Good quality transfer punches--stainless steel?

[Fish30114]

I have several sets of cheapy transfer punches--I was wondering if any of you folks have a better quality set and where you got them?! I want both imperial and metric measurement ones---ideally I would get stainless steel if that were available--just looking for ya'lls input.

Thanks--Don

 

[gtriever]

The first place I'd check is McMaster-Carr.

 

[Fish30114]

Gtriever, I was just looking there and all I found was incredibly overpriced standard black oxide coated transfer punches that I feel were comparable to the 20 set ones you can get on Amazon.....ugh.....

 

[jttheclockman]

Gtriever, I was just looking there and all I found was incredibly overpriced standard black oxide coated transfer punches that I feel were comparable to the 20 set ones you can get on Amazon.....ugh.....

Can I ask why you would need stainless??

 

[bmachin]

Not so sure what you mean by better quality. The import fractional set that I have SEEMS to be accurate both in terms of diameter and point concentricity. They are certainly hard enough, as I discovered burning through a Dremel cut-off wheel.

Why do you need something else? Tool Junkie like me?

Bill

 

[Woodchipper]

Woodcraft or Harbor Freight.

 

[Dehn0045]

my understanding is that typically stainless steel is "softer" than carbon steel. Obviously this depends on the specific alloy and any hardening process (I'm not a mechanical engineer or materials scientist...). I suspect this is probably the reason why stainless transfer punches aren't available. A quick google search will find that Spellmaco is among the best set available. The main issue appears to be flattening of the point -- since I don't use the point for penmaking I can't see how this would give a penmaker an advantage...

 

[BKelley]

Harbor Freight has a black oxidized set that should satisfy all needs that the set was made for. The only advantage of stainless would be they should not rust under ordainary circumstances. Stainless is normally not as hard as the steel used in the Harbor Freight set. Remember these are transfer punches, not drive punches.

Ben

 

[TonyL]

Don...how do you like the vernier calipers?

 

[tbfoto]

my understanding is that typically stainless steel is "softer" than carbon steel. Obviously this depends on the specific alloy and any hardening process (I'm not a mechanical engineer or materials scientist...). I suspect this is probably the reason why stainless transfer punches aren't available. A quick google search will find that Spellmaco is among the best set available. The main issue appears to be flattening of the point -- since I don't use the point for penmaking I can't see how this would give a penmaker an advantage...

This is very true. I work with stainless steal every day and it is a soft material. It will bend very easy when used as a punch. The set from Harbor Freight is pretty good for our use.

 

[Fish30114]

Well folks the cheapy punches I have leave black oxide all over the place--my hands/shirt/pants and I'm am in fact a tool junky, and frequently stainless can be much harder than carbon steel--I'm a knifemaker and I know my steel ya'll.
Many stainless can be softer than well heat treated High Carbon steel, but that is far from typical--I like stainless tools when I can get them, and MOST of the stainless steel tools I have are plenty hard. HSS is typically imbued with enough chromium that it is classed as a stainless steel--my favorite knife-making steel is D-2 and it performs as a stainless IME even though technically it is .05% shy on chromium to be a stainless--by the book

Anyway sorry for the rant, I would just like a good enough quality set in SAE and Metric, that they don't turn everything black when handling them

Tony, I ordered my caliper I found the link here on IAP from a dealer that ships from Japan-so I don't have it yet--I'll let you know when I get it!!

 

[BKelley]

Don,
Until you can find the quality punches you want, try putting the cheap ones in your drill press and hold a piece of maroon Scotch Brite on them with maybe a little WD-40. This might clean off the black oxide so that they are a little more to your liking.

Ben

 

[Fish30114]

BKelley, very good idea--so simple my brain couldn't come up with it... I will do that, may make the several cheapy sets I have 'players'

 

[gimpy]

Go to your local hardware. Store

 

[wolf creek knives]

This might sound odd, but try a medical supply company that sell Orthopedic surgical tools. You would be surprised at the amount of "surgical tools" that can be used for light carpentry work and are stainless steel. Not cheap though.