The Armour Archive

while struggling as to wether to buy a bench mounted whitney punch for 12 guage steel... I had a stroke of luck. A friend gave me a "Di-Arco horn press #3, and several boxes of punch dies in all kinds of shapes. It's rated a 22tons pressue. The thing is HUGE and weights like 200-250lbs. I can theoretically punch holes from 3 inches down to 1/16th inch. Problem is, of all the parts there seems to be a collar missing to insert the smaller dies into the punch head. The large dies just slip in, the the diameter of the 1/2 on down dies is too thin and needs some adaptor piece in the top chuck to work. I primarily want to use the 3/16 die for helmet rivets. ANY clue where I can get an instruction manuel for this old beast, and or the piece I am missing?

You might try having a local machine shop make the item you need. Rather expensive, but it should last.

I've found with old peices of equipment like this the machine shop is usualy cheaper than the manufacturer if you're lucky enough to find a manufacturer and a part is still available.

it also can be helpful to take the machine in so that the machinist can see and double check what you want them to make.

Good luck.

check some of the web based tool forums like metalmeet.com
for a manual.
check with the local trades school and see if its a project they can help with some times they will take a project and just charge for material.

If it was me, I'd sell it and use the money to buy 2 RW #8's, a 5" bench vise to hold them, and 3 or 4 RW #5jrs. Maybe even a couple XX's.

I think that punch is simply too much tool, and could be converted into several smaller, useful tools.

It sounds like a great punch if you're also doing blacksmithing or heavier ironwork. If you're only doing sheet work, it may be overkill, but a few hundred pounds isn't much, and it'll be mounted and stationary. Sometimes you need to get a larger machine to handle throat depth requirements, etc. My latest shop tool, a mill, weighs in at almost 2 tons.

Check with Cleveland Punch and hunt ebay for the adapter needed. It may be a standard size. If it's non-standard, and you can figure out what it needs to be, have a machine shop make it for you. Make sure it will take standard dies that can still be bought. I'm still on the fence about an old bench punch I have for deep throat holes. The dies are non-standard but easy to make from simple round stock, lathe and heat treat. If I invest the money, it could be great. However, I could also invest the money into something that I could find tooling for used, and that could be more useful. I also have a RW #8 for punching near edges.

I love my big Whitney punch. I forget what number it is but it will punch 1/4" plate. I welded a piece of angle iron to the bottom so that I can clamp it in my bench vise.

I agree with others that it may be more worthwhile to sell the larger machine and get something a little smaller.

Ingelri

Ingelri wrote:I love my big Whitney punch. I forget what number it is but it will punch 1/4" plate. I welded a piece of angle iron to the bottom so that I can clamp it in my bench vise.

I agree with others that it may be more worthwhile to sell the larger machine and get something a little smaller.

Ingelri

Ingelri,

It is funny, peoples like and dislikes. I was given a RW punch, hated everything about it and gave it away again! My drill was faster and can drill in places like the middle of breatsplates, helmets etc. which the RW obviously couldnt. Brian Price in his book mentions his favourite hammer, a Peddinghaus raising type hammer, which he uses for many things. Again I have one and it is still sitting in the hammer rack, with all the paint still on the handle. I found it totally useless for just about anything And it just sits there gathering dust now. But maybe I am just a an awkward bu**er? Don't answer that !!
Regarding the original question, the idea of approaching a local technical school is a good one. They are often up for a challenge and are , as has been said, usually very cheap, and helpful. It is well worth a try. Personally, I would sell it and buy an electric drill, but that is just my personal preference.

Regards,

Russ