G'day everyone,

To start the year off right in the workshop, I thought it would be best to finish off a project that I started in December. And that is to make a punch for sheet metal. I am going to make it my aim to use more sheet metal in the workshop projects this year, but I need to sort out ways of cutting small features into it. For large stuff I use the angle grinder and files, and for holes I use a step drill. But for slots my go to was to use a file, which takes quite some time to do, especially if you have multiple to do.

But now that I have the press, I want to look into making a very simple punch and die that would have me make slots, and in the future more complex shapes if need me.

In this video I will first see if the fly/screw press is up to the job, and then I will look into constructing a more complex punch which I will then heat treat. I hope you enjoy the video.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:14 Making The Test Punch
6:30 Approximate Force Calculations
8:39 Making The Slotting Punch
15:01 Testing The Punch and Die