piled in the flea market box with the knives, forks and other kitchen stuff. Cut the handle off and a nice hard steel punch.

[bigfootnampa]

Michael;

Around here it's hard to get even old completely smooth steels cheap. When I do find them I usually use them for burnishers (for turning scraper edges) or retooth them for honing my cutting edges.

I would think that they would need tempering to use as punches as they tend to be very high carbon and quite hard... not what I'd consider ideal for an impact tool. Do you retemper your's? If not, do they sometimes break when you hammer on them?

[bigfootnampa]

Jim Bob;

I can see that working, though so far mine have been a bit smaller than I like for hammer drifts. I have made some hammer drifts from old picks that serve the purpose. These wrenches come in very large sizes but the bigger ones are less common here and I haven't seen them at flea markets.

[Michael]

I've had a few of those sharpening steel punches bend a little bit, but nothings ever snapped on me. I do the usual 2 hits then knock it out and cool it off. Usually I lube these with coal dust. Probably annealed just in use.