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Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Fundamentals / Transfer Punches
- - By aevald (*****) Date 07-31-2006 18:12
Hello all, many of you already know the purpose and use of these items as they relate to fabrication, but possibly a lot of the new starters do not. Transfer punches are similar to drill indexes as they have various diameter rods with a machined center punch point at one end. They are designed to be passed through an existing hole to locate the center of that hole relative to a mating piece that requires the same bolt pattern. They can also be used to duplicate patterns of holes for flanges on angle iron frames, base plate hole patterns for structural columns and any other number of uses where repetitive holes are required. If you have a transfer punch that isn't quite the right size due to loss or damage to your set you can sometimes take a smaller punch and wrap the end with electrical tape to increase it's diameter to better fit the hole and use that punch instead of having to go out and buy another one. In some cases if the shop is equipped with an ironworker that is used to punch holes you can use one of the punches from the machine in a similar fashion to the transfer punch. In all cases the transfer punch is only used to locate the point of center by lightly striking it with a hammer, then use a regular center punch to increase the punch mark to the size required for the drilling or punching process. Hope this information can be of some use to those of you out there. Regards, aevald
Parent - - By Vamplew Date 06-18-2007 03:47
Good post aevald!  I'm new on here just joined a while ago, i'm a tool and die maker by trade, but for the last four or five years have been working in the fabrication end of things, its kind of a nice change.  you speek of transfer punches which work very well, another good tool you can buy is a transfer punch but its threaded at one end and has the punch machined in the other, its used for transfering a bolt pattern or any ceries of holes you require. simply thread the transfer punch into the tapped holes, leaving a little of the punch sticking out then put your plate up your hole patern and hit it with the hammer all the holes will be dead inline works like a charm everytime! its a pleasure to read from you fine craftsmen learning a lot!
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 06-18-2007 06:24
Hello Vamplew, and thanks for your comments, hope to hear more from a tool and die maker. It is interesting how even though one might think that they are in a different aspect of the trades, that there is still so much that is common to all of them. Regards, aevald
Parent - - By makeithot (***) Date 06-18-2007 17:31
It is amazing how hard these punches are to find. Went through a 1/2 dozen tool suppliers to find a set awhile back. Finealy found a set at a flee market of all places 1/8" - 9/16" still looking for a metric set till then that black tape seems to be working out. Don't know how people survived without black tape or duck tape.
Parent - - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 06-19-2007 05:54
Another tool & die tip: To quickly and easily locate a hole a given but imprecise distance from edges of multiple parts I would use a transfer punch and a die [like the ones from an ironworker] A die [or a washer]of for instance 2" outside diameter held flush with the edge or edges  and a transfer punch locates You about 1" edge to center quickly and easily. I generally used masking tape to bush up to an odd size. Enco, MSC, Travers,  and other industrial suppliers sell transfer punches, sets to 17/32" are pretty inexpensive, but often "cheap" in the bad way. The transfer screws mentioned above come in 2 varieties, one looks like a setscrew with a point, the other like a short bolt with a hex head, these stamp a circle concentric with the point, makes it easy to tell if You stayed on target when deepening the punch mark.
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 06-22-2007 10:19
This is a bit off the topic but in the same vein

There is a tool called a hole finder.....you can get them from aircraft supplies like http://www.yardstore.com/ 

They are great for making a hole pattern in somthing that must fit somthing else with holes already in it.  Its a simple tool with a drill bushing on one end and a sized "finder" pin for the existing hole.  They come in sizes according to the existing hole.
Parent - By bozaktwo1 (***) Date 07-17-2007 17:03
McMaster Carr, page 2237.
Parent - - By Lefty Lucy Date 07-28-2007 17:14
  Broke or damaged punches from an ironworker make good cheep transfer punches for larger size holes.  You may have to grind or sand a little off the sides first.
Parent - - By darren (***) Date 07-28-2007 22:58
broken drill bits or new depending on the urgency. either sinter on a drill press or just use them as is and tap gently while turning them by hand in the hole.
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 07-29-2007 04:41
If the drill has a good chisel point [machine sharpened bits, but not split points] one tap then turn the bit 1/4 turn and another tap makes an X in the center of the hole. This needes to be enlarged with a center punch.
Parent - By rebekah (**) Date 07-30-2007 17:34
There is also a universal center punch which is a blunt tapered piece of metal with a center punch through the center or it.  When you press it over a hole there is a spring inside that forces the taper part into the hole while a ring on the outside seats against the surface surrounding the hole, making the hardened steel punch centerd.  A light tap on the end gives you the center mark.  I am not good at explaining these things but it works well for anything bigger than a 1/4" and doesnt matter metric or standard.
Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Fundamentals / Transfer Punches

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