Fixing off center hole

[dickb]

How do I fix an off center hole ? 

I was punching a hole in a 1.5 X 1.5 inch piece of 1045 steel and noticed it was a little off center.  It was bulging more on one side than the other so I put it aside and left it to cool . Is there some way I can salvage this piece ?

While we are on the topic, how could I fix the same problem if the bar was 1.5 inch diameter? 

 

[Jim Coke]

Greetings Dick,

          Do you want bulged sides? What size punch?  To save what you have drill a1/4 through hole on center .. grind a slight point on your punch than bright yellow heat .. Cool the bulged side slightly ( I use a super wet rag) alternate with a flat faced drift. You are. Trying to compress a lot of metal at a time ...  For iron that thick I slit and drift . I all depends on the desired hole size..  For round stock I start with a forged flat than support on a swage block.  I hope this helps..  I’m sure others will chime in ( if you ask 10 smiths for help you will get 60 different soloutions to fix the problem. )  I hope this helps. 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

[anvil]

Its not easy, but doable.

Place the low side in a hole such as the hardy hole or swage block half round. you need a close fit at the transition at each end of the hole between parent stock and hole. Now, either insert a short plug in the hole each having the same diameter or drift back to round after the next step.

Take a good short heat on the hole and transitions, insert the plug and tap the hole to center it. At the same time, make sure each "branch is is still in line and straight.

Have fun.

Lol, pretty similar to what jim said above. Nine more to go. 

 

 

[Frosty]

How far off center is it? If it's not much you can do what I do, ignore it and do a little corrective grinding on the finished product. In the mean time I've had good luck with Jim's method. Still needed some final corrections with the grinder though.

I try not to make mistakes a little grinding won't fix. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Al Stephens]

If you haven't drifted the hole to it's final size. Try cooling off the "large"  side of the hole, the side moving more than the other one. Then drift to final size, the hot side will move more than the cool/cold side. Al 

[anvil]

8 hours ago, PVF Al said:

If you haven't drifted the hole to it's final size.

My recomendation too, when you have not finished drifting. 

I usually cool the small side as I'm lookingfor equal material on both sides of the frogs eye. If needed, I tune it up as I said above to center the finished hole. The plug keeps the round shape when centering. Otherwise tune it back up to round with your drift.

And, that's why i mostly slit and drift,,, it is easier to prevevent this problem. And it creats a more dramatic frogs eye