I'm Sick Of Spring Loaded Center Punches

Well show me a spring loaded center punch that's not China these days but I spent $30 on the last one at our huge local hardware store.
 
ch2co said:
Has anybody used one of those optical center punches?? Always thought I might get one to try out.
My Starrett spring loaded punches seem to work quite well. I first hit the mark with one of the little ones, followed by re-punching with a larger one.
I can't claim to run a high precision shop, but I usually hit the mark within a couple of thou.

Chuck the grumpy old guy
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If you are referring to the type that has a optical round piece with cross-hairs and a short transfer punch? No, I wanted one. What I have is a optical piece what looks like small magnifying glass that I used check my punch mark location afterwards. It has crosshair and othe markings. I have had it for about 40 years.
 
My old Starret automatic center punch is fine. But,you do have to hold it vertically to prevent the punch mark from being pushed off center when the spring goes off.

I have had it for many years,but usually just use a regular center punch and a small hammer,rather than look for the thing.
 
I have a couple spring loaded center punches made by Blue Point (snap on tools) they are the cats' meow.
but when i'm serious or when it counts, i use the old hammer and center punch due to the fact that a spring loaded punch doesn't seem to make a very deep punch in harder materials
 
I have a few of those spring loaded punches. I like them, but need to keep an eye on the screw in points on them. The points tend to loosen up/unscrew as you use the punch. And when the points are loose the punch doesn’t punch as well…Good Luck, Dave.
 
This is a newb question for sure, but perhaps this is the place to ask it.

How are you guys locating on your punch dimple once the piece is on the mill table? I can get pretty close by using a punch then 'eyeballing' with my spotting drills, but there has to be an objective approach to locate over the dimple.

Is that what the conical 'finders' are for? Anyone have a link to a video showing how they work?
 
Bray D said:
This is a newb question for sure, but perhaps this is the place to ask it.

How are you guys locating on your punch dimple once the piece is on the mill table? I can get pretty close by using a punch then 'eyeballing' with my spotting drills, but there has to be an objective approach to locate over the dimple.

Is that what the conical 'finders' are for? Anyone have a link to a video showing how they work?
Click to expand...
The methods described in posts 10, 14, and 17 above will work. For accuracy, the optical center finder will get you within a thousandth or two. Allowing the drill to find the center of a punch mark on a loose workpiece is fairly good. I will sometime put a small sharp point in a collet and visually line a workpiece up in the x and y directions.The sharp point is better at eyeballing the center than a drill. When I have to relocate an existing hole, I often put a matching pin in a collet and run the pin into the hole in the workpiece. It will automatically center the hole in the direction parallel to the vise jaws and the vise can slowly be closed while observing movement of the part, The axis perpendicular to the jaws are adjusted to just bring the part into contact with the fixed jaw.
If clamping directly to the table, the process is simpler. Just lower the pin into the hole and clamp. This will work with the sharp point and the center punch dimple as well.
 
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