Best cheap pin punches for... prying :-)

[pugglewuggle]

As an aircraft mechanic I need to remove rivets... a lot. This is done through drilling a hole in the center of the rivet head then gently prying the head off through the hole. A same-size drill bit or punch works great. I don’t want to use my nice punches for this task where it is easy to bend a nice long pin punch. What are the best super cheap pin punches that hold their edge and don’t round? Doesn’t actually need to be good when being hammered since this is done by hand. Once a punch rounds any more than a tiny amount, it is useless to me for this since the tolerance between the hole and punch is quite tight.

The goal here is to find a good punch for this that is so cheap I don’t mind bending it, dropping it, and eventually grinding it or throwing it away when it finally gets so bad it makes me mad... but it should last long for the mentioned task.

Go!


Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal

 

[shockwave]

Look at mayhew they are oe supplier of Mac snap on and Matco punches USA made too and reasonably priced too

 

[Negen]

Dasco usa punches are OK and if you want something less nice than Mayhew which are essential top of the line.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

I deal with alot of rivets on aluminum trailers and I drill them then use a cheapo tapered punch. In my experience the softer the better as some of the chinesium is very brittle. HF stuff seems really hard so they break instead of bend, the best i got for abusive work was a no name set at tractor supply. The only problem is that sometimes you have to beat the rivet off the punch after you pull it. Kinda annoying if youre trying to skin trailer panels with a few hundred rivets. If I can get away with it out comes the air hammer lol

 

[PR1Gneon]

MayhewLarge Pin Punch Set (3-Piece)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mayhew-Large-Pin-Punch-Set-3-Piece-89052/100154388


MayhewShort Pin Punch Set (3-Piece)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mayhew-Short-Pin-Punch-Set-3-Piece-89032/100196184




Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk

 

[Wamsutta]

As an aircraft mechanic I need to remove rivets... a lot. This is done through drilling a hole in the center of the rivet head then gently prying the head off through the hole.

Are you referring to solid rivets or blind rivets?

 

[speed bump]

Whatever the Westward pin punches are made from bends but usually doesn't break. , can't comment on the longevity because I pitched them as soon as I bent one.

 

[pugglewuggle]

Are you referring to solid rivets or blind rivets?

Solid. For blind ones it’s drilling or grinding off the locking collar then the rest of the process mentioned. Any ideas?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Air21]

If you're worried about messing up punches when you pop rivet heads off I'd say you just cut the punch end short, like 3/8 of an inch so there's less to flex. At the same time I've never used a punch to do this, I just drill out the rivet and before I pull the drill out I **** it to the side and it pops the head off.

I've seen guys try to use automatic center punches to pop the tails out but I think it's a waste. If you're using the correct size drill the rivet should come apart pretty readily.

 

[pugglewuggle]

If you're worried about messing up punches when you pop rivet heads off I'd say you just cut the punch end short, like 3/8 of an inch so there's less to flex.

I was thinking of doing just that. Just looking for ones that are nice and solid but cheap enough I don’t mind cutting them down.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rlitman]

...Once a punch rounds any more than a tiny amount, it is useless to me for this since the tolerance between the hole and punch is quite tight...

Do you mean bends, because if it isn't perfectly straight, it won't fit into the drilled hole? Because if the tip is just rouding over, a grinder is the quick fix.

Anyway, I suggest skipping punches entirely. Just buy lengths of music wire. It's just as strong, and you can cut it shorter as the tip bends.

 

[pugglewuggle]

Do you mean bends, because if it isn't perfectly straight, it won't fit into the drilled hole? Because if the tip is just rouding over, a grinder is the quick fix.



Anyway, I suggest skipping punches entirely. Just buy lengths of music wire. It's just as strong, and you can cut it shorter as the tip bends.

Thanks for the reply. From what I’ve seen, usually punches bend near to where the neck widens, not down by the tip.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rlitman]

Thanks for the reply. From what I’ve seen, usually punches bend near to where the neck widens, not down by the tip.

Where it bends depends on how you force it.

If I were going through these in quantity, I'd probably cut a groove into the jaws of a cheap pair of vise grips to grip onto a 1-1/2" length of wire made for the job.

And I'd probably cut a second groove at a 45 degree angle to the first, so I could hold the wire in two positions (think of the grooves in the blocks in the tip of a stick welding stinger).

And here's another thought. What about using threaded rod instead of a drill rod. Something that you can screw in and pull with a slide hammer.

 

[larry_g]

Where it bends depends on how you force it.

If I were going through these in quantity, I'd probably cut a groove into the jaws of a cheap pair of vise grips to grip onto a 1-1/2" length of wire made for the job.

To take this idea a step further; use a drill blank of the appropriate size. A drill blank is on size for your pilot hole and could have the end modified for a hook or a step if necessary. Sometimes you have to make the correct tool.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[pugglewuggle]

To take this idea a step further; use a drill blank of the appropriate size. A drill blank is on size for your pilot hole and could have the end modified for a hook or a step if necessary. Sometimes you have to make the correct tool.

Now that’s an interesting idea.


Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal

 

[MattT]

These Starretts are decent punches for the money. You should have no problem getting 20% off the Zoro pricing, with a coupon, and can get 25% off if you're patient and place a large enough order.

https://www.zoro.com/starrett-drive...7DtbpDDr6FbjB9xCeMrAtmcAjfHXu1zMaAhE-EALw_wcB

 

[finn]

Thanks for the reply. From what I’ve seen, usually punches bend near to where the neck widens, not down by the tip.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

If you did a finite element analysis, the highest stress is likely immediately before the neck transition. That’s where the bending moment is largest on the narrow shank.

 

[Wamsutta]

Solid. For blind ones it’s drilling or grinding off the locking collar then the rest of the process mentioned. Any ideas?

For solid rivets I used drill all the way through the center of the rivet; then shear the tail off from the side with a pin punch or a small chisel. The round heads already had a dimple in the middle of the head for placing the drill bit. For the flat heads, we used a spring loaded center punch to mark the center. If you go trying to pry the rivet out, you run the risk of either elongating or enlarging the hole.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Mayhew has a few lines of differing quality all USA made. I have the 100 line and they are super solid and pretty cheap off Amazon. The basic lineup is available through home depot