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Thread: Center Punch Guide

  1. #1
    Supporting Member rossbotics's Avatar
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    Center Punch Guide

    I built this little tool to assist in holding a center punch at 90° from the work surface; it’s hard to hold a center punch at perfect right angles, when you strike the punch and it’s not held at 90° then it will move creating an inaccurate center punch mark, this tool eliminates that problem.

    This tool was designed to be simple and user friendly; the punch guide is a one piece construction which was made from 1018 CRS, with a .500” reamed hole thru the entire length of the tool to guide the punch accurately, while the punch itself was made from O-1 tool steel hardened and tempered ¾” on each end.

    The guide was designed to work on either a flat or round surface, it has a two inch wide 90° crotch in the center of the body that will locate itself on a round surface (a shaft, pipe etc) plus the crotch also acts a viewer when locating a scribe mark on a flat surface, it has a ½” viewing hole in each of the legs which makes it very easy to locate scribe marks on a flat surface.

    The punch was made from a piece of .500” Round by 5 ¼” Long O-1 tool steel hardened and tempered ¾” on each end, the end of the punch is machined at a 60° angle and a steep 14° angle from the end of the 60° point which gives allot of clearance for viewing and locating the point on your work piece.

    Below you will see some photos of the machining process along with the tool being used on a flat and round surface; I have also included drawings for anyone who wants to make one of these tools.

    As always thanks for looking
    And happy machining
    Doug

    Center Punch Guide-1.jpg

    Finished punch

    Center Punch Guide-2.jpg

    Drawings

    Center Punch Guide-3.jpg

    How it was machined

    Center Punch Guide-4.jpg

    Machining from an arbor

    Center Punch Guide-5.jpg

    A view of completed punch assembly

    Center Punch Guide-6.jpg

    Top view

    Center Punch Guide-7.jpg

    Used on a round surface

    Center Punch Guide-8.jpg

    Used on a flat surface

    Center Punch Guide-9.jpg

    A center punch mark

    Center Punch Guide-punch-holder.jpg

    Drawing 1

    Center Punch Guide-punch.jpg

    Drawing 2
    Download plans for marking gauges.
    Comments are always welcome
    Doug

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  2. The Following 24 Users Say Thank You to rossbotics For This Useful Post:

    Charron63 (Nov 30, 2017), cogentia (May 13, 2022), faniep (Jan 14, 2022), greyhoundollie (Nov 1, 2019), jrouche (Jul 29, 2017), LMMasterMariner (Jul 21, 2017), madmick77 (Sep 3, 2020), Mark Fogleman (Jul 23, 2017), mr mikey (Jun 29, 2024), Okapi (Jul 21, 2017), Paul Jones (Jul 22, 2017), piro222 (Feb 10, 2018), rebuilder1954 (Jun 29, 2024), rlmck111 (Jun 30, 2024), saguaro (Sep 5, 2020), Seedtick (Jul 21, 2017), StephenL (Jul 29, 2017), thehomeengineer (Mar 14, 2018), thoms_here (Jul 28, 2017), Tonyg (Jan 15, 2022), Vyacheslav.Nevolya (Jul 22, 2017), Y-geo (Aug 6, 2017), zarembak (Oct 10, 2019)

  3. #2
    Supporting Member LMMasterMariner's Avatar
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    This is again an excellent and very precisely done job as every other job you did and posted here. Thanks for sharing. The only observation is regarding tip angle of 60 degrees, which according to some people is not wide enough to guide drill bit to start hole right in the centre. I had that discussion several times with couple of very good machinists and engineers and most of them are claiming that center punch angle tip should be 90 degrees. I was using numerous fuel injector needles with different tip angle as center punches and I was very happy with all of them. But actually whenever I see original center punch, the tip angle is 90 degrees or very close to it.
    Cheers
    LMMM
    Download plans for marking gauges.

  4. #3
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    Thanks rossbotics! We've added your Center Punch and Guide to our Measuring and Marking category,
    as well as to your builder page: rossbotics's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




  5. #4
    Supporting Member Okapi's Avatar
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    Nice job Rossbotics, have you proof the same constuction with a 2-3X magnifier ?
    Have a nice day.
    Pierre

  6. #5
    Supporting Member rossbotics's Avatar
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    Thank you for compliment LMMM

    The reason for the 60° point is for visual purposes, that little bit of angle difference greatly increases the visual of locating the point of the center punch, I have always used a small pilot drill of no more than 3/32" to start with, then open the hole in increments to the final size, I am very aware of the proper 90° for a common center punches, even the common hand held center punches I have also have a steeper angle than 90° for that visual purpose, I agree that if someone wanted started with a 1/2" bit would create a walking problem.
    Thanks for bringing that up LMMM I should have mentioned the small pilot drill is necessary first then open up the hole in increments.

    Cheers LMMM
    Comments are always welcome
    Doug

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  7. The Following User Says Thank You to rossbotics For This Useful Post:

    Paul Jones (Jul 24, 2017)

  8. #6
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
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    First off good job I like it
    I like the 60° point as well. I find that when punching intersecting scribe lines trying to locate the exact center of the intersection is near impossible with a standard ground center punch. for this reason my layout punches are ground to the steeper angle often as steep as 45° if I find I require a wider more definitive punch mark I can always re punch with a wider punch but a lot of times just use a 1/8 or 3/16" diameter center drill to enlarge the mark before drilling
    Last edited by Frank S; Jul 22, 2017 at 03:27 AM.
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  9. #7
    Supporting Member desbromilow's Avatar
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    regarding the punch angle, simply call it a "prick punch" rather than centre punch and the issues go away. in layouts, a prick punch is used to form the depression for the centre punch to follow in... easy.

  10. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to desbromilow For This Useful Post:

    Paul Jones (Jul 24, 2017), Toolmaker51 (Jul 25, 2017)

  11. #8
    Supporting Member Paul Jones's Avatar
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    I always first use a prick punch for my high precision layout, then verify the locations, and finally follow-up with a center punch.

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    Toolmaker51 (Jul 25, 2017)

  13. #9
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
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    I have an old LS Sterrett automatic center punch that was among some other tools I bought at auction some years ago
    Someone had reground the point on it so it was more of a scribe than a than a center punch or a prick punch it worked great for layout on SS or aluminum as well as mild steel but I have dulled the point and need to regrind it the next time I find it
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  14. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Frank S For This Useful Post:

    Paul Jones (Jul 25, 2017), Toolmaker51 (Jul 25, 2017)

  15. #10
    Supporting Member mklotz's Avatar
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    I only rarely use punches for precision hole layout. I rely on the tool dials which are more accurate than any punching could be. On complex jobs I often do a layout on the workpiece to use as a guide to keep myself honest but the line intersections aren't punched; they're just there to warn me if I miscount dial rotations - the dreaded 0.1" location error.

    For low precision stuff like wood and structural elements, I use punches. My favorite for wood is this one...

    http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/p...9225#post54767

    which keeps the punch from "following" the grain of the wood.
    ---
    Regards, Marv

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    That looks about right - Mediocrates

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to mklotz For This Useful Post:

    Paul Jones (Jul 25, 2017)

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