Punches for PH work

[Jura T]

I tried making a hand hammer. I didn't work out, it cracked during the quench (I started another topic on that in Heat treating section). Now I want to give it another try. Punching and drifting by hand took a really long time, so the next time I thought about using my power hammer. I have never done any punching with a power hammer. The working ends on my hand held slot punches are quite thin, about 3mm (1/8"). Should the power hammer punches be somewhat sturdier? I will be using spring steel that I have at hand at the moment.

[mike-hr]

I took a power hammer workshop a couple years back with Frank Trousil, Czech smith working in CA. What he did,is weld a piece of H-13, (1/8" x 7/8") to the bottom of a removable plate, Clifton Ralph style, that sat on the bottom flat die of the hammer. He also welded some bump stops to this plate that he could push the blank in( North-South), and locate center with another bump stop(East-West). Bang, bang, turn over, bang, bang, and out popped the slug.

[doc]

Minotaur,
mike-hr's solution is probably the best. I just wanted to mention that if you are going to be using any hand held tooling under the PH ( you know with tongs? )that the tools should all be made from 4140. The molybdenum in the alloy acts to prevent crack propogation, thus minimizing danger from shrappinel like spalling of tools.

[nuge]

I'm confused.

[Jura T]

I'm confused.

Check the video here

it should give you the idea.

I was able to get home a bit earlier today, so I made a hand-held punch. I made it with similar dimension as my punches for hand work. Works beautifully. I need to try the one Mike described at some point. The steel I'm using is something close to 5160.

[dablacksmith]

Check the video here

it should give you the idea.

I was able to get home a bit earlier today, so I made a hand-held punch. I made it with similar dimension as my punches for hand work. Works beautifully. I need to try the one Mike described at some point. The steel I'm using is something close to 5160.

now thats the way ta make a hole in a bar of steel!!!! that was too slick ... wonder if it would work with my flypress......

[finn;-)]

Clifton mentioned that almost all they ever used to make tooling in the steel mill was 4140, I guess the antispalling characteristic were why. An Aweful lot of old fashioned industrial smiths are dead set against using fancy air hardening tool steel under a big hammer. But I suppose all it would take would be one tool exploding like a claymore mine and scaring or hurting me to convince me H13 and S7 shouldn't be used under a power hammer (unless they are really well designed with safety in mind like the sheilded bottom punch described in a previous post:-) Also be carefull to anneal the striking end and use a differential heat treat on the tools, the last thing you want to do is turn your flat die into a texturing die, cause your tooling is harder than your dies;-)