I found this site on plastic punches yesterday. Thought maybe somebody would like a gander at it as prices might be cheaper then the Hobby related ones. You know the $80.00 and $90.00 sets. I see the same punches that come with Waldron set. All that is needed is to drill your own Pelxiglass piece and the metal plate.
http://www.precisionpunch.com/

Look under pins and punches! as site won't open to page one of those html things

Moderator.....(I updated the link!!!!!) -Matt

Looks Promising... I'll have to call I wish there was a e-mail though.

I ordered a bunch yesterday. Prices are $4.20 for the little ones up to size .060 I think then $2.80 for the bigger ones like I ordered from .035 to .065 not all but about 12 of them to fill in for the Waldron set I have which I paid $55.00 plus. So all I need to do now is get my Acrylic and steel drilled done. Off to the drill press.

You as a draftsman can understand the process.

I'll do that as soon as I can scrounge up some $$$$$$$

Could be useful...hmm...

Hi Jeff

Thanks for the link! :-) it looks brilliant! I'm going to e-mail them for more details. :-)

All the best

Rowan

Looking for an alterbative to pricey punch and die sets and wondered if anyone had any luck with these guys and were they decent price wise?

I don't know about the site listed above, but i've had pretty good luck with a 6 pc. changeable tube leather punch set I picked up at Walmart in their craft section. Only cost about 6 bucks. I use my cutting mat as a backing, give it a little whack w/ a hammer, and it makes decent disks. The 1/8 in. tube required a little honing, but other than that the set suits my purposes. I've tried the similar rotary punches with no luck whatsoever. They never seem to cut completely.

Being a machinist, one of these days I need to get off my lazy butt and make my own.

Cool I'll have to check that out. If you get around to making a sub minature set, or a PE bending tool let me know!

Thanks

Hey Jeff. Could you report back again when you have recieved and tested these? I would love a few random sizes for detailing .... but I dont like the thought of shelling out a lot of money for whole set, that i will barely use. Cheers!

http://www.jensentools.com/product/group.asp?parent_id=2195

I did some checking on Yahoo and came up with this set from Jensen, $27.05, not super minature but probably decent enough for a set that could pull dual duty for hobby or other needs. Any thoughts?

Nice punches but the only thing is they do have a minum order of $25.00 .
I have used them without the plate worked real nice nice clean hole!

Sorry for not getting back sooner!!!

Brian

Could you tell me exactly where on the site you found the punches. I did a search on "punch" and didn't come up with anything.

Thanks,

Chuck B

any updates?

The issue seems to be finding punches that are small enough (at least for 1/35th scale builders). A one inch bolt head has to be smaller than 1/32 of an inch! Those are not so easy to find and so delicate, you hate to breath when using them.

Well I think the smallest would be 1/32" Sorry

Well they do make them smaller head size is 1/32"

But width is .010

This could be who is manufacturing the Waldron punches for Roll Models, looks as if they are neighbors.

I just bought some hole punches from Harbor Freight very reasonable. One set is the individual hollow punches , 9 in all, sizes 3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2. It was $5.00. Yes, $5.00! They are Pittsburg SKU# 3838. I also bought the set with the metal base and plastic top that you slide the material between the sections ahd drive the punches through the guide hole. It is Lifetime Carbide 9 Piece Punch and Die Set, Item 95547. Sizes are 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4. It was $27.00. If you want to check them out just enter the item numbers for each into the item number search box. Oh yeah, harborfreight.com is the addy.

Kind of large for any of the smaller scales.

Don't you think??

http://www.harborfreight.com

item# 95547
these are an absolute must-have for scratching...

There is also this set from Micromark:
Micro Punch
More expensive than the HarborFreight one, but is smaller. From the site:
Includes 9 precisely ground and hardened steel punches ranging from 1.0 mm (0.039 inch) to 5.0 mm (0.197 inch) diameter in 0.5 mm (0.0197 inch) increments.

Has anyone actually tried this one yet?
Jamie

For about another $20.00 or so Dollars get the real small micro ones for the lower scales.
To me looks like 1/16 scale and larger.

The original Plastic punches were for small punches not hole punches or round rods but real small punches in sizes that are quite common in most model scales.

RE: the punches i referenced above - it depends on what you're doing. i've used them for instrument panel lenses, light lenses, round covers, hood openings for velocity stacks on race cars, mirrors (foil) on both auto and aircraft (landing gear extended reflectors), many different diorama accessory assemblies, wheel masks, even camo pattern masks in index cards, circles from decal paper for race car number backings, cutting PE screen stock for tank grilles, and much more. i listed them because i saw similar sets for over two and three times that amount. i thought i may save somebody a few bucks.

for stuff that small i have been able to get by with pin extractors used for electronics connectors work. some are spring loaded and fairly sharp and work pretty well with a push and twist motion.

my favorite home made and very inexpensive miniature punches are jeweler's nut drivers bevel sharpened around the edges. you can get them in very small sizes. they are already hex shaped, hardened steel on the tool part and the handle is steel so they will take being tapped with a small hammer.

I got my punch set from the dallor store in the scrapebooking section , has 8 different sizes from small to large and works just fine for me . For really , really small iteams I made my own from brass tubing . Sometimes you don't have to spend a lot to get the best results .