Decent quality 3mm hole punches, for leather?

[jerrytug]

Leather experts, a penny for your thoughts:
I have some new 5mm thick leather, to make a part of the rigging for my boat. (A gaff saddle).
I need to punch about 50 holes in it, about 3mm diameter. I think one of the multi-size rotating punches will be useless.
So I have been looking online for the punches you hit with a hammer.
Everything online seems to be chinese nonsense. One specialist tack/saddlework type supplier offered me a set of Silverline ones!
There must be an English company making something decent, 'made in Sheffield' level of quality?
Many thanks for any tips, Jerry.

Another Q: I have ordered some neatsfoot oil, should I punch the holes before or after soaking the oil into the leather?

 

[hotponyshoes]

I often get asked to pop a extra hole or 2 in saddle and bridle leather (normally good quality stuff)
I don't keep a punch in the van so I just drill it through with a sharp drill bit.
I hold the leather tight over a hole but I expect you could do better by clamping it between 2 pieces of MDF and drilling through the lot.
You can use a sharp countersink bit to finish off nicely as well.

I do have one of the strike punch sets you are talking about, it is pretty good, dont remember the make but I will have a look for it later...
Doing 50 holes and you might get a bit tired of picking the punched rounds back out of the end though! It's also hard to get it in the right place, ideally you need a template with circles the size of the outside of the cutter printed on it.

I would oil it after doing the holes so you can treat the inside of the holes with oil as well.

 

[Parm]

I have both the revolving punch and a set of cheap hole punches.

Mine are silverline, I think. Had them so long I cant remember. They are actually quite good. The trick is having something firm but with a bit of give under the leather.

I use an old inner tube glued to a bit of heavy timber. Stops the edge going dull too quickly. If it does go dull stick it in a lathe or drill and give it a rub with some fine emery mounted on a board.

Punching holes will be much neater than drilling

 

[armalites]

@mrsbruce should be able to help advise.

 

[Parm]

have a look at this website, but sit down first

https://hwebber.co.uk/product-categ...MI_fHgq-_g6QIVFrTVCh1euggKEAMYASAAEgLAdvD_BwE

 

[hotponyshoes]

These cutting mat things work well with hole punches. Use over a solid steel table/slab and hit with a big nylon mallet

 

[Parm]

These cutting mat things work well with hole punches. Use over a solid steel table/slab and hit with a big nylon mallet
View attachment 234022

Yep, ruined one of those with a hole punch. It was then useless for cutting mounting board with the fancy bevel knife cutter thingy

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Make one, easy enough to do.
Then you can any size or shape you want.

Then on the end grain of a bit off wood stamp away.

I recently did a hammer shaft out of leather, using punches I made myself.

 

[Gareth0123]

There are some good old fashioned Footprint hole punches about on the net if you can find them.

 

[jerrytug]

have a look at this website, but sit down first

https://hwebber.co.uk/product-categ...MI_fHgq-_g6QIVFrTVCh1euggKEAMYASAAEgLAdvD_BwE

Thank you Parm, I have ordered a couple of punches from them. Just what I was looking for!

 

[jerrytug]

Make one, easy enough to do.
Then you can any size or shape you want.

Then on the end grain of a bit off wood stamp away.

I recently did a hammer shaft out of leather, using punches I made myself.

Well, I've made punches before for a few holes in home made gaskets etc, but this is dozens of holes in new tough leather, and they need to be spot on, so this time I have bought a couple.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Well, I've made punches before for a few holes in home made gaskets etc, but this is dozens of holes in new tough leather, and they need to be spot on, so this time I have bought a couple.

The hammer shaft needed 53 oval washers cut out. The in turn needed a oval hole stamped into them.
The hardest part was making the stand to hold the leather as I stamped them out.

 

[bigegg]

5of 250mm lengths of 3mm od stainless tube is less than £6 on the bay.
Cut into 80mm lengths, bevel the ID with a csk bit, or a conical grindstone in the dremel.
Use the end of a piece of 3x2 (or 4x4 fence post) as an "anvil" - held in the vice.

 

[Parm]

Thank you Parm, I have ordered a couple of punches from them. Just what I was looking for!

Your welcome. It was a useful distraction from doing what I should have been doing

Hey Ho

 

[jerrytug]

5of 250mm lengths of 3mm od stainless tube is less than £6 on the bay.
Cut into 80mm lengths, bevel the ID with a csk bit, or a conical grindstone in the dremel.
Use the end of a piece of 3x2 (or 4x4 fence post) as an "anvil" - held in the vice.

Thank you but too late!

 

[500e]

Always used lead sheet on a steel table or a big lump of lead melted down in a baked bean tin
Still using Grampy's cutters he used lead as well

 

[gordon stephenson]

I have used lead blocks many times for punching, But I prefer punching onto the the end grain of a hardwood block. Lead deforms with use and has to be flattened or recast if its in a block,

 

[MattF]

Simplest method I've found is a piece of MDF as the backer.

 

[northwest]

I have always bought my leatherwork stuff from here:

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/hole-punches.htm